Chocolate-blood Orange Marble Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 lb salted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 blood oranges, zest of
• 1/2 cup fresh blood orange juice
• 1/4 cup sugar

Recipe

• 1 position an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat oven to 350°.
• 2 lightly butter and flour a 9-inch fluted or plain tube pan and tap out the excess flour.
• 3 cake-in a microwave oven on medium (50%) power, in a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolates together for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted, about 2 minutes; let cool until tepid.
• 4 in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• 5 in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer set on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• 6 one at a time, heat in the eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• 7 with the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, and then the sour cream and vanilla.
• 8 transfer half of the batter to a medium bowl.
• 9 add tepid chocolate mixture and chocolate chips and stir well.
• 10 add the orange zest to the plain batter.
• 11 spoon the batters alternately into the prepared pan.
• 12 using a table knife, swirl them together to create a marbled effect.
• 13 bake until a long bamboo skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
• 14 let cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
• 15 meanwhile, make the syrup: in a small saucepan, bring the orange juice and sugar to a boil, over medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.
• 16 strain into a glass measuring cup.
• 17 invert the cake onto the cooling rack and unmold.
• 18 place the rack on a plate; slowly drizzle the orange syrup over the cake.
• 19 using a dessert spoon, retrieve the syrup on the plate and drizzle it back over the cake.
• 20 repeat until the cake absorbs all of the syrup.
• 21 let cool completely on the rack.