Lost my marbles...

Holy snow day Batman!!

So if you haven't heard, the DC area is being HAMMERED by snow this week.  We're talking day number FOUR tomorrow of this week where my office has been closed.  What does this mean for me?  Well, it means that I've been living solely off of the contents of my pantry and fridge (slim pickings friends...seriously).  The good news?  I've lost 5lbs in the last week (YAY!).  The bad news?  I feel like if I don't have something sweet soon I might just trek the 10+ blocks through knee deep snow to the obliterated grocery store and scarf a donut or something.

Here's what I made instead...Marble cake!  Infinitely better than some crappy donut or an Oreo creeping around in my pantry!

Oh man, this stuff is so delish.  I've made it before as a birthday cake with vanilla bean frosting, which was good.  This is just as awesome on it's own, though.  It's from one of my favorite cooking blogs, Alexandra's Kitchen.  It's in the oven as I write this, and I literally don't know if I'll be able to make it until it's cool enough to eat!!  I'm so excited.  Like Ali, I didn't make this with chocolate chips (I also don't think you need them, the chocolate batter is so deliciously rich). 

Okay, on to the recipe!

Buttercake Bakery’s Marble Cake
Total time: 1½ hours
Servings 12 to 16
2½ cups sugar, divided
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup light corn syrup (I used brown rice syrup)
2½ teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter (room temperature is ideal)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips (optional — I did not use them. This cake really doesn’t need them.)
powdered sugar for dusting
1. In a small saucepan, whisk together ½ cup of the sugar, the cocoa powder and syrup with ½ cup hot water. Bring just to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla off the heat and set aside.
2. Heat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and lightly flour a 12-cup bundt pan. (I never flour anymore — it always burns for me. I coated the bundt pan with cooking spray.)
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), cream the butter with the remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then whisk in the remaining vanilla.
4. Whisk about a third of the flour mixture into the batter, then a third of the milk. Continue whisking in the flour mixture and milk, alternately and a little at a time, until everything is added and the batter is light and smooth.
5. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. (I really think the chocolate chips are unncessary, but that’s your call.) Divide the batter into thirds. Pour a third of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
6. Whisk the chocolate syrup with another third of batter, then pour this into the bundt pan. Pour the remaining third of batter over this, lightly swirl the batters with a wooden skewer or knife to give a “marble” effect and place the pan in the oven.
7. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake springs back lightly when touched, about an hour. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. Invert the cooled cake onto a serving platter and dust lightly with powdered sugar.

And voila!  Next time you're craving something sweet, give this a go.  Enjoy!