Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Marble Pound Cake and Awards

Many of you commented on the blossoms shown on my Monday post. This is the itty bitty tree they came from. This is a Bradford Pear tree we planted two years ago.

Debbie from Mocha Me posted a Marble Pond Cake last week that really had me drooling and I had to try it.

The cake was very easy to make and the homegirlz begged me to let them eat the batter and forget the baking part. They reasoned it would save energy and I would have less clean up. They lost the argument.

The batter was very light and buttery and the cake tasted great. Thanks Debbie for posting this recipe!





Marble Pound Cake - adapted from Debbie at Mocha Me


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.



Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Working with a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, a full 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater and reduce the mixer speed to medium.



Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 or 2 minutes after each egg goes in. As you're working, scrape down the bowl and beater often. Mix in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it is incorporated, don't over mix.



After the batter is fully mixed, transfer half of it to another bowl and gently blend in 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled.



Alternate large spoonfuls of the light and dark batters in the pan, then run a kitchen knife in a zigzag pattern through the batters to marble them.




Put the cake into the oven to bake, and check on it after about 45 minutes. If it's browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. This will need to bake in the 9 x 5 pan for about 70 to 75 minutes. The cake is done when a thin knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven, transfer the pan to a rack and let rest for 30 minutes.




Run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan and turn the cake out, then turn it right side up on the rack and cool to room temperature.

Now for the important stuff - Awards:

I received this Friends Award




from Donna at My Tasty Treasures. Donna has an amazing cooking blog that's a tad bit on the naughty side. How can you not go visit Donna? She is such a talented cook and an extremely fun blog to read! Check it out. Donna, thank you so much for the award!!!

Along with this award comes this message:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."It also says : "Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award." I am going to pass this award along to:

Stop by and visit these wonderful blogs; you will be so glad you did!
Sophie from Sophie's Foodiefiles sent me the Excellent Blog award! You will be so inspired after visiting Sophie's blog!
I am passing this on to 5 other bloggers.

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies
Pam from For the Love of Cooking
Sophia from Burp and Slurp
NAOmi from Not Another Onmivore
Andrea from Finding Sirrius

There are so many blogs I would love to pass these on to, but please visit the blogs listed if you have visited them before, you will be so glad you did!

40 comments:

  1. oh I'm first! I love a good pound cake, and I have to admit I eat way too much of it when I make it, as it goes so well with morning coffee. I can't wait for spring time over here in the frozen tundra

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  2. I saw that pound cake over at Debbie's. It looks great. I have that on my waiting list to make as well. I wish I had it now!! You so deserve all your awards!

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  3. Thank you my sweet friend! You're the bestest evah!

    I like the fact that this is only one bread size pan cake. A bit smaller is just right for a couple or single person. I could try this today seeing as I do have everything right here to make it :)

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  4. I love cake batter...not eating it, but looking at it! Your cake batter is perfectly creamy.

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  5. The cake looks excellent! I need to make this recipe too! Congrats on well deserved awards!

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  6. Congratulations on your awards!! That's great:-)

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  7. Yum, this cake looks so good! I would love to have a slice with my morning coffee!

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  8. Congratualtions on your award!
    That pound cake is going straight to my hips.

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  9. Katherine, your pound cake looks great. I could go for some right now for a snack!!! Thank you for the kind words....and I'm glad you enjoyed the cake!

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  10. I love Bradford Pear Trees...pretty with leaves OR blossoms!

    That pound cake looks wonderful! Congrats on being saucy!

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  11. This is a great looking cake. Congratulations on the awards.

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  12. Thank you so much! I am super excited, and this is quite the coincidence....as you will see if you check my blog in oh say...two hours?

    :)

    NAOmni

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  13. I have plans to make that cake too! YUMMY!

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  14. Thank you for the award. Do I get a pound cake with it? :)

    I make a cold oven pound cake that will make you think you've died and gone to pound cake heaven.

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  15. Love the new twist on pound cake. I will have to double the recipe though as one never lasts long enough.

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  16. Okay, good to go! Check out my blog!

    NAOmni

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  17. this looks yummy! I love pound cake.
    that tree is darling. we have a similarly size plum tree (supposedly...I've never seen fruit on it) that should be blossiming soon too. I can't wait!

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  18. This cake looks fabulous! I could really, really go for a slice of that right about now. And congrats on your awards, Katherine! You deserve every last one of them!

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  19. heh! I make these marble pound cakes all the time, but use the basic recipe to go all crazy with mixing different flavors. my favorite so far was pistachio and chocolate.
    congrats on the award, and OMG! thanks for passing it on to me! this has totally made my day! hip hip hooray!

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  20. Congrats on your awards... Thanks for passing it on to me, Katherine.

    The marble cake looks AMAZING! I might just have to bake it with my kids.

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  21. Awww! Thanks for the award! We just planted a bradford pear in our front yard this fall! We're tree twinkies!

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  22. The pound cake look light and tender but dense at the same time. It's lovely!!

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  23. Love the marble loaf! Congrats on your awards!

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  24. Perfect marbling! So nice to see spring in action too.
    Congrats on your well-deserved awards, and thank you so much for thinking of me!

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  25. I love cakes like this! And yours is looking so yummy!

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  26. What a pretty tree! The cake looks delicious too, I love marble cake.

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  27. this is not a good blog to read before lunch. I'm just sayin'

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  28. Man, that cake looks awesome! With a nice cold glass of milk-heaven!

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  29. Hi Katherine!

    Your pound cake is making my mouth water! It looks delicious!

    It's sunny today - I can't wait for Spring to get in full swing. Your tree is pretty!

    Have a great day!

    XOXO
    Jen

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  30. Congrats on your delish blog. Visiting from SITS and I'm drooling over your cooking creativity.

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  31. Oh my, this cake is heavenly. It would not last long around here and my daughter would race me to the next slice!

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  32. Congrats on your awards and that cake looks wonderful.

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  33. The marble pound cake looks yummy! Definitely, I will try it someday :)

    Congrats for your award! Oh... my name is there! Thank you so much for passing it to me and also for your thought *hugs*

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  34. I love all pound cakes and that is a winner. Already printed. Thank-you!

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  35. Thanks a lot, my dear friend!! I have plans to make that cake too!

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  36. Your marble pound cake looks terrific. Congratulations on the awards - you deserve every award because you have a fabulous blog.

    The Bradford pears are blooming here also. The town looks like a big white snowball tree. We have several that line our driveway and they give us great pleasure this time of year. Cherry trees have buds and the tulip tops are peaking up. Spring is here.
    Sam

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  37. The people across the street from us have a Bradford Pear tree, it is absoulutely gorgeous this year.

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  38. Mmm, that pound cake looks fabulous. I love swirled. Best of both worlds! Congrats on your awards; your blog is so deserving--it's great!

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  39. Hi there, I'm here for the first time from SITS and now I'm really hungry after looking at all the delectable food here on your blog. Thanks for sharing!!

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  40. I know it's easy to do but I'm always fascinated/drawn to marble cakes and bread. They look as good as they taste.

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Thanks for stopping by, I enjoy reading your comments.

Katherine