#Bundtamonth: Mocha Swirl Pound Cake

This month's Bundtamonth theme is Swirl Bundt Cake, a decision made by the co-founders Anuradha of Baker Street and Lora of  Cake Duchess.  As I've a soft spot for Bundt cakes but more so for Bundt pans I surfed the internet  for some inspiration to bake a swirly bundt cake.  There are a lot of awesome recipes for swirly bundt cakes and I finally settled for a simple Mocha swirly.  To give plain Jane a makeover, I decorated it with Kahlua icing topped with lightly toasted nibbed almonds which was an added  boost to the flavour of the cake.  I didn't make the icing too thick as I preferred a not too sweet topping.

Recipe for Mocha Swirl Pound Cake

Ingredients

12 oz plain flour

2  tsp  baking powder

a pinch of salt

9 oz caster sugar

12 oz unsalted butter (if use salted butter, omit the salt)

5 eggs

1/2 cup milk

10 gm instant coffee powder

10 gm cocoa powder

10 ml hot water

1.1/2  tsp vanilla

Kahlua Icing 

Mix 3/4 cups icing sugar with 2 Tbsp Kahlua to a thick and dropping consistency

Method

Sift the flour with the baking powder, salt, set aside

Mix the hot water with the coffee and cocoa powder, set aside

Beat the butter with sugar till light, creamy and pale

Add in eggs one at a time, blend well.

Fold in sifted flour alternating with milk, start with flour and end with flour.

Scoop 1/3 batter and mix in the mocha mixture, mix well.

Spoon 1/3 plain batter into a greased and floured 10 inch Bundt pan, even out the batter.

Spoon 1/2 mocha batter on top of the plain batter, even out, repeat process.

Swirl the batters with a skewer.

Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C for 45 to 50 mins.  Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.

Let cake cool in the pan for 20 mins. before unmoulding the cake onto a wire rack to cool.

Drizzle on the Kahlua icing and top with lightly toasted nibbed almonds.

Note :  You can omit the icing and just dust on with some icing sugar for decoration.