Marbled Pound Cake
An easy marbled pound cake recipe that can be baked in a loaf or a tube pan.
Servings 8
Cost 5
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (210 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (I use ½)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 large eggs at room temperature 30 minutes
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 cup) (230 grams)
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (250 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup sour cream (120 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line with a strip of parchment paper. Grease again and dust with flour. The original recipe calls for a 9x5 inch pan, but I think an 8 ½ by 4 ½ would work better.
- Heat the water in the microwave until very warm, then add cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Whisk the eggs together in a separate bowl, preferably a medium size bowl or one big enough to use when dividing the batter into two flavors.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a mixing bowl using a handheld), beat the butter on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, scraping the side of the bowl as needed. Add sugar and continue beating, but reduce to medium-low and beat for 2 minutes, scraping bowl as needed. Add vanilla and beat for 1 minute.
- Add half the flour mixture and half the beaten eggs and beat on medium low, scraping bowl, until blended. Add remaining beaten eggs and flour and continue beating on medium low until blended.
- Add the sour cream and beat until smooth.
- When fully blended, pour half the batter into another bowl (I use the one I used for the eggs). You can eyeball the half or weigh out 480 grams. Beat the cocoa mixture into the batter you measured out.
- Spoon batter into pan, starting with vanilla, layering with chocolate and topping with vanilla or you can spoon all the vanilla, then add chocolate and drag a knife or spoon through the batter to marble somewhat.
- Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 50-60 minutes (half versions usually take 50 minutes in my oven).
- Let cake cool in pan on a rack 20 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.
Notes
You can also make these as Bundtlettes or bake in jumbo size muffin tins. For Bundlettes, reduce heat to 325F and check at 35 minutes. I have not tested the timing for jumbo muffin tins. I'm sure the recipe would also work well as mini loaves.
