In case you're wondering, the Dorie in Tuesdays with Dorie is Dorie Greenspan. She wrote a cookbook a few years ago that won all kinds of awards and a couple hundred of us are baking and blogging our way through it. If it wasn't for Dorie, I wouldn't have a blog, I'd be 20 pounds lighter, far less popular at work and you wouldn't be spending a couple of minutes of your valuable time reading about why you must buy this book.
The book? Baking From My Home to Yours. It's filled with hundreds of reliable, delicious, surprising recipes that are fun to bake and wildly popular with the people lucky enough to taste them. For this recipe, that was a small circle indeed.
I love chocolate, and I considered swapping the proportions of chocolate to non-chocolate batter to make the chocolate dominant, but I elected to use 70% bittersweet instead. I ground the walnuts in the food processor and substituted white whole wheat flour for about 1/4 of the all-purpose. Before I joined TWD 18 months ago, I never would have had the nerve or creativity to make substitutions in recipes, but Dorie's calm presence and the suggestions of my fellow bloggers have helped me to take chances, think creatively, and to be mostly successful no matter how crazy my changes have been.
I prepped my ingredients the night before I made this cake as I often do, and so making it was a snap. Dorie's instructions are always so detailed and helpful, and that is part of why her recipes are such a success. Dorie suggests dropping dollops of batter in the bundt pan before dragging a knife through it to marble the batter. That's a perfect approach for me since I'm neither precise nor artistic.
My cake tested done at 60 minutes, and slid out of its pan easily after 10 minutes cooling. I impatiently sliced into it after 10 more minutes. Moist, sturdy but delicate, richly chocolate with a slight hint of coffee, this cake was the one I couldn't resist cutting into each time I passed through the kitchen. It's the one that made me want to buy a lovelier bundt pan. A cake this good deserves to be as beautiful as it tastes.
This delicious cake was chosen by Erin of When in Doubt...Leave it at 350. She'll have the recipe, but you won't need it. Remember, you're going to buy the book! And check out what the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers thought of this one. You'll find them all here.
31 comments:
What a feeling of accomplishment to be able to tweak a recipe and know it's going to work! I've also learned a lot over the past year and a half. You've done a beautiful job and I wish I could taste yours with the whole wheat flour.
wow, sounds like this was a favorite of yours! I haven't had a chance to make this yet! Must get to it ASAP. I made the coconut tea cake this week!!
Leslie..I made the cake and it now sits frosted ..a blank canvas because I have a mad case of decorator's block..lol I do know one thing, though..I wish I mixed some of the buttercream in with the marmalade filling as there's a lot of cake for a thin layer of marmalade between each layer!
That said..your Bundt looks absolutely divine. I haven't had/made a Bundt (or marble cake) in ages..I think I may have to make Dorie's..in hopes mine turns out asd pretty as yours :)
So glad this cake worked well for you and that you loved it!
The smell of this one baking...ugh! It was almost too much to take. Very tasty, though and a definite repeater.
Well, the good news is you've succeeded in making it just as beautiful as tasty!!! Bravo, Leslie!
By the way, I want to say thank you very much for not letting me down while I was sick and not feeling like surfing the net to comment myself! Very much appreciated!
Great marbling job. So glad you enjoyed the cake!
So pretty!! Love the marbling! :)
I love this cookbook, it is filled with sticky notes and is often open on my kitchen table. Beautiful cake!
Hahaha, I could have written that first paragraph myself.... No wonder we're so popular at work with all the wonderful treats Dorie has us baking :)
adorable layering on your cake. Looks delicious!!! I did an almond instead of walnut Bundt.
Dorie is a great woman, huh? I'd be 20 lbs lighter too... ahh the things we give up for our hobbies ;)
The marbling in your cake turned out very pretty. I'm glad you liked the cake's taste too. I ate something similar over the weekend but instead of walnuts, it was flavored with almond oil. Yum!
Im glad you enjoyed the cake, it looks so good! I made muffins and we ate them with our Easter breakfast!
Your marbling is beautiful!
Subbing a little whole wheat flour for the AP is a great idea.
Your cake looks so beautiful! I love the way you also showed it in the pan before it went into the oven. I need to make this when I return as it has had such great reviews.
Your cake looks wonderful. The marbling is great. I wouldn't mind a slice.
Tweaking still makes me a bit nervous. Nice cake!
Oh it's really beautiful! So glad you liked it!
Ah, what a nice tribute and Dorie sentiment. I have a feeling we all feel the same! Great swirl/marbling job. I need to work on mine!
Great idea to substitute some whole wheat flour for the all-purpose! Of course, if I did something like that, I'd convince myself the cake was healthy and eat more of it :) Nice job - the cake looks wonderful!
I really like your healthy version! Your cake looks perfect.
Mimi
This cake looks scrumptious! Well done.
What a wonderful idea to sub whole wheat flour. I loved this cake, and I know I'll make it again, so I will definitely make a note about the flour. Thanks, Leslie!
Your marbling looks so pretty. I love the even lines. Nice work!
I like the striped pattern! White whole wheat flour sounds like a great sub!
Hahaha! 20 pounds lighter! Sounds like me. :)
Your cake is beautiful. I, too, have learned so much from baking with this group.
Beautiful job on the cake! I'm glad that Dorie has given you the confidence to make some substitutions. I love the "playing around" options in the book, it' nice to know there's not just one way to make a recipe.
Your cake is beautiful - gorgeous marbling! You are so right about Dorie's calming presence. I love the changes you made. I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake!
Great job and thanks for baking with me this week.
Same here! This cake made me want to buy a new bundt pan also. Yours looks scrumptious.
Wow, this cake turned out great! I envy your swirl.
Post a Comment