Cocoa Ripple Ring

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 50 minutes
Yield: makes 1 10-inch fluted tube cake

Ingredients:

Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
3 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
4 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
or 1 stick Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening Sticks
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/3 cups milk
2/3 cup presweetened cocoa powder
Chocolate glaze, recipe follows
or Powdered sugar

Preparation Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 10-inch fluted tube pan with no-flour spray; set aside.

2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. Combine sugar and all-vegetable shortening; beat at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth after each addition. Spoon about 2 cups batter into prepared pan.

4. Combine sweetened cocoa powder and nuts; sprinkle half of mixture over batter in pan. Repeat layers, ending with batter.

5. Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

6. Transfer cake to serving plate. Drizzle with Chocolate Glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Glaze
1. Cook and stir 2 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet baking chocolate, chopped and 2 tablespoons all-vegetable shortening in heavy small saucepan over low heat just until melted. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons hot water. Stir in additional hot water, if necessary, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until glaze is smooth and of drizzling consistency. Makes about 1/2 cup.