Post image for Marble Pound Cake Recipe with Chocolate Ganache

This weeks Martha Monday Project was picked by… yours truly.

I knew I wanted to make a quick bread but with so many to choose from, I couldn’t decide. It was between a Glazed Lemon Pound Cake, a Coconut Pineapple Loaf Cake, a Chocolate Pound Cake with Peanut Butter Icing, or this Marble Cake with Chocolate Ganache!

I took my picks to work and had a co-worked help me decide. I knew she would be the recipient of said cake and I figured her opinion was important. Well, she had no problem deciding which recipe for me to bake. She jumped on the one with the chocolate ganache in a New York second.

Marble Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache

I baked my little cakes in three mini loaf pans. I probably would had been better off just making two.  A little larger cake with a little better swirl would have made a prettier presentation, but live and learn. If I had a nickle for all the times I wanted  a “do over”, I would have enough money to pay for my grocerys. Unfortunately, my belt cant take “do overs”, nor can my wallet. So I present to you, my slightly crumbly, semi marbled, baby cakes!

Marble Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Were they tasty? I don’t know! You see, I’m trying to tighten my belt and a pound cake just wasn’t in the menu plan for me this week. So one loaf is wrapped pretty and waiting for above mentioned, One loaf was eaten by The Hubby and The Teen, so I’m assuming it was great. At least I heard no complaints! And the third loaf? Sliced and frozen for The Teens lunches this week.

O.K… I might have had a crumb. Maybe!

Chocolate Marbled Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache

By Martha Stewart

Marble Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Makes one 8 1/2-inch loaf

  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 1/2-by-4-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder into a medium bowl.
  2. Melt 5 ounces chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
  3. Put butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sugar; raise speed to medium. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two batches of milk. Mix until just combined.
  4. Pour half of batter into melted chocolate; stir well. Alternating between remaining plain batter and the chocolate batter, drop large spoonfuls of batter into the prepared pan. When pan is filled, use a table knife to cut through mixture with a swirling motion.
  5. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. (If bread browns too quickly, tent with foil.) Let bread cool slightly in pan on a wire rack, about 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of bread to loosen; unmold. Let cool completely on rack.
  6. Make ganache: Put the remaining 3 ounces chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until just about to simmer. Pour cream over chocolate; stir until mixture is smooth. Let stand 10 minutes to thicken slightly. Using a small offset spatula, spread ganache over cooled cake; let stand until set, about 1 hour. Bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.
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Recipe for Healthy Mac and Cheese

by Megan on March 4, 2010

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 I might be a bit late posting this but I did bake the Martha Monday Project. Martha’s Healthy Macaroni and Cheese was picked by Robyn of Robyn’s Nest.

I was excited to try this recipe because, well, I like mac and cheese. So does my daughter. A lot! Our favorite recipe  is Ina Gartens recipe, All Grown Up Mac and Cheese. It’s creamy, cheesy, and oh so fattening.

 So I thought it would be fun to make this recipe and not tell anyone it had squished squash in it. I felt a little like Jessica Seinfield. She’s the one who wrote the cookbook  Deceptively Delicious about sneaking veggies into your meals.

Yep,I snuck squash into the mac and cheese. I boiled butternut squash with some milk and chicken stock, smashed it, and added  it to cooked pasta, ricotta, and cheddar. Then I baked them in my cute new little dishes.

 Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

We loved it! I’m happy to report, my daughter had no idea there was any squash in it what so ever…until I told her.

Then she said she knew. She went to bite into a cheesy spot and it wasn’t cheesy. She thought What???   Maybe if I hadn’t said anything she wouldn’t have caught on so quickly. She did come back for seconds as did the rest of us!

I would definitely make this again. I didn’t add the breadcrumb topping. I’m sure it added a delicious layer, but  I got lazy. I did grate a bit of Parmesan cheese over the top. 

Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

By Martha Stewart

  • 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for water
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
  • 2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Olive-oil cooking spray
  •  

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

     Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.

    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add noodles; cook according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

    Lightly coat a 9-inch-square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.

    Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.

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    Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Snack bars

    February 28, 2010
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    February 24, 2010
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    Orange and Mozzarella Salad with Basil

    February 21, 2010
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    We went to Reno last  Weekend to visit some good friends. It was Valentine’s weekend so I knew we would be making a nice dinner for the guys.  I wanted to make this salad but I was  hoping to use Blood Oranges with their beautiful deep red color.  But after visiting the grocery store, I knew [...]

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