Chocolate Ripple Pound Cake

Don’t you just hate it when you really like something you’ve bought and then the company decides not to make it anymore? That happened to me many, many years ago and I spent a lot of time looking and searching and had no success. I’m talking about Sara Lee’s chocolate ripple pound cake. Gosh, I loved that cake!!!

I finally gave up looking and decided to make my own version. Let me tell you, I hit the jackpot! I’ve been making this recipe for about 25 years and my family never gets tired of it. This cake may come from a cake mix, but it tastes like it’s from scratch.

Whenever I serve this cake, I’m asked for the “secret family” recipe and my friends are astounded to learn the basis is a cake mix.  Using the Butter Infused Olive Oil rather than vegetable oil adds a richer, more buttery taste.

There are several variations* which I’ll mention later. But for now……

Chocolate Ripple Pound Cake

　

Basic cake instructions:

1 box of yellow cake mix…. (I happen to prefer Duncan Hines)

1 (3.4 oz.) package vanilla instant pudding and pie filling

4 large eggs

1 cup water

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/3 cup Joe and Son’s Butter Infused Olive Oil

Set aside for the chocolate portion:

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/3 cup (+ or -) of Nestle’s Quik chocolate drink powder

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.

Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, almond extract, water and oil in large bowl. Mix well.  Taste to see if you'd like a stronger almond taste and add accordingly.  WARNING: Too much almond extract could result in a bitter taste.

Transfer about 1/3 of the yellow cake mix to another bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract to the mix. By tablespoons start adding the Nestle’s Quik to this portion of the mix. Keep adding the chocolate powder and stirring until the mix is dark brown and seems as though it will not absorb any more powder.

Now you have 2 bowls of cake mix…Start by pouring about ½ of the yellow mix into the Bundt pan, followed by all of the chocolate mix and then topped with the remaining yellow mix.

At this point, run a spatula once or twice through the batter to create a swirl pattern.

Bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake on wire rack 25 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely.


*Orange cake mix with chocolate ripple.....no almond extract
*Strawberry cake mix with chocolate ripple...add almond extract