This week’s Tuesdays With Dorie selection is Mocha-Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake. I’ve mentioned before that I love making Bundt cakes, since they come out of the pan looking pretty and there is no need to fuss around with frosting them (I am not the most patient cake decorator). Unfortunately, this was probably the least attractive Bundt cake I’ve ever made. I had never marbled anything before and my amateur marbling skills led to a very dull and blotchy exterior on the cake. Josh is usually a lot more optimistic when I’m not impressed with the outcome of my baked goods, but he even admitted it didn’t look very good. The solution? Coat it in chocolate. We were allowed to post either this or the coconut cake last week, and I had seen an enticing photo of the Mocha-Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake coated in a chocolate glaze on A Singleton in the Kitchen, so I poached the idea and made Dorie’s chocolate ganache glaze (these photos were taken the following morning after the glaze had set).
This was a superb cake. It has four flavor components: chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and walnut, and I loved how you could taste them all. The chocolate and vanilla flavors were strong, and I appreciated having the subtle hint of walnut and coffee in the background (they too often get lost). We had a lot of other treats around the house for Easter this weekend, so after a small sample, I sent it off to work with Josh. The first time I sent baked goods to the office with him he asked what he should do if there were leftovers. I assured him that would not be a problem. I mean, if I happen upon treats when I go to get my mid-morning cup of coffee, I find it nearly impossible to resist them (in fact, I consider it a huge triumph if I do) and I’m sure most people feel the same way. Anyway, at 11:30 AM on Monday he sent me an email saying the Bundt cake was gone, even competing with a big basket of Portuguese sweet bread.
This cake received an 8 for Deliciousness and a 4 for Effort (that marbling stressed me out and there were too many dishes), for an EDR of 2. Many thanks to Erin of When in Doubt...Leave it at 350 for a great choice. You can find the recipe here on Erin’s site and visit the TWD blogroll to see more cakes.
That's a beautiful cake and very nicely marbled! I used chocolate glaze on mine too.
ReplyDeleteYour chocolate glaze looks so pretty on the marbled bundt cake!
ReplyDelete"What if there are leftovers?" Men are so funny. Your bundt looks gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI think your marbling actually looks really cool -- I like the contrast of the chocolate and vanilla in the cake. So glad you decided on the ganache glaze and thanks for the shout out. There aren't many things that a chocolate glaze can't fix, right? Your cake looks delicious and I'm glad it was enjoyed!
ReplyDeleteI bet it was fantastic with a chocolate glaze!
ReplyDeleteLeftovers...as if! :o) The cake looks great! Mine's in the freezer, but when I break it out, I think I may have to whip up some ganache to go with it!
ReplyDeleteLeftovers?
ReplyDeleteGreat job on this cake, I like your marbling.
Mimi
What a beautiful end result! The chocolate glaze looks perfect and you got great marbeling too... lucky woman! It is not hard to tell a great baker, when one comes visit here!
ReplyDeleteP.s.: Thank you so much for not letting me down while I was sick and not felling like surfing the net... your comments were greatly appreciated.
Great description of the cake. Again, I wish I lived closer. I would LOVE to have a slice of that with coffee at recess. Of course we don't even have coffee in the faculty room. The logistics of providing fresh coffee at recess for ourselves proved too challenging and we finally gave it up.
ReplyDeleteI thought your cake had a nice wave pattern going on and the contrast was nice. Thanks for baking with me this week.
ReplyDeleteI think your marbeling is just great. It's not easy to do it right. And the glaze - perfect!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool pattern in the slice of cake! I brought mine to work too - this is the perfect kind of treat to bring to the office.
ReplyDeletePerfect marbling! Your cake looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked this, looks like it turned out marvelous!
ReplyDeletePlease don't take this the wrong way but I think you're looking at it wrong. You couldn't get that pattern if you tried, and yet you did. I am a marbling, piping and decorating failure, yet this cake was so delicious that nobody cared what it looked like. I'm glad it was popular at Josh's office. I couldn't have resisted it, that's for sure. And I would have been impressed by a slice that looked like that first photo.
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow baker who struggles with marbling, I think your cake looks terrific! I like the distinction between the chocolate and vanilla portions and on top of that the chocolate glaze is spectacular. I send a ton of treats to work with Shane - isn't it great to have an outlet so there aren't tons of goodies around the house? Glad this one was a hit!
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