I love big bundts and I cannot lie…  There are so many different reasons why they are so loveable.  For me, they are usually pretty hearty cakes that are easy to make, and look beautiful.  In addition, because I am not a huge frosting person (aside from marshmallow or cream cheese), I love a good cake that can stand on its own.  Capable of making a big impact without too much fuss.

When I first started this blog, a whole world was opened up to me – a world I didn’t really know existed.  It was a world driven by food, pictures, and people’s commentary on both.  What I realized is there were blogs on just about anything to do with food.  Some people stick to a certain discipline of food – for example, desserts.  Some people stick to a certain way of making food – for example, canning.  And some people go in different phases – like choosing the best Banana Bread out there, before moving onto the next subject.  There are many ways to get there, but at the end of the day, it is all about ranking the best.  Isn’t that really what readers want to know – what delivers the best overall experience?  I have to say, it is not easy.  In the beginning of my blogging days, I remember finding this blog, when she was doing 30 days of Bundt Cakes – can you really determine which is the best?  In the end, it is all relative.

When my daughter asked for the best “Chocolate Swirl Bundt Cake” for her birthday, I actually struggled to determine which one could be the “best.”  I finally settled for one Adapted from “Baked” by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito – published by the Food Librarian.  After we had the cake in the oven, I went back to the computer and started combing through her site, and realized that she actually made a different one that sounded like it was even better.  Ugh!    Well, the cake was a huge success.  It was moist, dense but in a good way, and could definitely could hold its own with just some powdered sugar on top.  I would have to say that relative to its Bundt Cake peers that I have experienced, it was pretty damn good – but then again, have I ever made a Bundt Cake that was not good?  Again, I guess it is all relative.

Ingredients

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

Preparation

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.

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.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Marble Bundt Cake