Marbled Pound Cake

Everyone needs a few go to cake recipes. This is one of my mine. It's easy to make to give with a dinner for a new baby or for company you invited over at the minute. It stores well and makes a good breakfast the next morning (always a plus!). It doesn't require a lot of sifting or separating or cake flour or other cake techniques. It's easy. It's good. It's a keeper.

Marbled Pound Cake

from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

2 c flour

1 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c sugar

4 large eggs

1 t vanilla

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, reduce speed to medium, and add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minutes after each egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently. Mix in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing only until it is incorporated. Don't overmix.

Put half of the batter in a separate bowl. Gently stir in melted chocolate. Alternate large spoonfuls of the light and dark batters in a greased 9 x 5" loaf pan. Very gently, run a knife through the mixture to marble it. Be careful not to stir vigorously, which would just turn the whole thing into a chocolate pound cake (unless that's what you're after!). Bake in a preheated 325 degrees oven for 70 - 75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. After the first 45 minutes, check the cake to be sure it isn't getting too browned. If it is, cover loosely with a foil tent.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Then, transfer to a rack (out of the pan) and allow to finish cooling.