Modern Baker Challenge: Chocolate Spice Bread

One of the best things about the Modern Baker Challenge (at least for now, while we're in the quick breads section), is that if I feel like baking something but don't have a lot of time, I know there's a perfect recipe just waiting for me. And most of them use ingredients that are sitting right in my cupboard, so I can get right to work!

This morning I felt like whipping up a quick bread while the kids were eating breakfast. I let the little guy choose, and he picked chocolate spice bread.

This was an easy recipe: whisk flour, sifted cocoa, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and fresh nutmeg. Whisk eggs and sugars in another bowl; add sour cream and melted butter. Stir it all together. Pour it in a pan. The kiddos even got to help with the whisking from where they sat at the breakfast counter. The only thing that surprised me was how thick the batter was; more like a thick fudgy cake rather than a quick bread.

I baked it for a few minutes longer than required until I got a dry(ish) toothpick (I didn't want it to be too dry). We (barely) waited a few minutes until we sliced into it; I sliced off a chunk to leave with hubby and the kiddos and grabbed the rest to take to the Lunch Bunch as I headed out the door.

I'd been on the road for five minutes when hubby called me. "Why didn't you leave us a bigger piece of the bread?!? It's already all goooooooonnnnne!!!" Needless to say, it was a hit at work, too. Moist with a slightly spicy, lightly chocolately, complex flavor: much loved all around!

The official blogger for Chocolate Spice Bread was Phyl over at Of Cabbages and King Cakes. (He's actually already finished a bunch of the Modern Baker recipes; check it out!)