Marbled Million Dollar Pound Cake

By msippigrl

The recipe below is for the classic million dollar pound cake. If desired, an optional chocolate marble batter is noted at the end. It's even better the next day!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. (4 sticks) butter, softened (I used 3 salted and 1 unsalted)
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 extra-large eggs, room temperature (I used 5 Jumbos)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled measurement)
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract*

Preparation

Step 1

Lay butter and eggs out to get room temperature for 30-45 minutes before beginning the cake.

Generously grease and flour a large 10-cup tube cake pan.

In a very large mixing bowl and using a mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy and pale colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar until all of it has been incorporated and the texture is light and fluffy and almost white in color. Beat in one egg at a time, mixing just until each egg is blended.

On low speed, add the flour to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. (1 c flour, 1/4 c milk, 1 c flour, 1/4 c milk, 1 c flour, 1/4 c milk, remaining 1 c flour). Stir in both extracts* (see note at end first). Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Pour batter into prepared tube pan and bake on center rack of oven for 1 hr 30-40 minutes, or until center tests done with a long wooden toothpick or skewer. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes then remove cake to cool completely on the wire rack.

Store covered at room temperature. Serve with whipped cream/whipped topping, chocolate syrup, fresh berries, or my favorite, vanilla ice cream!

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For the optional chocolate batter:

*Omit the almond extract from the cake batter above.

Remove about HALF the batter to another mixing bowl; then whisk in 1/4 cup cocoa powder just until combined.

Alternately add the two bowls of batter to the prepared tube pan and bake as directed above.