Keks (Bulgarian Marble Loaf Cake)
A dense, buttery Bulgarian loaf cake layered with a cinnamon-walnut filling for a marbled swirl inside - beating the butter, sugar, and vanilla until pale and fluffy before adding the eggs is what gives keks its tender, close crumb, and layering the cinnamon filling between spoonfuls of batter rather than stirring it in is what keeps the swirl distinct instead of blending into a uniform brown.
⏱ 70 min🍽 10 servings
dessertbakingvegetarian
Ingredients
- •1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- •1 cup sugar
- •1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- •2 eggs
- •2 cups flour
- •1 tsp baking powder
- •1 tsp baking soda
- •1/4 cup sour cream
- •1/3 cup brown sugar
- •1 tbsp cinnamon
- •1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Steps
- 1.Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan.
- 2.Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla together until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes - this is what gives keks its tender, close crumb rather than a dense, heavy one.
- 3.Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the sour cream.
- 4.In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, then fold into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- 5.In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts for the filling.
- 6.Spoon a third of the batter into the prepared pan, scatter half the cinnamon-walnut mixture over it, add another third of the batter, scatter the remaining cinnamon mixture, then top with the last of the batter - layering it in like this, rather than stirring the filling directly into the batter, is what keeps the swirl distinct instead of turning the whole cake uniformly brown.
- 7.Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, tenting with foil if the top browns too quickly.