Mexican Chocolate Loaf Food

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lightly spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray (or butter and flour) and set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk until everything's combined. Set aside.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer (or using a handheld mixer), cream together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the yogurt and mix thoroughly.
• Add the eggs one by one, followed by the vanilla extract. If things look like they are about to separate, do not panic - whisk together with a spatula because sometimes the butter suspends itself in the yogurt mixture.
• Add one third of the flour mixture followed by one third of the chocolate. Repeat and beat until everything is combined.
• Bake for 60 - 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool on a baking rack.
• Lightly dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• For the Mexican chocolate babka dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and cinnamon. Add the milk and eggs and mix with the dough hook to combine. With the mixer running, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until it is incorporated into the dough. The butter should be soft and pliable but not melty. When all the butter is incorporated, knead/mix, stopping to scrape the hook, sides and bottom of the bowl every few minutes, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky, another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, flip over to coat and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest and rise until it's doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• For the Mexican chocolate babka filling: In a medium bowl with a stiff rubber spatula, mix together the sugar, butter, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder and salt until combined. Add the oil to smooth it out to a spreadable consistency. Taste and add more chili powder if you like more heat. Reserve at room temperature.
• Grease a pullman loaf pan or standard loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment so that it comes up 2 of the sides and overhangs by an inch. On a clean countertop, roll the dough out into a 10-by-22-inch rectangle. The dough should be slightly sticky, but if it's too sticky to work with, you can dust with a little flour. Spread a thin even layer of filling all over the dough, reserving about 2 tablespoons of it. Roll the dough the long way into a tight log and cut it in half so you have 2 shorter logs. Spread the top of one of the logs with the reserved filling and then twist the logs together. Transfer to the prepared loaf pan, cover with plastic, and let rise until puffy and risen by about half, another 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Gently brush the top of the babka with heavy cream. Bake until the top is deep golden brown, about 50 minutes.
• For the simple syrup: Meanwhile, combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan and warm until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• When the babka comes out of the oven, brush the simple syrup over the top. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to continue cooling. Of course, you should try it while it's still warm!! To store, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. This is best within a day or two--after that, use it for French toast!

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE LOAF

Steps:

• Warm 1/2 cup water and the milk in a saucepan over low heat until a thermometer registers 100 degrees F to 110 degrees F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast on top, then sprinkle with a pinch of the sugar; set aside, undisturbed, until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the remaining sugar,and salt. Make a well in the center, then add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to make a thick and slightly sticky dough - adding more flour as needed until it is manageable. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. Shape into a ball.
• Brush a large bowl with butter. Add the dough, turning to coat lightly with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour, 15 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead briefly to release excess air; re-form into a ball and return to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it directly on the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the butter, almonds, sugar, cocoa powder, egg yolks, cinnamon, flour and cayenne in a food processor and pulse to make a paste.
• On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Spread the cocoa mixture over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one of the long sides. Brush the clean border with water. Tightly roll the dough into an 18-inch log, rolling toward the clean border; pinch the seam to seal. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes.
• Slide the parchment off the baking sheet and cut the log in half lengthwise with a chef's knife. Slide back onto the baking sheet and pinch one end together with the cut sides facing in. Twist the two halves together, crossing one over the other a few times. Pinch the end together, then tuck both pinched ends under the loaf slightly. Cover the loaf loosely with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until plump, 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the loaf and bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown (a thermometer inserted into the middle should register 170 degrees F to 175 degrees F), 30 to 35 minutes.
• Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Brush the warm loaf with the melted butter and sprinkle with some of the cinnamon sugar. Let cool, then sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Generously grease and flour pans (see description above).
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
• Place the butter and sugars in mixer bowl, fitted with paddle if possible, and beat until smooth and creamy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl before each addition.
• Add half the flour mixture and beat well, then add the milk, coffee and vanilla.
• Scrape down sides and add remaining flour mixture. Beat well.
• Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Transfer to oven and bake until cake pulls away from the sides, and tester comes out NOT QUITE clean, about 50-55 minutes for bundt pan, 45 minutes for 9x5, and 40 minutes for 8x4's. These times are not exact -- they may take up to 15 minutes longer!
• Cool for 20 minutes in pan, then invert on rack. Cool to room temperature.