Cream Cheese Marble Bundt Cake
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Some of my best recipes start from what I call the fridge trance. It's those moments that I stare into the fridge, survey its contents and think. Think ... why did I get that pack of gruyère? Did I even buy that hummus? Who bought that hummus? How did that jar of preserves get there? Is that mold on it? How long do I have before the goat's milk quits on me?
Now I'm not just staring into the cold space in there, I'm processing all these thoughts in my mind ... what should I make now, what can I make tomorrow, and what could I make to use most of what is on my short list. I give myself bonus points for making a dish that uses more than 2 items on my short list. Yay! As you can see, cooking has really taken a toll on me mentally. LOL!
This is how this amazing bundt cake came to be. We had a dinner to attend. Surely I was to bring dessert. And a survey of the fridge contents directed me to the open pack of cream cheese. Aha! I had just the recipe in mind for it. It was from America's Test Kitchen and I remember bookmarking it a few weeks ago. It was for a cream cheese pound cake, out of which I adapted to make it a marbled version here.
So moist, so flavourful, the chocolate and vanilla batter coming together to create a rich dessert that accompanied our chai after dinner. This bundt cake was definitely more suited for an after meal dessert than an afternoon tea fare. And I'm happy and proud to report that it was well received by our friends who invited us over, for it was a happy compromise for the lady of the house who preferred vanilla cakes, and her husband, who loved chocolate. Aaah ... if everything were that simple and easily worked out.
Ingredients:
340 g (3 cups) cake flour
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs + 2 egg yolks
60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
400 g (2 cups) granulated sugar
340 g (1-1/2 cups or 3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
170 g (6 oz.) cream cheese
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 150C or 300F
2. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour with the salt.
4. In a small bowl, (using the same whisk), mix together the eggs, yolks, milk, and vanilla.
5. In a stand mixer with the flat beater attachment, beat the sugar, butter, and cream cheese, on medium high heat, until pale and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Reduce the speed to low, then drizzle in the egg mixture.
7. Fold in the flour in 3 additions.
8. Pour about half of the batter into another bowl (that you previously used) and whisk in the cocoa.
9. Drop chunks of batter alternating between vanilla and chocolate into the bundt pan, tapping it on a towel lined counter to make sure no air bubbles are trapped in there.
10. Run a small spatula around and up the pan to get a swirly effect. Don't go too crazy on this though.
11. Give it a good tap again on the counter, then bake for 70 - 80 minutes until it turns golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
12. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 150C or 300F
2. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour with the salt.
4. In a small bowl, (using the same whisk), mix together the eggs, yolks, milk, and vanilla.
5. In a stand mixer with the flat beater attachment, beat the sugar, butter, and cream cheese, on medium high heat, until pale and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Reduce the speed to low, then drizzle in the egg mixture.
7. Fold in the flour in 3 additions.
8. Pour about half of the batter into another bowl (that you previously used) and whisk in the cocoa.
9. Drop chunks of batter alternating between vanilla and chocolate into the bundt pan, tapping it on a towel lined counter to make sure no air bubbles are trapped in there.
10. Run a small spatula around and up the pan to get a swirly effect. Don't go too crazy on this though.
11. Give it a good tap again on the counter, then bake for 70 - 80 minutes until it turns golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
12. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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