CHOCOLATE BLACKBERRY SWIRL CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Make the Coulis 1st so it will have time to cool. CHOCOLATE BLACKBERRY COULIS: Combine ingredients in a medium size sauce pan over a medium heat; bring to a boil. Once berries are hot an blump, mash them with back of spoon, or use a stick blender to mash them. Stain juice of the berries into a bowl. Rinse pan to remove any seed and return juice to pan. Bring back to a boil; reduce heat and simer for about 20 to 25 minutes until reduced to about 1/2. This will make about 2/3 cup. Remove from heat and add chocolate bar; stir until chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool.
• 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease angel food tube cake pan and line with wax paper. NOTE: I've been baking cream cheese pound cakes for many years and they've always been a favorite, however, for the last 2 to 3 years as I've made my cream cheese pound cake, I found that I was not happy with the texture of the cakes. The only thing that had changed was the pan I was baking the cakes in. I had purchased one of those really nice heavy duty bundt pans. That is the only thing I had changed. Today I decided to use my old trustworthy angel food pan and to my delight my cake is back to the way I love them. Amazing how a little change makes a difference!
• 3. POUND CAKE: Beat butter with a heavy duty electic mixer on a medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugar and continue beating until fluffy.
• 4. Add cream cheese and continue beating until creamy, scraping down bowl as needed.
• 5. Add eggs one at a time; beating each egg just until blended before adding next egg.
• 6. Reduce speed to low on mixer and gradually add flour, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
• 7. Stir in almond and vanilla extract.
• 8. Spoon about 1/3 of batter into prepared pan. Place dollops of the Blackberry Coulis on to batter, using about 1/2 of the sauce. With the handle of a "round" wooden spoon swirl the coulis into the batter. Repeat this with a 2nd layer of batter and coulis. Top with remaining 1/3 of batter.
• 9. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until wooden pick or cake tester when inserted into center of cake comes out clean. NOTE: Normally I bake a plain cream cheese cake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. With the coulis it took about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• 10. Remove from oven and cool in pan on rack for about 20 minutes. Remove cake from pan and place top side up on cake plate. I love the crunchy top!