Gluten-Free Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake

Hate me, but don’t hate me. Hate me but don’t hate me.

Ok, hate me.

This recipe. I just can’t. I can’t even.

I. Just. Can’t.

Where has this recipe been all my life?!? Why haven’t I made it sooner?! It is quite possibly the best chocolate cheesecakey recipe I’ve ever had. And it’s gluten-free!!!!

It is a personal victory for me when I not only find a gluten free recipe, but a GF recipe that is slap-you-in-the-face fantastic. The Chef was impressed just when he saw it, and when he tasted it, he raved about it.

Victory is mine!

And I guess victory to the wonderful person who created it- Abigail Johnson Dodge, from Fine Cooking. (This recipe is from Fine Cooking issue 54.)

I am going to give you exactly what the recipe says because I followed it to a tee, and it came out perfectly. 

Are you ready??

You need to be ready.

Read everything twice.

For the vanilla batter: 

8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature 

2/3 cup granulated sugar 

1 large egg 

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

For the chocolate batter: 

10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped –-I used semi-sweet chocolate chips- awesome taste

5 oz. (10 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces 

3 large eggs 

1/3 cup granulated sugar 

1 Tbs. dark rum or espresso-– I brewed extremely strong coffee. Again, worked great.

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

Pinch table salt 

Cocoa powder for dusting 

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Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F. Lightly grease a 9×2-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.

Make the vanilla batter: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and continue beating until well blended and no lumps remain. Add the egg and vanilla and beat just until blended. Set aside.

Make the chocolate batter:  In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in a large metal bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave. Whisk until smooth and set aside to cool slightly. With a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs, sugar, rum or espresso, vanilla, and salt on medium high until the mixture is pale and thick, 3 to 4 min. With the mixer on low, gradually pour in the chocolate mixture and continue beating until well blended.

Air bubbles, not scrambled eggs.

Combining the chocolate batter– Add the melted chocolate and butter slow so as not to scramble the eggs– There will be air bubbles, don’t freak out. They’re not scrambled eggs.

Combine and Bake: Spread about half of the chocolate batter in the bottom of the pan. Alternately add large scoopfuls of each of the remaining batters to the cake pan. Using a knife or the tip of a rubber spatula, gently swirl the two batters together so they’re mixed but not completely blended. Rap the pan against the countertop several times to settle the batters.

Bake until a pick inserted about 2 inches from the edge comes out gooey but not liquid, 40 to 42 min.; don’t overbake. The top will be puffed and slightly cracked, especially around the edges. It will sink down as it cools. Let cool on a rack until just slightly warm, about 1-1/2 hours. Loosen the cake from the pan by holding the pan almost perpendicular to the counter; tap the pan on the counter while rotating it clockwise. Invert onto a large flat plate or board. Remove the pan and carefully peel off the parchment. Sift some cocoa powder over the cake (this will make it easier to remove the slices when serving). Invert again onto a similar plate so that the top side is up. Let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight, or freeze.

Parchment paper on the bottom. Peel off!

Tip: To slice the marble cake neatly, use a hot knife (run it under hot running water and dry it). Wipe the blade clean between slices.

Make Ahead Tips

Wrap the cooled cake (unmolded as directed in the recipe) in plastic and refrigerate until firm and well chilled. Slide the cake from the plate and wrap it again in plastic. Freeze for up to a month. To serve, unwrap the cake and set it on a flat serving plate. Cover with plastic wrap and thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for an hour or two.
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When making this again, I think I’ll make bigger clumps of the vanilla and possibly marble less. I was having so much fun making designs. No two marble cakes are the same, and that is the beauty of them.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when biting into the cake the first time, but it completely exceeded my expectations. It was moist. It was rich. It had a hint of cheesecake. It was chocolate. This is incredibly rich, so cut small and come back for seconds if you must. It would also pair perfectly with French Press Coffee (or a simple glass of ice cold milk). 

Please pass this along to anyone who lives with GF (or without for that matter… Just share it!) , because they simply can’t live without it.

-The Wife