I am SUCH a ditz sometimes.
Some would say more than just “sometimes”.
But you know, it usually works out well in the end. I’ve learned not to stress too much. Just fix it and move on.
So, I’m fixing it and I’m moving on. But not before telling you about this great recipe and my friend, Heather over at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks.
I already know that Heather is kind and forgiving (read – I screwed up). But she also has a LOT of fabulous recipes, loves to cook, bake and read. She also has this great nickname that her husband and a friend of his, Mojo, came up with for her “rock ‘n roll” name several years ago – and it stuck, thus the name “Hezzi-D”. I love to cook, read, and have a great nickname that one of my husband’s friends gave me about 28 years ago, “Vivisue” – a combination of my first and middle names. But what we don’t have in common is a “love” for baking. It’s not that I don’t like to bake, I just don’t think I’m very good at it. I’ve really been in the mood for a bundt cake, and when I saw Heather’s recipe for Babovka, I knew I had found exactly what would calm the Craving Beast inside me!
By the way, I told my Mountain Man that he couldn’t slice into the cake because I hadn’t taken pictures yet . . . . and I thought he was going to, well, you know . . . cry.
Shhhhhhhh, don’t tell him I told you that.
- 4 Eggs, separated
- 1½ c. Powdered Sugar
- ⅓ c. Grapeseed Oil
- ⅓ c. Apple Butter
- ⅔ c. Hot Water
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1¼ c. Flour
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 6 oz semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 c. chopped Walnuts
- 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
- Extra powdered sugar for dusting
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees
- Grease and flour your bundt pan.
- Separate the eggs. Put the yolks in a large mixing bowl and the whites in a small bowl.
- Beat the yolks with your mixer and add the sugar. Incorporate well.
- Slowly add the oil, apple butter, and hot water and vanilla. Mix well.
- The slowly mix in the flour and baking powder until smooth.
- With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until they triple in size. Then fold them into the batter carefully, with a spatula until just blended.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips into the bottom of the bundt pan.
- Then sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top of the chocolate chips.
- Pour half of the batter into the greased and floured bundt pan.
- Into the remaining batter, mix in the cocoa and stir well.
- Pour remaining batter on top of the vanilla batter.
- Tap the pan a couple of times on the counter to eliminate bubbles.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then let cool at least 15 minutes before turning on to a plate. Dust with powdered sugar.
This cake is BETTER than advertised! The main difference you will see and taste between this Babovka and a regular pound cake is the light, fluffiness of the Babovka. Extremely moist, just like you expect and has wonderful flavor. We loved the nuts and choco chips on top, but they are certainly not necessary.
This would make a great dessert for a party, family gathering or picnic! However, it is the Breakfast of Champions for me and Mountain Man this morning!
Dokud nebudeme jíst znovu!!
If you would like to see other fabulous dishes from this week’s Secret Recipe Club, check them out here.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
I would ove to make this soon so I’ve pinned it for easy reference. Love that it’s half chocolate.
It is marvelous, although you need to tell me why my choco chips didn’t melt. Hmmmmm . . .
Wow Suzanne, if I’m not mistaken this is u’r second post for SRC. The babovka looks really good!
Yep, no rest for the wicked – or for the “ditz” in me. LOL! The cake is delicious!
It looks irresistible! What a great recipe.
Thanks, Barbara! We will be enjoying this the rest of the week!
Oh wow does this look and sound good! I love that it has apple butter, chocolate chips and walnuts in it. Pinning this to make for sure. Great job.
And it is/was! Heather has LOTS of great recipes on her site.
Mmmm delicious! Great choice. This looks marvelous!
So glad you liked it! My dad’s side of the family is Slovakian and they were thrilled when I brought this to a family gathering. I just love the combination of flavors.
LOVED it! It has truly been eaten at breakfast, lunch and dinner since I made it! We love the combination of flavors, too. Thanks, it was an honor!
it looks amazing!
Truly delicious for any occasion – or no occasion at all!
Isn’t it nice that our loved ones are patient enough to wait for us to finish our photos before digging in? Actually, they’re not that gracious in my house, but we can pretend.
I hope you’ll stop by and visit my SRC post for Chewy Oatmeal Raisin and Almond Cookies
ButterYum
Patient? Yes. Whiney-hiney about it, Yes to that, too. LOL!
This looks like a really interesting and delicicious recipe! I look forward to one day giving it a try
My husband asks now before he eats anything in the kitchen…”is this eatable??” lol Guess he got in trouble a few too many times for eating things before they were photographed!!
Hahahaha! Yep, that same question comes up at our house often. Thanks! And thanks for dropping by!
Ooh, this does sound like a good one. I like that it’s a pound cake without a pound of butter (or any at all for that matter). Love the apple butter addition and I actually have some grapeseed oil in house!
This looks delicious! Also, I love your cake plate… where did you get it? I have one that was my great grandmothers that looks very much like it. I don’t know how to post a pic on here or I would. Mine has a round wooden handle in the middle, where yours looks like a handle that crosses over the top, but the rest looks identical! So cool!
lets try this…
http://pinterest.com/pin/62417144805650474/
wow, this is just an amazing looking cake, you really made it perfect!
I love this entire post! Everything about it screams fun! You, my dear Vivisue are a riot! I hope we get to meet in person someday!!! This looks absolutely delicious! You baked one heck of a pretty cake. I can understand your mountain man almost shedding a tear because he had to wait for pictures (I promise I won’t tell)!
My husband’s family is from Slovak and I want to try this. Can you tell me if I can use regular vegetable oil instead of the grapeseed oil and what I can replace the apple butter with if I don’t have it?
Thanks a lot!
Sure, vegetable oil, canola oil would all be just fine. You can also replace the apple butter with applesauce! Thanks for asking and for stopping by!