Velvet Brownie Cake with Vanilla Bean Glaze

Hello and happy hot and steamy Monday! I do not know about you but it has been terrible here in Virginia, between the extrodinary heat during the day and the crazy wind and rain storms at night. Luckily, we have not lost power, although I know many people have, and there have even been some deaths. People, wherever you live, if you do not have air conditioning, you should really go somewhere that does, and make sure to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

Ok, lectures over, on to our regularly scheduled post. I made the most delicious cake this weekend, actually on Friday before it was too hot to bake or eat. I have no idea how I found this recipe, I think it was on Food Gawker( the Pinterest of Food), in any case the actual recipe is from A Spicy Perspective Blog, and there are many great recipe there. It is basically a red velvet cake, no food coloring, with a brownie tunnel, and the most scrumptious vanilla bean frosting. It would be a great addition to your 4th of July holidays!

Velvet Brownie Swirl Cake

Adapted from A Spicy Perspective

Ingredients:

For the cake

11/2 cup vegetable oil

11/3 cup buttermilk, at ROOM TEMPERATURE

3 eggs ROOM TEMPERATURE

11/2 tsp. white vinegar

11/2 tsp. Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract

31/2 cups all purpose flour

21/4 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

4 tsp. unsweetened dutch cocoa powder

For the Brownie Swirl:

3 tsp cocoa powder

4 oz  70% dark chocolate bar, chopped and melted

For the Vanilla Glaze:

6-9 Tbsp. heavy cream

2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. Vanilla bean paste (or extract)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-15 cup bundt pan.

For the velvet cake: Using an electric mixer, beat the oil, buttermilk, eggs, vinegar and vanilla on low until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa together. Slowly add them to the wet mixture until just combined.

This cake is so moist and delicious.

For the brownie batter: Separate out 1 2/3 cups of the velvet cake  batter. Whisk 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder and the melted chocoalte into the batter. Set aside.

Pour 2/3 of the remaining velvet batter into the bundt pan.

Add the brownie batter to the bundt pan and gently smooth over the top covering all areas. Do not swirl, unless you want a zebra effect to the cake.

Pour the remaining 1/3 velvet batter over the brownie batter.

Bake for 55-65 minutes until set in the middle. After 55 minutes check the center with a wooden skewer. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.

Allow the cake to cool for at least 20 minutes in the pan. Then carefully flip it out onto a cake plate.

Cool completely before adding the glaze.

Rich brownie center.

For the glaze: whisk 6 Tablespoons of heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla paste. If the mixture is too thick to pour add a little more cream, until it is thick and slow pouring.

Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake with a spoons or whisk. allow the glaze to dry before covering.

Can you see the flecks of vanilla beans? Yummy!

NOTES: Always read throught the entire recipe first, in case there are special things you must do, like make sure the eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature. Also, do not use Pam cooking spray for this recipe. Use oil and flour. I speak from experience, I used Pam and my cake would not come out of the pan, in fact I had to pry it out, and it broke into four pieces, which is why you seen an over abundance of glaze. If you have vanilla bean paste, do use it, I think the taste is more pronounced than just using vanilla extract, not to mention you get the little brown flecks in your frosting.

The cake is delicious! I think it would be great without the brownie tunnel and just the frosting. Make it however you like, and if you come up with a twist come here and tell me! Do you have a favorite cake recipe? I love to try new things, so leave me your recipe in the comments or a link to it so that I can try it!

 I liked this cake so much I ate the origional piece I used to shoot these photos and then another one all before lunch.

ENJOY YOUR DAY!

Linking to:

Stone Gable On the Menu Monday

Between Naps on the Porch

Boogieboard Cottage

Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesdays

The Brambleberry Cottage

Rattlebridge Farm

Common Ground

French Country Living

Stuff and Nonsense

Laurie Annas

My Romantic Home

Jennifer Rizzo

A Stroll Thru Life

House in Roses

Between Naps on the Porch

My uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Unskinny Boppy

French Cupboard , The Shabby Creek Cottage

No Minimalist Here , The Charm of the Home

French Country Cottage

Funky Junk Interiors

Coastal Charm

Boogie Board Cottage

Between naps on the Porch

Jennifer Rizzo

Savvy City Farmer

The 36th Avenue