Frangipane-Ripple Chocolate Pound Cake

For the best flavor and easiest slicing, serve this cake a day after you bake it.

For the frangipane:

• 1/3 cup sliced blanched almonds
• 1/2 cup almond paste
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

For the cake:

• 2-1/3 cups cake flour; more for the-pan
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room-temperature; more for the-pan
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk

Make the frangipane: In a food processor, blend the almonds, almond paste, and sugar until the nuts are finely ground. Add the egg and butter; process until smoothly blended. Cover and refrigerate.

Make the cake: Remove the frangipane from the refrigerator and make sure all other ingredients are at room temperature. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F (325°F if your cake pan has a dark finish). Grease and lightly flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa; set aside. Using the beater attachment on an electric mixer (or the paddle attachment, if you have one), beat the butter at medium speed until creamy and smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the sugar. Beat until the mixture is fluffy and light in color, 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. At very low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk in three additions, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, blending just until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Spoon about 2 cups of batter into the pan, spreading evenly.

Spoon half the frangipane filling in dollops over the center of the batter. Spread the filling evenly over the batter, avoiding the center tube and the sides of the pan (to achieve a neat, contained design). Spoon about 1-1/2 cups of batter evenly over the filling. Spoon the remaining frangipane over the batter, spreading evenly. Spoon the remaining batter over evenly.

Bake just until the cake springs back lightly when touched in the center and just starts to come away from the sides of the pan, 60 to 65 minutes (65 to 70 minutes with a dark pan at 325°F). Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Cool the cake upright in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before inverting. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack.