Ingredients:

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 ¼ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Butter an 8 ½ inch by 4 by 2 ½ inch loaf pan; dust with flour.
2. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl.
3. Melt 5 ounces of the chocolate.
4. Put butter in the bowl and mix until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add sugar, raise speed to medium and cream until pale and fluffy.  This usually takes about 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in eggs one at a time.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two batches of milk.  Mix until just combined.
6. Pour half of batter into melted chocolate; stir well.  Alternating between remaining plain batter and the chocolate batter, drop large spoonfuls of batter into the prepared pan.  When pan is filled use a table knife to cut through mixture with a swirling motion.
7. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about one hour.  If bread browns too quickly, tent with foil.  Let bread cool slightly in the pan on a wire rack about 10 minutes.  Run a thin knife around the edges of the bread to loosen; unmold.  Let cool completely on the rack.
8. To make ganache put the remaining 3 ounces chocolate in a medium bowl.  Heat cream over medium heat until just about to simmer.  Pour cream over chocolate; stir until mixture is smooth.  Let stand 10 minutes to thicken.  Spread over cooled cake and let stand until set, about one hour.

Comments: An ideal gift that tastes good and looks good.  Tastes BEST the day of baking.