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Pão de Cacau (Chocolate Loaf)

Pão de Cacau (Chocolate Loaf) is a traditional Sao Tomean recipe for a classic chocolate cake containing peanuts made with soured coconut milk. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Sao Tomean version of: Chocolate Loaf (Pão de Cacau).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

70 minutes

Total Time:

90 minutes

Serves:

10

Rating:

Tags : Baking RecipesCake RecipesSao-tome Recipes

When discovered by the Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe was uninhabited and they initially established their colony as a way station for the Atlantic slave trade. sugarcane production. The rich volcanic soil and proximity to the equator made São Tomé and Príncipe ideal for sugar cultivation, followed later by cash crops such as coffee and cocoa. The sugar trade has essentially disappeared but São Tomé and Príncipe remains a major exporter of cocoa, with other export crops being copra, palm kernels, and coffee. Local coffee is very hard to find on the islands as it's almost all exported. However, local cacao, chocolate nibs and cocoa are used in local cooking, as in preparing this Portuguese-influenced chocolate loaf cake. The original Portuguese version of this cake use buttermilk as a binding and rising agent. However, on the islands this it typically substituted with soured coconut milk (1 cup coconut milk blended with 1 tbsp vinegar).

Ingredients:

180g plain (all-purpose) flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
225g butter, softened
200g sugar
2 eggs
250ml (1 cup) coconut milk
1 tbsp white vinegar
70g blanched peanuts, coarsely chopped

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 175°C then grease a 12 x 22cm loaf tin and line the base with greaseproof (waxed) or parchment paper. In a bowl, beat together the coconut milk and vinegar to make soured coconut milk.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly to combine after each addition (if the mixture looks like it may be curdling add a tablespoon of the flour mix). Finally beat in the sourced coconut milk

Add half the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Now add in the remaining flour mixture, beating until just combined. Pour in the peanuts and fold into the batter until evenly incorporated.

Spoon the resultant cake batter into the prepared loaf tin. Even the top then transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven.

Bake for 65-70 minutes until nicely risen and browned on top. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the centre emerges cleanly.

Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. At this point turn the cake out of the pan and allow to cool completely on the wire rack before slicing or storing.