Daniel Boulod's Chocolate-ginger Pound Cake

Chocaholics will love this rich cake with a spicy ginger taste.

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3, and brush 3 x 22cm x 9cm x 6cm (8½in x 3½in x 2½in) loaf tins with oil and place on a baking sheet.
   
   Sift the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Stir together the buttermilk, espresso and 60ml (2¼fl oz) room temperature water in a measuring jug. Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla seeds in a bowl until light and fluffy.
   
   Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk mixture in three additions, ending with the liquid. Stir in the ginger until just combined.
   
   Divide the batter between the loaf tins, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a small knife inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging, rotating the tins halfway through the baking. Let the cakes cool in the tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
   
   Invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the tins, re-invert right side up, and cool. Dust the cakes with icing sugar and serve with vanilla ice-cream. You can freeze any cakes you don't serve straight away.