Quarantine Baking: Marble Chocolate and Tres Leches Cake

 

There is so much sugar, flour, and butter flying around my kitchen it's hard to keep track of what I'm making at any given time.  So far I've made about 5 trays of toffee, and lots of cookies, I've got a panettone biga rising, and dried fruit stewing in Amaretto, and then I stumbled upon a recipe that I thought would be delicious, a chocolate, dulce de leche, vanilla loaf cake. The recipe came from a respected baker who has written award-winning cookbooks, and I followed the recipe, and it was a waste of the ingredients --- the cake was dry and had no flavor at all, and it was a loaf---who wants to eat a loaf?  Give me a bundt or layer cake anytime.  So I set about transforming this recipe, I wanted a  flavorful cake that was moist, and I got it.  It really doesn't need frosting, a dusting of powdered sugar will work, but a little more dulce de leche can't hurt.   

Chocolate Marble Dulce de Leche Cake

Makes one 9-inch bundt

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup dulce de leche

Melt the chocolates in the microwave at 50% power, or on the stovetop over medium-low heat, and allow to cool.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and coat the inside of a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, until they are combined.  Add the sour cream and vanilla, beating to combine.  (the mixture will look curdled)

Add the flour, baking soda, powder, and salt, and beat until smooth.  

Divide the mixture in half, and beat the chocolate into one half and the dulce de leche into the other.  

Spread the chocolate into the pan, top with the dulce de leche, and using an off-set spatula, draw the spatula through the batters to create a marble effect.  

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake, comes out clean.  

Let cool on a rack for exactly 10 minutes, then turn onto the rack to cool completely.   

A few notes:  

• The Bundt pan I used is gorgeous when the cake is turned out, but difficult to cut into attractive slices.  
• There is no vanilla marble component in this cake like the original because really, who needs vanilla when you've got chocolate and dulce de leche?  You could divide the batter into 3 equal parts, and then have chocolate, vanilla and dulce de leche.  
• The basis for this cake came from a cake in the book Baking for Friends which is a terrific cookbook.  
• Remember when you spread the first layer into the pan, that will be the layer that you will see when you turn out the cake---you can reverse the chocolate and dulce de leche if you would like.  
• This cake will freeze beautifully for about 6 weeks.  

Chocolate layer going in---I have to be honest, I just eyeballed the amount

                                                                     Dulce de leche

Swirled

You can just see the marbling down the center

As I said at the beginning, this really doesn't need a frosting, but a drizzle of dulce de leche over the bundt would give it a lovely look.  I hope that you are all enjoying some holiday cheer (read that strong cocktails) as we wait out this virus and its devastation.  We are just grateful to be safe and well, and wish you a holiday season filled with comfort, joy, and good health.  Buon Natale!