Almond-Chocolate Marble Pound Cake Recipe

Name: Almond-Chocolate Marble Pound Cake Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: Baking spray; 2 tablespoons almond paste; 1 1/4 cups (about 8 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar; 2 cups (about 8 ounces) cake flour; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup good quality cocoa powder, such as Vahlrona; 1/4 cup boiling water; 3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature; 2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Pound cake. Although 1 pound is but a blip on the scale, the word, when applied to cake, sounds weighty. Maybe I'm just playing word association and thinking of Shylock's gruesome demand of "a pound of flesh." In any case, pound cake is not inspired by a Shakespearean line. It is much more prosaic: the cake was named for the ratio of ingredients it is made of: 1 pound butter, 1 pound eggs, 1 pound flour, 1 pound sugar. (Inquiring minds want to know, why isn't called "FOUR Pounds Cake?" Semantics, I suppose).

Pound cake is characteristically a dense cake with a compact, buttery crumb (note that pound cake is not chemically leavened). Large amounts of eggs and butter are responsible for its rich taste and its sunny yellow tint; all in all, an impressive cake given that a sparse number of ingredients yield so much flavor.

Now the problem with pound cake is its tendency to be too heavy and overly dry. Over-mixing is often a problem, and many recipes, this one included, call for cake flour instead of all-purpose. Cake flour has a lower protein content, meaning it will produce a lighter, more delicate crumb, which is a requisite here given how solid the cake is by nature. Even though the butter, sugar, and eggs in this cake are beaten until light and fluffy with an electric mixer, I've chosen to incorporate the flour by hand to further lessen the danger of overworking the batter. The flour is sifted over the butter mixture in three batches and folded in with a rubber spatula. Another note on this cake: there is more butter in it than the ratios normally specify, and, in addition to whole eggs, yolks are added to provide a plusher crumb.

Pound cake, in its elegant simplicity, adapts to a number of variations and additions. In this recipe, almond paste flavors the base batter and a portion of it is then mixed with Vahlrona chocolate for an intensely aromatic, deeply flavored, and gorgeously marbled cake. Do splurge and use high-quality chocolate; each ingredient is discernible and thus, vital.

Store leftover pound cake tightly wrapped at room temperature; it keeps for a good two days. If leftovers hang about for longer than that, spread slices lightly with softened butter and griddle on a skillet over medium heat until golden on the outside.

Almond-Chocolate Marble Pound Cake Recipe

Prep 25 mins

Cook 45 mins

Active 20 mins

Cooling Time 70 mins

Total 2 hrs 20 mins

Serves 8 to 10 servings

Keep Screen Awake

Baking spray
2 tablespoons almond paste
1 1/4 cups (about 8 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
2 cups (about 8 ounces) cake flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup good quality cocoa powder, such as Vahlrona
1/4 cup boiling water
3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Coat a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray. Line pan with 1 sheet of parchment paper, allowing sides to hang over edges of long sides of pan. Coat parchment with baking spray.
In small bowl, rub almond paste into sugar with fingertips until completely crumbled. Alternatively, pulse almond paste and sugar in food processor until completely crumbled. Set aside.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In large bowl, combine cocoa powder and boiling water, stirring until smooth; reserve.
Beat butter and almond sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add almond extract and beat just until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Sift flour over mixture in three batches, folding in with rubber spatula after each addition.
Transfer 1/3 of batter to bowl with chocolate mixture and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Spoon half of plain batter and half of chocolate batter into prepared baking pan, alternating spoonfuls to create a checkerboard pattern. Repeat procedure with remaining batters. Run a dinner knife through batters in a swirling motion to create a marbled pattern.
Bake cake until tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and cool in pan 10 minutes. Using parchment overhang, transfer cake directly to cooling rack and cool completely, about 1 hour. Serve.

Special equipment

9- by 5-inch loaf pan, parchment paper, electric mixer, rubber spatula, sifter, cooling rack

This Recipe Appears In

Let Them Eat: Almond-Chocolate Marble Pound Cake

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
745	Calories
61g	Fat
45g	Carbs
6g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories	745
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 61g	78%
Saturated Fat 37g	183%
Cholesterol 245mg	82%
Sodium 203mg	9%
Total Carbohydrate 45g	16%
Dietary Fiber 1g	3%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 40mg	3%
Iron 3mg	16%
Potassium 86mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.