Marble Bundt - Day #1 of I Like Big Bundts 2

Marble Bundt Cake

Let's get the party started with this rich bundt from the Baked: New Frontiers in Baking cookbook. I've borrowed this book from the library (dude, I work in a library) several times and finally purchased it.

I love marble bundts. They look plain jane on the outside, but they have a surprise center of fun.

It's Day #1 of a month long marathon of bundt cakes! I hope you stick around (I hope I make it), and I hope you find a recipe to try on National Bundt Day (November 15th)

See? The Marble is very lovely. Just remember not to be too aggressive in the marbling.

This is a mighty cake. The batter fills your bowl. You better have a 12-cup capacity Bundt for this baby. I'm using a Nordic Ware Bundt pan. I'll show off all my Bundt pans in the next 30 days. I don't have that many...just a big plastic container full! :)

Fresh out of the oven!

Ah, the inside of a marble bundt rocks. This cake is rich and poundcakey. It has two cups of sour cream!

Come back tomorrow for...wait for it...another Bundt! :) - mary the food librarian

Marble Bundt Cake
Adapted from: “Baked” by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito - You should really buy this book. It's yummy.

Chocolate Swirl
6 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Trader Joe's Bittersweet)
1 tsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder (I used Valrhona cocoa powder)

Sour Cream Cake
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Make the Chocolate Swirl:
In the top of a double broiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate. When the chocolate is completely smooth, add the cocoa powder and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.

Make the Sour Cream Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prep 10-inch bundt pan (I spray mine with "Pam with Flour" spray...man, I go through a lot of that this month!).

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl.

Using the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and ribbonlike. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and mix for 30 seconds.

Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, scraping down the bowl before each addition and beating only until each addition is just incorporated. Do not overmix. You will have a lot of batter.

Pour one third of the cake batter into the chocolate swirl mixture. Use a spatula to combine the chocolate mixture and the batter to make a smooth chocolate batter.

Spread half of the remaining plain cake batter in the prepared pan use an ice cream scoop to dollop the chocolate cake batter directly on top of the plain cake batter. The dollops will touch and mostly cover the plain batter, but some plain batter will peek through. Use a butter knife to swirl the chocolate and plain batter together. Pour the remaining plain batter on top of the chocolate layer and smooth it out. Once again, use the knife to pull through the layers to create a swirl.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, or until a sharp knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert from pan onto wire rack and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. The cake will keep for three days, tightly covered, at room temperature.