Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake

The search finally progresses! I'm back at school now and it is the final term of Year 12 so things are heating up.  But on the upside, I have lots of friends to offer chocolate cake to seeing as my family and I aren't chocolate fanatics.  I brought this cake to school today which is why this cake sort of looks like child's play. Despite the lack of elaborate decoration, everyone said it was amazing.  The texture was moist, very dense and chocolatey.  This may well have what it takes to win.  So far it's between this one and the Women's Weekly cake.  If I were to liken this cake to anything it would be somewhat similar to a brownie simply because of the density.  This is Nigella Lawson's recipe so I'm betting that this will be the eventual winner.  She writes that "it is the essence of all that is desirable" in a chocolate cake.  She also says that it is so good it doesn't need icing, however, still provides a recipe.  And I do agree with her suggestion.

Ingredients
225g soft unsalted butter
375 dark muscovado sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g best dark chocolate, melted
200g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
250mL boiling water

Ingredients for Optional Icing
175g dark chocolate
75g milk chocolate
200mL double cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
+ smarties to decorate


Method
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees (fan-forced) and grease and line a loaf tin.  Lining the tin is important.  Cream the butter and sugar with hand-held mixer, then add eggs and vanilla, beating well. Next, fold in the now slightly cooled melted chocolate, take care to blend well but being careful not to overbeat.  You want the ingredients combined: you don't want a light airy mass.  Then gently add the flour, to which you've added the bicarb, alternately spoon by spoon, with the boiling water until you have a smooth and fairly liquidy batter.  Pour into the lined loaf tin and bake for 30 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 170 degrees and continue to bake for further 15 minutes.  Cake will be slightly squidgy inside, so an inserted skewer won't come out completely clean.  Place loaf tin on a rack, and leave to completely cool before turning it out.  This cake improves the next day.  Don't worry if it sinks in middle: indeed, it will do so because it's such a dense cake. 

Method for Optional Icing
Break all the chocolate into pieces and heat with the cream and vanillain a saucepan until melted.  Whisk until it's a good consistency for icing, and spoon onto cake.  Smooth out and stud the cake with smarties.