I need to talk to you about the holidays, about the parties, about the dress, and about the cocktails. I need to talk to you about how cake, how the right cake can make it all better.
I had the perfect holiday dress all picked out. This dress would get me through thick and thin, casual and dressy. It was a simple and sassy black dress. I could do it up with colorful tights and heels or tone it down with a cardigan and scarf. This dress could go from holiday family function to night on the town…
All was fine and good until the dress actually went out on the town. Correction- I went out on the town and… well… the dress didn’t survive.
Let’s just say, that after several glasses of wine, and various other spirits, I found myself (and my dress) rolling down a rainy concrete hill. Don’t worry. I wasn’t hurt. I was protected by a hearty belly full of booze and the three friends I rolled down the hill with. It was hilarious. Memories were made. Dresses were… torn.
I now know that holiday parties are dangerous. That lesson came at a steep price: one helluva hangover and one tragically torn dress.
With my holiday dress out of commission, I was in a serious bind this weekend. Yea… the “what am I going to wear!?” bind. I decided to not sweat it. I decided that if I waltzed into a party with a gorgeous cake, not a soul would be worried about what I was wearing…
Guess what?
I was totally right.
This cake saved me from wardrobe worries. I threw on jeans, a top and my favorite owl necklace and made an entrance proudly holding this cake in front of me.
The first thing I heard as I made my way in: “Joy is here with cake!” and then came the hugs. Success!
Next year… I dunno… maybe I’ll buy two holiday dresses and use this cake for backup.
Mocha Hazelnut Marble Cake with Mocha Sour Cream Ganache
adapted from Dorie Greenspan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, finely ground
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
9 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature, divided use
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup coffee (hot or cold)
1 teaspoon instant coffee, finely ground (or instant espresso powder)
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 12 cup Bundt pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet – you want the oven’s heat to circulate through the Bundt’s inner tube.
I toasted my whole hazelnuts in a 350 degree F oven for about 12-15 minutes or until they were fragrant. Once cool, I ground them until fine in my food processor.
Whisk together the flour, ground hazelnuts, baking powder and salt.
Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter, cut into 4 pieces, into the bowl, along with the chocolate, coffee and instant coffee. Heat the mixture, stirring often, until the butter and chocolate are melted and everything is smooth and creamy – keep the heat low so that the butter and chocolate don’t separate. Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the remaining 2 sticks butter and the sugar at medium speed for about 3 minutes – you’ll have a thick paste; this won’t be light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. The mixture should look smooth and satiny. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients and the milk alternately, adding the dry mixture in 3 portions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients).
Scrape a little less than half the batter into the bowl with the melted chocolate and, using a rubber spatula, stir to blend thoroughly.
If you want to go for the gingko pattern, scrape all of the white batter into the pan and top with the chocolate and marble it minimally. If you want a more marbled pattern, alternate spoonfuls of the light and dark batter in the pan. When all the batter is in the pan, swirl a table knife sparingly through the batter to marble them.
Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the Bundt pan to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes before unmolding, then cool the cake completely on the rack.
Mocha Sour Cream Glaze
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature
Melt chocolate pieces in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until completely melted. Remove bowl from the double boiler situation.
Stir sour cream into the melted chocolate.
Add corn syrup and vanilla and continue to stir.
Slowly add the brewed coffee bit by bit, stirring to incorporate.
This will be a thick glaze. If you would like it much thinner, you can always add more corn syrup and coffee. This glaze will thicken slightly as it cools.
Spread onto the cooled Mocha Hazelnut Bundt Cake.
Anna
Hi, Joy and other readers. I just have a question about this cake: 4 eggs seem like a lot to me. I just made a cake with 4 eggs and it turned out extra moist and a little too spongy for my taste. What are your thoughts? The texture LOOKS great in the pictures, but did it taste great, even with 4 eggs? Would you ever try doing 3 eggs instead? Thanks for your help!
Shannel
I’ve fallen in love with your recipes!
I’ve just got a quick question though. Coming from the land down under, I’m used to working with Celcius rather than Fahrenheit, so I’m wondering if my conversion is right – 135 degrees Celcius?
Thanks! Absolutely cannot wait to bake this yumminess!
Shannel
please ignore my question.
imagine what a silly typo can do!
thanks!
Phyllis
Believe it or not, I just found your website. My husband requested a Marble Cake for Father’s Day — other recipes have been disappointing. Your Mocha Hazelnut Marble Cake recipe looked interesting with the Bittersweet Chocolate and Coffee — I made it today (6/17/12) it is the very BEST Marble Cake!!! Texture, taste, moist and the mocha flavor is fantastic. It is my ‘go to’ Marble Cake for all occasions. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
Although I am a Senior Lady, I love to bake and find excellent recipes and this is one is a ‘keeper’. Can’t wait to share this at my gym tomorrow (extra time on the bike needed). Thank You for your Wonderful Blog !! Phyllis
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Alyssa
Joy! I was wondering can this cake be made in a regular round or square cake pan?? And if so how long do I keep it in the oven?
Thanks!!
joythebaker
You would probably lessen the cook time by bout 10 minutes, but I really couldn’t tell you for sure. It will definitely cook faster in a square pan than in a bundt.
bunny mama
I turn to your blog whenever I need to impress my mother-in-law. (Not in a competitive way. We’re best friends. It’s cool.) She asked me to bring dessert when we had dinner at their house last week, and boy did I BRING IT with this cake. Both she and my father-in-law were blown away. Thank you Joy, for all your inspiration.
p.s. from now on, I will look for any excuse to put coffee in my chocolat-y baked goods. uh-mazing.
Mary
Did you mean to say ‘Joy is HERE with a cake!” rather than “Joy is hear with cake!”?
joythebaker
yea… typos are dumb! thanks!