Marble Pound Cake with Chocolate Glaze
The first time I made this, the butter and eggs split into a grainy, curdled mess and I almost dumped the whole bowl. Don’t. Once the flour goes in, the batter pulls back together, and the baked crumb comes out tight and buttery anyway.
I skip piping bags for the marbling. Two spoons do the job: I drop a strip of vanilla batter down the length of the pan, then a strip of chocolate on top, and keep alternating until both bowls are empty, which is what gives those fat, curving bands when you slice it. It bakes hot for 20 minutes, then cooler for about 20 more, so the crust doesn’t dry out before the center’s done. We eat it in thick slices with coffee.
This marble pound cake with chocolate glaze gets a shell of melted chocolate with crushed hazelnut praline stirred in. It sets firm and crackles under the knife. One loaf cuts into 10 slices, and it keeps 4 days wrapped in the fridge, where the glaze stays snappy.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line the 9x5-inch loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the long sides so you can lift the cake out later.
- In the large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. The mixture may look curdled at this point; keep going, it comes back together with the flour.14 tbsp unsalted butter, 7 tbsp granulated sugar, 7 tbsp light brown sugar, 5 large eggs
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Mix on low speed, then finish with the rubber spatula, just until no dry flour shows.1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp fine salt, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- Warm the milk in the small microwave-safe cup for about 10 seconds, until just lukewarm. Set the medium bowl on the kitchen scale and spoon in 400 g of the batter, a little under half. Add the cocoa powder and the warm milk to the medium bowl and stir until smooth and evenly brown. The rest of the batter in the large bowl stays plain vanilla.2 tbsp whole milk, 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- Using the 2 spoons, drop a strip of vanilla batter down the length of the lined pan, then a strip of chocolate batter on top of it. Keep alternating vanilla and chocolate strips until both bowls are empty. Don't swirl with a knife; the layers marble on their own as the cake rises.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F, then lower the oven to 325°F and bake for about 20 minutes more. Push the paring knife into the center: it should come out slightly moist but with no raw batter. If you see raw batter, give it 5 to 10 more minutes and test again.
- Set the pan on the wire rack and let the cake rest for 10 minutes. Lift it out with the parchment, peel off the paper, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap to keep it moist, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes while you make the glaze.
- Chop the dark and milk chocolate on the cutting board and put them in the medium microwave-safe bowl with the oil. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth. Stir in the crushed praline until it's evenly mixed through.2 1/2 oz dark chocolate, 2 1/2 oz milk chocolate, 1 tbsp neutral oil, 1/3 cup hazelnut praline
- Unwrap the cold cake and set it on the wire rack over the rimmed sheet pan. Pour the warm glaze over the top, letting it run down the sides, and use the offset spatula to cover any bare spots. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, until the glaze sets, then slice into 10 pieces.
Nutrition
Notes
No praline? Stir 1/3 cup of finely chopped toasted hazelnuts into the melted chocolate in step 8 instead, and the glaze still gets its crunch. For a darker glaze, use 5 oz of dark chocolate and skip the milk chocolate, keeping the same 1 tbsp of oil.
You might also like our Easy Homemade Pound Cake.
used two spoons like you said and the bands came out so clean. my batter looked totally curdled after the eggs and i almost panicked lol, but it smoothed right out once the flour went in
good flavor and the glaze sets nice and crunchy. mine needed about 8 extra min at 325 in my 9×5 pan, so test with the knife and dont pull it too early