If you've been around here a while (hi and thank you!), you'll know we love celebrating a half-birthday. My mom started this tradition, and it lives on!
Recently, we celebrated Jack's 25 and a half! (Excuse me while I go back and look at photos from TWELVE AND A HALF, which I think was the first one I documented on the blog.) Time flies, y'all.
This Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Sprinkle Marbled Bundt Cake is so, so good. The chocolate flavor comes through, the vanilla cake with sprinkles is rich and delicious, and the thick vanilla frosting is the perfect way to top it!
The cake IS really great on its own, but let's be honest. Everything is better with frosting. It's a simple one to whip up, too!
[Note: if you make the cake the day before, it's even more moist when you cut into it!]
Here's another tip for baking this cake. (OK, three.) For the best flavor and texture, make this as written with European butter and full-fat Greek yogurt. Also, don't skip the espresso powder.
If you're making for a half birthday, you'll need a 1/2-birthday candle! I'll admit that when I saw some at Target years ago, I bought them all...and we reuse them. BUT I just saw that Amazon has a few options now! Gold 1/2 birthday candles, all-pink 1/2 birthday candles, black and white half-birthday candles and more!
Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Sprinkle Marbled Half-Birthday Bundt Cake Recipe
Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Sprinkle Marbled Half-Birthday Bundt Cake
YIELD: 12-16 slices
PREP TIME: 35 minutes
BAKE TIME: 1 hour
[NOTE: this cake is best made the day before, covered, and frosted the day of serving.]
for the cake:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon Dutch-process cocoa
3 teaspoons vanilla, divided
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
3 & 1/2 cups cake flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup salted European butter, such as Kerrygold, room temperature
1 & 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 eggs
16 ounces 2% plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup rainbow jimmies (sprinkles)
for the frosting:
1 cup salted European butter, room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cream or milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
rainbow jimmies for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Use a pastry brush to help grease every nook and cranny.
Melt the chocolate on low heat on the stove or in the microwave. Stir in the cocoa, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and espresso powder. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Stir remaining vanilla into the Greek yogurt.
On low speed, add the flour in three additions alternating with the Greek yogurt, until combined, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Divide the batter into two bowls. Stir the chocolate into one bowl and the jimmies into the other. Pour half of the vanilla batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan. Add the chocolate batter on top. Dollop and smooth remaining vanilla batter over. The pan should be about 3/4 full.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Place the wire rack upside-down on the exposed part of the cake. Flip the pan so that the bottom of the cake is resting on the wire rack, and let the cake rest for 1-2 minutes. Lift the pan off of the cake and let it cool completely on the rack.
If the cake won't release, run an offset spatula or knife along the edges. Invert again, giving it a good shake, and it should release.
Place the cake on a stand and cover it before frosting. Do this a day ahead for the best flavor and texture.
Make the frosting. Cream the butter until fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar. Add cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low until combined, then increase speed to medium and mix until fluffy. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl as necessary.
Spoon frosting into a piping bag and pipe it over the cake. Alternatively, use an offset spatula to spread it over the top. Sprinkle rainbow jimmies over the frosting.
