Orange Pound Cake with Chocolate Marble

Let me start off by saying that this recipe is not for everyone. I personally love, love, love the taste of chocolate and orange together so if you are like me, you will love this. This recipe is enough for two loaves, one with just the orange and the other with the chocolate topping. One note, the chocolate loaf is best served right away. If you refrigerate it, the chocolate turns hard as a rock. I know this is not how to make marbled pound cake but I tend to think the typical marbling method covers up the chocolate taste. Since I am a chocoholic, I melt the chocolate and simply swirl it into the cake before baking. Again, this is not how you are supposed to do it and I know the picture is not pretty but for me, it is a comfort food that makes me groan. xoxo - AJ

Recipe:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at slightly cool room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated orange zest (6 oranges)
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, divided
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Topping:
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ounce high quality unsweetened chocolate chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease (I use PAM) and flour two loaf pans.

Cream the butter and 2 cups of the granulated sugar for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the orange zest. Mix in 1/4 cup orange juice, sour cream and vanilla.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine flour mixture with butter mixture until just combined. Fold mixture together to finish mix. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. In one of the mixtures, pour the chocolate mixture (see recipe below) on top. Stick a knife into the chocolate batter to the bottom of the pan. Swirl the chocolate up and down the length of the pan 3 or 4 times Do not over swirl!

Bake both loaves on the middle rack for 5 minutes to 1 hour or until they have a golden to and a long toothpick comes out clean.

While the cakes bake, heat the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with the remaining 1/2 cup orange juice until the sugar dissolves completely. When the cakes are done, let them cool for ten minutes. Take them out of the an and place them on a baking rack set over a sheet pan where juice will not run off. Spoon the orange syrup over the loaves and allow cakes to cool completely.

Chocolate Mixture:
Combine the half of the chips and the unsweetened chocolate in a glass microwave safe bowl. Heat chocolate in 1 minute increments and take out between heating to stir. When chocolate is smooth, pour in the remaining chips and stir quickly until all is melted. The more you stir, the more glossy it becomes.