Double Chocolate Swirl Pound Cake

Unfortunately there will be no stories tonight…I am afraid that anything I say will be misunderstood. Instead of waiting until I am in a better place, I am doing something different – I am leaving you with a recipe. That’s really what this blog is about anyway. I am a little different from most – I do not eat when I am upset – I react in the opposite way. Some people would say that is a blessing.

Many people think that making a healthy cake is worthless – I see it as a challenge. And this was a challenge well worth taking. I love a good bundt cake, but most of the good bundt cakes I make have at least 2 sticks of butter. Even with the oil, this was a much healthier version – and we all thought it was delicious. No, I didn’t make this today, but this was something I made a while ago and have not had the chance to share it with you. With fall coming, this is a great dessert that definitely feeds a crowd. You might even have enough for seconds…

Ingredients

Cake:

1 3/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
3.4 ounces whole-wheat pastry flour (about 3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 ounce chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
Baking spray with flour

Glaze:

2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating until incorporated. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level. Combine flours, powder, soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine sour cream and 1/4 cup milk. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Combine 1 teaspoon canola oil and chopped bittersweet chocolate in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave at HIGH for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons cocoa. Remove 2 1/2 cups vanilla batter; add to chocolate mixture, and stir. Using 2 ice-cream scoops or 2 large spoons, add batters alternately to a 10-cup Bundt pan coated with baking spray; swirl.

Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.

Combine powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake.

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