Nutella - Swirl Poundcake

I saw this recipe in the October issue of Food and Wine magazine and seeing as I had a jar of Nutella handy I decided to make it. I actually baked it over a month ago and I am still unsure if I loved it or not. It is a very rich cake. If you are a Nutella "Nut" you will love it. When I took it out of the oven after baking I found the cake to be on the "greasy" side...probably from the Nutella as well as the two sticks of butter in the recipe...I was not happy with it at that point. I felt the Nutella was too "oozy"... make sense ? I thought this cake would taste better after an overnight in the fridge. For my tastes, this is a cake that is better cold , right from the fridge. The Nutella firmed up...the cake firmed up. It was good. Very, very, rich though....a cake to be enjoyed in very thin slices. The pics you see here are of the cold cake .
I am not sure if this one makes it to my tried and true files...but it was a fun project and a delicious experiment for a Nutella loving someone I know.


Nutella - Swirl Poundcake
Food and Wine Magazine October 2009
from:Cake Keeper Cakes Published 2009 by the Taunton Press.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2. 4 large eggs, at room temperature
3. 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4. 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
7. 1 1/4 cups sugar
8. One 13-ounce jar Nutella


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour. In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.
3. Spread one-third of the batter in the prepared pan, then spread half of the Nutella on top. Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining Nutella. Top with the remaining batter. Lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not overmix.
4. Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve.