Buttercake Bakery's Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Bundt Cake

This chocolate & vanilla swirl bundt cake recipe is a clone of a cake you can find at a bakery in L.A. called Buttercake Bakery. I stumbled up on it while visiting that area last year. The chocolate chips burst like bubbles of flavor in your mouth and the cake is amazing. It's probably one of those things that's worth the calorie splurge and the extra effort required to make your own chocolate syrup. However, I bet you could use storebought chocolate syrup to save some time. The L.A. Times published this copycat recipe June 11, 2008 and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it! They call it "comfort food in cake form" and I couldn't agree more.

I will also be linking this to my Copycat Club for the December 7th round-up. (See link above for details and to join/submit any recipes).

Buttercake Bakery's Chocolate Marbled Cake
Makes 1 - 12" Bundt

2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips
Powdered sugar for dusting

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together one-half cup of the sugar, the cocoa powder and corn syrup with one-half cup hot water. Bring just to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add a half-teaspoon of vanilla off the heat and set aside.
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and lightly flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), cream the butter with the remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then whisk in the remaining vanilla.
3. Whisk about a third of the flour mixture into the batter, then a third of the milk. Continue whisking in the flour mixture and milk, alternately and a little at a time, until everything is added and the batter is light and smooth.
4. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, then divide the batter into thirds. Pour a third of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
5. Whisk the chocolate syrup with another third of batter, then pour this into the prepared bundt pan. Pour the remaining third of batter over this, lightly swirl the batters with a wooden skewer or knife to give a "marble" effect and place the pan in the oven.
6. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake springs back lightly when touched, about 1 hour. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. Invert the cooled cake onto a serving platter and dust lightly with powdered sugar.