Monday, April 28, 2008

Marbled pound cake

Marbled pound cake

When I was younger, many of my friends at school had nieces and nephews – I thought it was so cool! Being older than my brother (back then, Jessica hadn’t been born yet) I knew that it would take me a while to be called an “auntie”.

My brother is single and still don’t have kids, but my problem has been solved – Joao already had 1 niece and 1 nephew when we started dating and 1 girl and 2 more boys have been added to the family since I became part of it. :)

One of the girls is Rafaela – a full of energy 3 year old. She loved the orange and lemon cake I baked last week and wanted me to bake another cake for her. A simple cake was the idea – no filling or frosting – that’s why I went for the perfect pound cake recipe from this book. Since Rafaela adores chocolate, I followed Dorie’s instructions to make a marbled cake.

The recipe is easy and doesn’t call for many ingredients. The cake was tender and my niece loved it – I think that in a few years I’ll have a new helper in the kitchen. :)

Marbled pound cake

Marbled pound cake
from Baking: From My Home to Yours

2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
226g (2 sticks/8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
112g (4oz) bittersweet chocolate, chopped – I used 60% cocoa solids

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler and set aside to cool.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 165ºC/325ºF. Butter a 9x5-inch (22.5x12.5cm) loaf pan or an 8-½x4-½ inch (21x11cm) loaf pan*. Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, a full 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater and reduce the mixer speed to medium. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 to 2 minutes after each egg goes in. As you're working, scrape down the bowl and beater often. Mix in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it is incorporated - don't overmix. In fact, you might want to fold in the last of the flour, or even all of it, by hand with a rubber spatula.

After the batter is fully mixed, transfer half of it to another bowl and gently blend in the melted, cooled chocolate. Alternate large spoonfuls of the light and dark batters in the pan, then run a kitchen knife in a zigzag pattern through the batters to marble them. Smooth the top.

Put the cake into the oven to bake, and check on it after about 45 minutes. If it's browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. If you're using a 9x5 pan, you'll need to bake the cake for 70 to 75 minutes; the smaller pan needs about 90 minutes. The cake is properly baked when a thin knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven, transfer the pan to a rack and let rest for 30 minutes.

Run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan and turn the cake out, then turn it right side up on the rack and cool to room temperature.

*I used a 26x10cm loaf pan and my cake baked for 75 minutes.

Storing:
Wrapped well, the cake will keep for 5 to 7 days at room temperature (stale cake is great toasted) or up to 2 months in the freezer.

Serves 8-10

50 comments:

Kana said...

Patricia:

This reminds of my Mom - she used to marbled cakes all the time.

Anonymous said...

This looks wonderful! The marbling is so beautiful.

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Marbled is always good and this looks lovely Patricia. My mom made lots of marbled cakes and I wonder why I haven't. So fun to have a helper in the wings.

LyB said...

That is such a beautiful cake Patricia! I've never made pound cake, this looks like a good recipe to try!

Silvia - Magnolia Wedding Planner said...

marbled is the best for me!! it looks so yummy and delicious!
It brings me back to my childwood when my grandma used to do this kind of cake every week!
Thanks for the recipe!
Silvia

Nic said...

Nice marbling Patricia, I bet it was really good with chocolate in it.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Marble cakes were always a childhood favorite of mine. I'd like to eat all the chocolate part separately from the vanilla (which wasn't always so easy). Your nieces and nephews are so lucky to have Aunty Patricia in their lives. :)

Cookie baker Lynn said...

How fun that you got to marry into being an aunt. What a lovely cake you made for your niece. The photos are really beautiful!

Peter M said...

I know it's easy but the marbling technique always makes cakes and breads look so intricate...1 slice with an espresso please.

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Patricia, this cake looks like the one I remember from my childhood... I bookmarked it to try to make it some time... have a nice day.... Margot

Katy said...

That looks great! My fiance loves pound cake, and I love simple recipes that can be made from scratch! The marbling looks beautiful!

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of all those marbled cakes I had in my childhood. I haven't made one in ages and what a great, simple recipe.

bakeorbreak said...

What a beautiful cake! I must try this one out some time.

nicole said...

This looks good. :)Marbling on cakes and breads always look so pretty.

Unknown said...

So much fun! I can't wait to have neices and nephews to do this with. Pound cakes remind me of my grandmother...maybe I'll make one in honor of her.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

I have such a weakness for pound cake! Have you ever tried grilling it? You slice it thick, about 3/4 inch, and spread butter on both sides and grill in a hot grill pan on top of the stove. Oh boy!

Anonymous said...

Patricia, this cake looks great! I have never made a marbled cake, but it reminds me a bit of a zebra cake I posted. I really want to try this recipe. Looks beautiful!

Rachelle S said...

Hi, I came to check put this pretty cake you made. I love the pink back drop too. I was not familiar with Dori until recently (all these food blogs!) so I just sent a request to get her books from my library. I have a feeling I'm going to need to copy a lot of her recipes down! :)

ChichaJo said...

This looks so good Patricia! Can I also volunteer to be your helper? :)

I know what you mean about having few nieces and nephews...I am the eldest granchild so it's been that way for me for a long time! :)

Anonymous said...

what a beautiful photo! and the cake looks delicious..I love simple cakes like these.
ronell

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Mmmm...simple...marble...delicious :)

Emily said...

Aw-that must be nice having a little niece. I have a baby nephew, but he's not much fun. He's only 6 months. It's like, come on kid! Do something!

The cake looks gorgeous. So swirly looking.

Clumbsy Cookie said...

Marbled cakes allways look so inviting. I recently made a chocolate and coconut one. Yours looks so nice I wish I could have a slice for breakfast instead of the whole wheat bread I'm eating right now!

Anonymous said...

My mother's a huge fan of marbled cakes, and I do believe that she'll give a big thumbs up if she saw your lovely photo. Enticing capture, dearie!

Btw, I love your niece's name :) Sounds really pretty! I'm sure she's a pretty young girl herself :)

Anonymous said...

i love marbled cakes! :D look at those nice effects on yours~ :) lovely~~

Amanda

Anonymous said...

Perfect marbling and it looks delicious!

RecipeGirl said...

What a great auntie you are... she'll treasure your cooking memories forever! I became an aunt at age 13. I remember it being really cool. And it's now to be older and have a nephew who is so close in age :)

Dana said...

My fiance has a nephew, and when I visited his family a month ago, his nephew came up and asked me, "Can I call you Auntie Dana?" So cute!! I'll have to make a cake like this for him some time.

Brilynn said...

I made a marble cake this weekend too! I flavoured mine with orange zest and chocolate and it was great.

Anonymous said...

How beautiful! Marble cake is always so impressive, and I love that you can get both vanilla and chocolate cake at once. :)

kickpleat said...

believe it or not, i've never had pound cake! this looks amazing!!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Maya, I'm glad it brings you good memories. :)

Dianne, thank you, darling!

Tanna, it's fun! The kids like helping, you know.

LyB, you should definitely try baking a pound cake - your baked good are always so beautiful!

Silvia, thank you for sharing your memories with me, darling!

Nic, really good. :)

Susan, thank you, my dear, your comment made my day!

Lynn, I was thrilled to have nieces and nephews. :)

Pete, you can have as many slices as you want. :)

Margot, I hope you try it, dear!

Katy, this is a very easy recipe.

Peter, give this a go sometime. :)

Jen, you must! ;)

Nicole, tks for visiting!

Claire, they'll have fun with you, I'm sure!
And what a lovely thing to do for your granny.

Lydia, I have not! That is a wonderful idea, my friend.

Farida, give this recipe a try, you'll like it!

Rachelle, tks for stopping by! I too bought her book after seeing it all around the blogsphere. :)

Joey, I'd be lucky to have someone talented as you cooking with me, sweetie!

Ronell, I love simples cakes, too.

Michelle, tks, darling!

Emiline, I know! They start making funny things when they're older. :)

Rita, chocolate and coconut are wonderful together!

Hi darling! She's a doll - but kind of a tomboy sometimes. :)
And I'm glad to know your mom would like my cake, what an honor!

Amanda, tks for visiting!

Ann, thank you so much!

Hi sweetie! I can relate - I have a 30 year old uncle, and I'm 29. :)

Dana, that is so adorable!

Bri, let's swap cake slices?? ;)

Hannah, I agree. 2 for the price of 1! :)

Kickpleat, I'll believe you - they are not that common here in Brazil either!

Deborah said...

Your pictures look absolutely amazing! This cake sounds delicious - I love pound cake!

Anonymous said...

It looks sinful, which makes it right up my alley.

desie said...

i love easy recipes. you wouldn't think this cake is from one- it looks gorgeous.

Anonymous said...

That looks delicious and I love the tip about toasting stale cake, I usually use it for trifle but toasting it is an interesting alternative!

Anonymous said...

I baked a dorie cake recently too! Love the marbling in your cake.

Anonymous said...

looks yummy! i love pound cake and i love the marbled one too! perfect...

sher said...

It's so lovely! I was thinking about marbled pound cake last month. Your cake is just heavenly looking.

Patricia Scarpin said...

Deb, thank you, darling!

Cathy, I'd exchange some of this for those luscious bars you've posted. ;)

May, it's easy, even though the results are great!

Lorraine, isn't that great?

Farhan, her recipes are always winners.

Liz, tks, sweetie!

Sher, this is a good recipe to try.

Anonymous said...

Yum! It's been ages since we've had a marble cake! This one looks great, Patricia! :)

Cakebrain said...

The marbling looks wondeful! very yummy.

eatme_delicious said...

Ooo what a perfect looking marble loaf. I have yet to try making one. I have a niece who is 3 too but she's not at the point yet where she's asking me to bake stuff for her yet. ;)

Anonymous said...

Oh, Patrica. You are killing me here! That looks amazing.

Sarah said...

I can't wait to be an aunt myself someday so I can spoil the crap out of the little kiddos.
I love marble loaf! Seems like the perfect treat.

Pat said...

Patricia, this looks sooooo yummy!!! Bug not at all good for my diet!!!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous pictures and cake :)

TBC said...

I would love to make this when I can. love the marbled look.:-)

Mrs Ergül said...

I love marble cakes! Then I realize it takes 75 mins to bake. kinda long but anything for good cakes!

Anonymous said...

Hi Patricia,

Someone asked me for a marbled pound cake recipe and I felt bad because I didn't have one that was tried and true. I think I'll give this one a go! Thanks for posting. It looks good.

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