1 1/2 c All-purpose flour
1 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
3/4 c Sour cream
3/4 c Unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tb Unsalted butter; such as
-Land O’Lakes, at room
-temperature
1 c Granulated sugar
2 lg Eggs; at room temperature
3/4 ts Pure vanilla extract
1 c Cranberries; very coarsely
-chopped (halved or
-quartered)
2 oz Bittersweet chocolate; cut
-into 1/2-inch chunks
Mascarpone cheese or cream
-cheese for serving
-(optional)
Make the bread:
1.Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350?F. Butter
the bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2.In a medium bowl, using a wire whisk, stir together the flour, baking
powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream
and cocoa until well blended. (The mixture will be fairly stiff.)
3.In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer set at medium speed, beat the
butter for 30 seconds, or until creamy. Beat in the sugar and continue
beating until light in texture and color, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs
one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. On
low speed, beat in one-third of the flour mixture. Beat in half of the sour
cream mixture. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Beat in the remaining
flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the remaining sour cream
mixture in 1 addition, until just combined. (The batter will be thick.)
Stir in the cranberries and chopped chocolate.
4.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber
spatula. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick
inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool the bread in the
pan on a rack for 15 minutes.
5.Run the tip of a knife around the edge of the pan. Invert the bread onto
another rack and let cool completely before serving. (The bread is the
easiest to slice if allowed to sit for at least 2 hours.)
6.Using a serrated or sharp knife, slice the bread. Serve with mascarpone
or cream cheese if desired.
PREPARATION: 30 minutes plus baking and cooling times.
Yields
1 Servings