Vanilla Pound Cake with Nutella Swirls
Original Recipe (in case that’s not clear from the Darth Vader shape of the cake)
I thought it’d be fun to start with a delicious dessert recipe this week as it has been a long time since I’ve done a dessert recipe. And what’s more fun than a Darth Vader-shaped cake?
Answer: nothing*. Nothing is more fun than a Darth Vader-shaped cake*.
*excluding a Yoda-shaped cake, obviously.
For the final course of my Galentine’s Day feast the other night, I served this super-scrumptious cake to cries of love and adoration. Okay, maybe nobody was crying… but there were a lot of “oh my god”s, “holy moly”s, and “hot damn”s uttered.
Make it yourself and you’ll see what I mean.
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Pound Cake
- 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, plus more for pan
- 1 cup of sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
- 1/4 cup of milk (I used skim)
For the Nutella swirls
- 1/3 cup of Nutella
- 1/8 cup of milk (I used skim)
Directions
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F/177ºC and buttering and flouring your cake pan of choice (extra points for Star Wars-themed pans). Place the cup of butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Pour the butter into a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition. Add the vanilla and the salt and beat again. Set the electric mixer to low and then slowly begin adding the flour – 1/3 cup at a time – making sure to beat to combine the ingredients after each addition. Add the milk, beat to incorporate, and then pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
Place the Nutella and milk in a microwave-safe bowl and place in the microwave for 30 seconds. Using a fork, mix the Nutella and the milk together until they form a soft, thick sauce. Drizzle some of the Nutella mixture onto the top of the vanilla cake batter and then – using the fork – create Nutella swirls in the cake.
Place the cake in the oven to bake for about 1 hour. Once the cake passes the toothpick test, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes before inverting it to cool completely. Serve warm or cool – doesn’t matter!