Chocolate Candy Cane Loaves
Author: 
Recipe type: Quick Bread
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 loaves (12 slices each)
 
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 1⅔ cups brown sugar, packed
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup vanilla yogurt
  • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 3½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup baking cocoa
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups buttermilk
  • 1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Topping:
  • 2 ounces white baking chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon shortening
  • 3 tablespoons crushed candy canes
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat three 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until fine and crumbly. Add in egg whites, eggs, yogurt, applesauce, vanilla and peppermint extracts and beat until smooth.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the wet ingredients until creamy and smooth.
  4. Fold in chocolate chips and divide batter evenly between prepared loaf pans (about ½ way up)
  5. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick entered into the center of the loaves comes out clean. Let rest in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Topping:
  1. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt together white chocolate and shortening for 30 seconds. Mix and return to the microwave to repeat process, if necessary until completely melted and of a drizzling consistency.
  2. Drizzle melted chocolate over loaves and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
Notes
To remove the loaves easily from the pans, allow the loaves to cool for 10 minutes in the pan then turn the pan to its side and let sit for a few minutes more to allow the loaf to pull away from the sides of the pan. Turn the pan upside down for easy release.

For a lighter and fluffier loaf, lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off instead of scooping it into the cup and packing it in.
Recipe by The 36th AVENUE at https://www.the36thavenue.com/candy-cane-chocolate-loaves/