A comforting loaf cake peppered with flecks of rosemary and chunks of
chocolate and which uses olive oil instead of butter. The rosemary and
chocolate are an unexpectedly subtle pairing, which I adore. This is a
less sweet cake, almost fudgy, with a delicate herbal back-note. It’s so
good that, if I got married again, I’d have it as a layer in my wedding cake.
It's an old favourite from my Guardian column. You can use a standard
olive oil here; it doesn’t need to be extra virgin. It pairs wonderfully
with rosemary, but I have also made this by nestling a few bay leaves in
the top of the batter instead. You could also replace the rosemary with
orange zest or the seeds from a vanilla pod. To make it vegan, omit the eggs and milk, and use sparkling water instead.
