Birthday Presents & Chocolate Chip Walnut Loaf

It was my birthday a few weeks ago and I got THE BEST PRESENT EVER!

I've wanted a stand mixer for a long time and I finally got one this year! I left it in the box for maybe a week because it was all new and shiny and I didn't want it to get spoiled. That didn't last long though. 

There are so many things I want make in it but for the first run I wanted to keep it simple.You cant go wrong with a loaf cake. 

I was so excited when I started, I literally stood there, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, watching the K-beater cream the butter and sugar. When I got over that, I set about preparing the rest of the ingredients because my hands were free to do other stuff!

Before now, I have been using this hand beater for almost exactly 11 years... 

I will absolutely not be discarding it though, it still works perfectly and it'll stay tucked in its corner in the cabinet for when it's needed.

I also got the perfect cookbook, full of chocolate recipes...

I wanted to make something out of my new cookbook in my new Kenwood mixer, so I picked out this quick and simple loaf cake recipe...

Chocolate and walnuts are a classic combination and they make this plain cake so much better. I've never thought of doing it this way, I always think of putting walnuts in brownies or in chocolate cake. I'm so glad I came across this recipe though. It's my new favourite (I'll post the old favourite soon too), it's so easy and quick to whip up and the chocolate and nuts add a richness and flavour that elevates it from an ordinary tea-time cake. I love it when something so simple tastes so so good!

Chocolate Chip Walnut Loaf

adapted from 500 Best-Ever Recipes: Chocolate by Felicity Forster

Ingredients

4 oz butter 

½ cup caster sugar

2 eggs 

1⅓ all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 oz walnuts, finely chopped

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (I used semisweet)

1. Preheat the oven to 180⁰C (350⁰F).
2. Grease and flour an 8x4-inch loaf tin and line with wax paper so that the paper hangs over the long edges.
3. Add the butter and sugar to a mixing bowl and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and creamy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix well after each addition.
5. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add this mixture, two tablespoons at a time, to the mixing bowl with the beater on low speed.
6. Add the vanilla, chopped walnuts and chocolate chips to the cake batter and stir to combine.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top.

8. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
9. Allow the loaf to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then remove it from the tin, gently peel away the wax paper and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.