INGREDIENTS
4 ounces cream
cheese
Cooking
spray
4 ounces dark
chocolate (about 60% cacao), divided
1/2 cup Dutch-process
cocoa powder
1 cup packed
dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon instant
coffee or espresso granules
1 cup boiling
water
2/3 cup vegetable
oil
1/2 cup sour
cream
2 large
eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
extract, divided
1
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated
sugar, divided
1
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher
salt
1/4 teaspoon baking
soda
1 large
egg yolk
INSTRUCTIONS
Place 4
ounces cream cheese on the counter to soften at room temperature.
Arrange a
rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x5-inch loaf
pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, making sure the
paper hangs over the 2 long sides.
Finely
chop 4 ounces dark chocolate. Place 2 ounces in a small microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until the chocolate
is smooth and completely melted, 60 to 90 second’s total; set aside for the
fudge swirl.
Place the
remaining 2 ounces chopped chocolate, 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1 cup
packed dark brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder
granules in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
Pour 1
cup boiling water and whisk until the everything is melted and smooth, about 1
minute.
Set aside
to cool for 5 minutes. Add 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup sour
cream, and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
Place 1
1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons
baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in a
large bowl and whisk to combine.
Add the chocolate mixture and whisk just until
smooth.
For the
swirl, place the cream cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a
small bowl and stir vigorously until smooth.
Stir in
the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg yolk, and reserved melted
chocolate until smooth and combined.
Pour
three-quarters of the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan. Drop all but 2 to
3 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture by the tablespoon onto the batter.
Drag a wooden skewer or table knife through
the cream cheese dollops to make a swirled pattern. Top with the remaining cake
batter. Drop the remaining cream cheese mixture onto the cake and swirl again
with the skewer or knife.
Bake
until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few
moist crumbs clinging to it, 50 to 65 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool
completely before slicing.
