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Marble Cake Recipe

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Marble Cake Recipe

This pound cake is rich and moist with lovely swirls of white and chocolate batters. Marble cakes may look complicated, but they actually start with a white batter. Once the batter is made it is divided in half and then melted semisweet chocolate is added to one half. The marbling is created by placing the white and chocolate batters alternately in a bundt pan and then running your knife through the two batters to blur the lines. 

This cake is baked in a bundt pan and if you are using a dark colored pan, make sure to reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). This is done because dark colored pans absorb more of the energy coming from the oven walls so the pan becomes hotter and transmits heat faster than light colored pans. Reducing the oven temperature slightly will help compensate for this. 

I usually serve this cake plain, with just a dusting of powdered sugar, but you can frost it with your favorite chocolate icing or else a Chocolate Glaze, Ganache or even the Chocolate Confectioners' Frosting.

I know I have mentioned this before but it is important to remember that vanilla scented batters need a good vanilla extract. Buying vanilla extract can present a challenge as there are so many choices. The first thing to look for when buying any extract is to make sure it is labeled "pure". Stay away from the ones labeled "imitation" as they are made with synthetic vanilla (from glycoside found in the sapwood of certain conifers or from coal extracts) and leave a bitter aftertaste. The best pure vanilla extract I have found is Nielsen-Massey's Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract. You can find it in some grocery stores or else in specialty food stores

This recipe has been adapted from Sherry Yard's 'The Secrets of Baking'.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.  Butter, or spray with a non stick spray, a 10 inch (25 cm) bundt or tube pan.  

In a stainless steel bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the semisweet chocolate with the coffee.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.  Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer, cream the butter.  Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).  Add beaten eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla extract and sour cream.

With the mixer on low speed alternately add the flour mixture and the milk to the batter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.  

After preparing the batter, pour half of the batter into a separate bowl.  Stir the melted chocolate into one half of the batter, mixing well.  Place the batter into the prepared pan by alternating spoons of vanilla batter and chocolate batter.  Then, with the end of a wooden spoon, gently draw swirls through the batter to marbleize it.  Don't over mix or you won't have that wonderful marble affect.

Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan to cool completely.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  This cake will keep for a couple of days at room temperature or it can be frozen.

Adapted from:  Yard, Sherry. 'The Secrets of Baking'. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York: 2003. 

Recipe:

2 ounces (55 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon brewed coffee or espresso

2 1/4 cups (290 grams) cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup sour cream

1/3 cup (80 ml) milk

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