That’s why I zeroed right in on this recipe for Vanilla and Chocolate Marbled Bundt Cake in my friend Irvin Lin’s new cookbook, “Marbled, Swirled, and Layered.”
Why Marbled Bundt Cake Recipe Is a Must-Try
He makes it with a chocolate-coffee syrup swirled into the batter. Plus chocolate chips. Plus a thick vanilla glaze over top. Game, set, match. If you’ve been reading Simply Recipes for the past few months, you have no doubt noticed some of the recipes Irvin Lin has shared here, like his Easy Peanut Butter Fudge and these very tempting Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. He does good things with butter and sugar.
Where This Bundt Cake Recipe Comes From
In “Marbled, Swirled, and Layered,” he takes desserts up a notch or three. Not only are all the recipes visually stunning—as you no doubt guessed, but they all incorporate some element of being beautifully marbled, swirled, or layered. Also, the flavor combinations are just out of this world. With every recipe, I feel like I learn something new about the way seemingly very different ingredients can actually come together in interesting and unexpected ways. I especially love the way Irvin brings savory flavors into play, like that balsamic swirl in the brownies. It’s never so much savory that the recipe becomes savory but just enough to make you perk up and pay attention. If you are the kind of baker who loves to mix and match and have a little fun in the kitchen, then I advise you to pick up a copy of this book immediately. Now, let’s talk about this Bundt cake.
Bundt Cakes Are the Perfect Easy, No-Fuss Recipe
I confess that I like to eat cake more than I like to bake it, and this recipe was just my speed. Low effort, high reward. You only need to make one batter (I’ve seen other recipes that have you make two: one chocolate and one vanilla), and then you scoop about a third of it into a separate bowl to mix with the chocolate syrup. This chocolate batter gets sandwiched between two layers of vanilla, which then get swirled together just before going in the oven.
Don’t Forget: Marbling a Bundt Cake Is Easy!
I fretted over my marbling technique the entire time the cake was baking and cooling, but I didn’t need to worry. It was perfect. I love that there were distinct chocolate bits and distinct vanilla bits—tasty and so very pretty. (Follow Irvin’s advice to “sometimes dig deep to the bottom and lift up” as you’re swirling.) The cake itself was also incredibly moist and tender, which has me thinking that this might just become my new go-to cake for all future cake-worthy events, forever and always. To sum up, I’m a big fan of both Irvin and his new book. I highly recommend putting this one on your wish list this year. Get the book! “Marbled, Swirled, and Layered: 150 Recipes and Variations for Artful Bars, Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and More” by Irvin Lin
How to Store This Cake
Store this Bundt cake on a cake plate with a domed lid at room temperature for up to three days. You can also store it in the refrigerator for six to seven days, but as it sits in the refrigerator it will begin to dry out. To make this cake ahead of time and store it in the freezer, leave off the glaze. Allow the cake to cool completely and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil before freezing for up to three months. Defrost in the refrigerator and then make and add the glaze.
More Bundt Cake Recipes to Make!
Best Fresh Apple Bundt Cake Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake Rum Cake Chocolate Bundt Cake Mrs. Adams’ Delicious Pound Cake
Text excerpted from “Marbled, Swirled, and Layered” © 2016 by Irvin Lin. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the chocolate syrup:
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (55g) natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1/2 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
1/4 cup (85g) mild-tasting honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cake batter:
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
1 cup (225g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 3/4 cups (385g) all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup (210g) semisweet chocolate chips
For the vanilla bean glaze:
1 vanilla bean, or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk
2 to 2 1/2 cups (230g to 290g) powdered sugar
For decoration:
Chocolate pearls, chocolate shavings, or chocolate sprinkles, optional
Add the eggs one at a time, beating until completely incorporated and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition. Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat until the dry ingredients are absorbed. Add the flour in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2, alternating between the flour and buttermilk and ending with the flour. Beat until incorporated and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. Once the cake has cooled completely (after about 2 hours), remove the vanilla bean from the milk and sift 2 cups powdered sugar into the milk. (If using the vanilla extract, add it to the milk right before sifting the powdered sugar; no need to steep it.) The glaze should be thin enough to pour, but thick enough to hold its shape on the cake, similar to honey in consistency. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired thickness. [Emma’s Tip: Tuck parchment paper under the cake while you drizzle to catch the drips, then remove once the icing is set.] If decorating with chocolate pearls, shavings, or sprinkles, sprinkle them randomly on the cake before the glaze dries.
