Marmorgugelhupf (Marble Bundt Cake)

As you may know, this today is the official first day of Spring! I am beyond excited for spring, and already here in Pennsylvania you can tell that we are moving out of winter. Although it is still quite cold, bright sun and blue skies are making more appearances, the grass is growing greener, the days are longer, and birds are happily chirping outside. One of the most exciting signs that spring is on it's way is little patches of snowdrops that are popping up. If you aren't familiar, snowdrops are little white flowers that bloom in very early Spring. When I was in England there was a garden estate where the snowdrops grew all over the place, and it became a magical place to see the first signs of warmer weather on it's way.

Although it is quite overcast today, I wanted to stay in the spirit of spring, so I wanted to share a recipe I think is perfect for spring and summer. The cake is made in a bundt pan, so it looks beautiful. The primary reason this cake is so nice for the warmer months of the year, is because it is very delicate and light, while still remaining extremely moist. The secret trick for getting this wonderful texture is separating the eggs, whipping the whites, and then gently folding the whipped whites into the rest of the batter at the end. This does become an extra step of work, but overall the cake is still very easy to make.

Our little patch of snowdrops!

This cake has an extra special place in my heart, because it is the cake my Grandparents in Austria make often when we visit (in Austria, it is called a gugelhupf, which is the name of the form you bake it in). For this reason, whenever I eat it, I reminisce about warm summers at my Grandparent's and eating the cake in the afternoon after hiking and swimming. The flavors of the cake are very light: just vanilla, chocolate, and some subtle nuttiness.

Ingredients:
4 eggs plus an extra egg yolk
8 oz sugar
1 oz vanilla
8 oz flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
40 g ground hazelnuts
1/2 cup water (scant)
1/2 cup oil (scant)
4 teaspoons cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C); butter and flour your bundt form
2. Separate the eggs (they are easiest to separate when cold, but then leave them sitting so they are at room temperature when you begin baking); beat the egg whites until they form peaks
3. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, water,  and vanilla in a mixing bowl, until slightly foamy
4. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and ground hazelnuts
5. Sift dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture, add the oil, and mix until well combined
6. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter; don't over-mix
7. Separate out a third of the batter and stir in cocoa powder
8. Pour half of the white batter into the bundt form, then the chocolate, and finally the remaining white
9. Using a knife, swirl the chocolate and vanilla batters together in the pan to create the 'marble' effect
10. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean
11. Wait about 5 minutes for the cake to cool slightly in the form, and then flip the cake out onto a cooling rake
12. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar; best served slightly warm

In order to get the beautiful exterior, make sure you butter and flour your pan really well

Wonderful when served in the afternoon with coffee and a little dollop of whipped cream

I hope you will try out this cake! Easter is coming up next Sunday and this would be a lovely cake to make for the occasion.

xx

Erin