Cake:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Swirl:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Frosting:
3/4 C. unsalted butter, at room temp.
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temp.
2 C. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Swirl: In the top of a double boiler over simmer water, melt the chocolate. When the chocolate is completely smooth, remove from the heat and set aside.
For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and ribbonlike, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and mix for 30 seconds. Mixing for too long will develop the gluten in your flour and create a tough, dry product.
Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, scraping down the bowl before each addition and beating only until each addition is just incorporated. Do not overmix.
Spread 1/3 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Next, pour one third of the cake batter into the chocolate swirl mixture. Use a spatula to combine the chocolate mixture and the batter to make a smooth chocolate batter. Use an ice cream scoop to dollop the chocolate cake batter directly on top of the plain cake batter. The dollops will touch and mostly cover the plain batter, but some plain batter will peek through.
Use a butter knife to swirl the chocolate and plain batter together. Pour the remaining 1/3 of plain batter on top of the chocolate layer and smooth it out. Once again, use the knife to pull through the layers to create a swirl.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, or until a sharp knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edges of the cake and invert it onto the wire rack and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
The cake will keep for 3 days, tightly covered, at room temperature.
For the frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, and beat until combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the sugar and vanilla, and beat for about another 5 minutes.
Store in an airtight container until ready to use; keeps for about 1 week.
Makes One 10-inch bundt cake and about 5 ½ C. frosting (enough to frost a 9x13 inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes)
Cake Recipe from: http://thepastrycase.com
