Tuesday, May 3, 2011

TDW: Basic Marbled Loaf Cake



My Pick!!!! My Turn !!!

After 1-1/2 years, it is finally my week to host TWD. I selected Marbled Load Cake because it just begs to be fiddled with. Dorie offered several "playing around" suggestions, and I went with the white and dark chocolate variation. Other suggestions included orange, peppermint, cardamon, coffee. I can't wait to see what amazing flavor combination the creative bakers at TDW come up with.

My Marbled Load Cake saga started out well. I didn't panic when my batter curdled, cause, Dorie, the baking goddess told me it might happen.



Marbling the batter was fun. (Although I ended up eating a lot batter before it made it to the pan. Hey I had to catch all the batter that dripped from the spoon.)


And the final swirls made it look so pretty.



But alas my oven is having serious problems, and is causing be no end of grief. I really think it is inhabited by demons or other such mischievous beings. The temperature goes up and down on its own, and sometimes even shuts itself off on occasion. I really believe the thing is toying with me. It is trying to destroying what little baking confidence I have/had.

Case in point: I only baked my marbled loaf for 55 minutes (and not the suggested 80-90 minutes), and still I ended up crispy edges.




But I didn't let a cruel oven and burnt edges stop ME! I just did a lot of edge trimming, slathered each slice with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream, and ate Chocolate Marbled Load Cake until every last crumb was gone.

Everything is better with chocolate, even extra crispy cake.




Here is the recipe from page 230 of Dorie Greenspan's BAKING from My Home to Yours:



Basic Marbled Load Cake

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk )
Choice of flavorings

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan. Place the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two stacked regular baking sheets.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Working with a stand mixer, preferable fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl,beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Don't be concerned if the batter curdles and stays curdle--it will be find.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, just until each addition is incorporated.

5. Divide the batter equally into two bowls. Add the flavorings of your choice to each bowl of batter.

6. Dollop spoonfuls of each batter randomly into the prepared pan. Plunge a table knife deep into the batter and zigzag the knife through the batter a few times. Be careful not to over mix the batter as you'll lose the marbled effect and end up with a muddy-looking loaf.

7. Bake the cake for an hour and then check on it. If it looks like it's getting too brown but needs more baking, cover the bread loosely with a tent of foil. The cake may need up to 30 minutes more to bake, depending on your oven, how dark your baking pan is and what additions you've made. The cake is done when a thin knife or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

8. Transfer the cake pan to a rack to cool for 15 minutes and then remove it from the pan and continue to cool it (right side up) on the rack until it's room temperature.

28 comments:

  1. Mine is in the oven right now--I will watch the clock. This was fun to make--the batter was delicious. Thanks for a great pick.

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  2. Tasty Pick, Carol. Definitely a keeper.

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  3. Despite the oven woes (and we've all had them), your cake looks beautiful and delicious! Thanks for a great pick. :)

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  4. The cake looks perfect in your pictures, no crispy edges at all! Isn't the internet magic? I've been waiting for this pick; marbling is so much fun to do! I love the leeway we had to vary the flavors and might try this recipe again with a different combination.

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  5. Your marbling turned out great! Thanks for choosing this one. I was not convinced when I saw it on the schedule, but now I am a huge marble cake lover!

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  6. Your loaf cake looks wonderful. This isn't a recipe that I would have tried on my own, but now I'm tempted to give it a shot. Sounds delicious!

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  7. Yours is perfection! We loved this cake and thank you so much for a great pick!

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  8. Your marbling looks terrific! Sorry to hear about the oven woes, but looks like you prevailed regardless :) I made the peppermint version and loved it, great pick!

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  9. Excellent pick. I wish my marbling looked like yours!

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  10. Look how beautiful yours is! I wish I could marble like that! Thanks for a great pick, we really enjoyed it!

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  11. Great pick! I am having trouble with my oven maintaining temperature too and I was worried since this had such a long bake time. It turned out ok though. I made the peppermint variation

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  12. Wonderful choice, Carol - love your first photo, too! :)

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  13. This was so fun and so delicious - thanks for a great pick! Your cake looks great.

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  14. um, that does NOT look like a haphazardly heated cake at all. Great job and great pick!

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  15. Your cake looks great, perfect marbling. I made cupcakes and those are hard to marble, I've decided.
    I think I might try the cardamom version this weekend. My mom is coming to visit and doesn't eat chocolate. Good pick.

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  16. Great job! Mine's in the oven right now.

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  17. Sorry about your oven! Thanks for this great pick. The vanilla/chocolate combo I made was good, and the other flavors sound great too. I really like loaf cakes!

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  18. I actually came visiting last night to get your link so I could put it in my post and was so excited to see the recipe up (therefore my link goes right to the recipe, which is great!). Thanks for a great pick...we really loved it. Such fun this week to click around to the blogs and see all the marbling magic...like little works of art, all unique and different! Yours looks absolutely wonderful and the marbling is so pretty. Thanks for a great choice.

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  19. thanks for a great pick this week! Marbling is so much fun, and your marbling looks absolutely perfect! So glad you enjoyed it!

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  20. thanks for hosting this week! i enjoyed my cake :) and ice cream w/chocolate sauce sounds like a great way to enjoy this one!!

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  21. Beautiful job on the marbling, your cake looks great! This was a fun selection. I baked mine for the specified time and was a bit dry - still good, though.

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  22. Ciao Carol ! I loved your pick ! Thank you for hosting and ..I love your great cake !

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  23. YUM! LOVED this recipe! Great choice!!!

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  24. sorry your oven is on the fritz, but your marbling is great! thanks for a fun pick...i'm enjoying all the variations this week.

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  25. Love marble cake, and yours is lovely. Thanks for a delicious choice.

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  26. I sympathise - the oven in my old house was just like that, and it drove me nuts. Your cake still looks gorgeous though :)

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  27. I have been using this recipe for almost 3 years now. Baked this a 100 times. This is perfect.

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