Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- Topping, recipe follows
- Vanilla ice cream, accompaniment
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and lightly flour an 8-cup loaf pan (10 by 5 by 3), knocking out the excess flour.
Into a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, molasses, and vanilla.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar, beating about 3 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after the addition of each. Alternating, add the wet and dry ingredients in 3 additions each, mixing just until combined and being careful not to overwork.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is risen and just set and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. (If cake gets too brown, tent it with foil).
Cool in the pan 40 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Slice cake into pieces, top with pecan topping, and serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Topping:
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons bourbon
In a saucepan, combine the ingredients, and simmer until thick. Serve over top of cake.
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By locavore01
Ann Arbor , MI
on February 27, 2012
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Delicious cake but the topping never thickened up for me -- it just reduced. The sugary pecans were good but I was looking for a sauce. Served it whipped cream and it was good, but the topping was a disappointment.
By hkhoch_10676458
Columbus, GA
on May 29, 2010
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I only had 1 1/4 cups brown sugar. I went ahead with the cake, but I was unable to make the topping. Instead, I topped it with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries, and it was wonderful!!! Also, I used an 8x8 pan, and my cake was perfectly cooked in 50 minutes. I will definitely make this again, and I can't wait to try the recommended topping. It seems like it would be equally good with a raspberry or orange glaze-type sauce or even a liquidy, warm chocolate sauce
By damianj_6131358
dearborn, MI
on February 07, 2009
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I googled chocolate, buttermilk, and molasses because those were the ingredients I had on hand. and wow! this cake recipe appeared. I've made it twice, the first time "as directed", but it's dull, it just needed something extra. So this time I added coarsely chopped walnuts and sugar as a topping while it baked. I also baked it as a cake, not a loaf in a 14 x 9 pan. it came out great in the time allowed. It's like a dense, dark chocolate cake. I recommend it, it 's much better than a cake mix!
Read all 11 reviews