Classic Vanilla and Chocolate Marbled Bundt Cake

I do love a good bundt cake. I feel like they’re somehow less fussy and formal than layer cake, but still, you know… Cake.

That’s why I zeroed right in on this recipe for Vanilla and Chocolate Marbled Bundt Cake in my friend Irvin Lin’s new cookbook, Marbled, Swirled, and Layered. 

He makes it with a chocolate-coffee syrup swirled into the batter. Plus chocolate chips. Plus a thick vanilla glaze over top. Game, set, match.

I confess that I like to eat cake more than I like to bake it, and this recipe was just my speed. Low effort, high reward.

You only need to make one batter (I’ve seen other recipes that have you make two, one chocolate and one vanilla), and then you scoop about a third of it into a separate bowl to mix with the chocolate syrup. This chocolate batter gets sandwiched between two layers of vanilla, which then get swirled together just before going in the oven.

I fretted over my marbling technique the entire time the cake was baking and cooling, but I didn’t need to worry. It was perfect. I love that there were distinct chocolate bits and distinct vanilla bits – tasty and so very pretty. (Follow Irvin’s advice to “sometimes dig deep to the bottom and lift up” as you’re swirling.)

The cake itself was also incredibly moist and tender, which has me thinking that this might just become my new go-to cake for all future cake-worthy events, forever and always.

Classic Vanilla and Chocolate Marbled Bundt Cake Recipe

 

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Cooling time: 30 minutes
Yield: 1 bundt cake, 10 to 12 servings

"Growing up in the Midwest, no potluck was complete without a marbled Bundt cake. My mom made them all the time, one of only two desserts that she was known for, so when I hosted a dessert potluck at a local nonprofit community center with the theme “Like Mom used to make!” I knew I had to replicate her Bundt cake. The secret to this recipe is the homemade chocolate syrup, which you make on the stove before adding it to the batter. Made with coffee and cocoa powder (and a touch of honey), it lends a rich, deep chocolate flavor because the cocoa blooms in the hot coffee. You don’t necessarily taste the coffee or honey, but they both boost the chocolate goodness!

Ingredients:

To grease the pan:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the chocolate syrup:

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (55 g) natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
• 1/2 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
• 1/4 cup (85 g) mild-tasting honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake batter:

• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (225 g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 3/4 cups (385 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup (210 g) semisweet chocolate chips

For the vanilla bean glaze:

• 1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups (230 g to 290 g) powdered sugar

For decoration:

• Chocolate pearls, chocolate shavings, or chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Special equipment:

• 12-cup bundt pan (I have this one)

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