Marble Cake

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Marble cake was my favourite cake growing up. It had the best of both worlds - butter and chocolate - with intriguing swirls thrown in. Whenever I visited a confectionery, the first cake I would always reach for would be a marble cake.

Of course, over the years, I grew up, and so did Singapore. And our tastes evolved. Now, at the mention of "tea", we reach for macarons, or warm chocolate tarts, or choux puffs. Yet, once in a while, it's nice to go back to simple pleasures. This marble cake was baked on a whim, when I was deliberating what to make for tea. Why not share a slice of my childhood with my children, literally? And so I did.

While the young ones had no issues with the cake, I have to admit ... the texture was not really my cuppa tea. This, despite the fact that it received an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars from 111 reviewers. Ooops!

It only dawned upon me after a few bites, that I should have tried a recipe where the yolks and whites were beaten separately and then re-combined. The crumbs would have been finer and tighter ... something I tend to favour in cakes.

Gosh, what has 2 years of baking done to me? I would have had no complaints with this just a year ago! Now I am actually fussing over crumb size. Unbelievable! :P

Recipe
(from BBC Good Food)

- 225g butter , softened
- 225g caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 225g self-raising flour
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder

1. Heat oven to 180C/gas 160C/gas 4. Grease a 20cm cake tin and line the bottom with a circle of greaseproof paper. If you want to make life easy, simply put all the ingredients (except the cocoa powder) into a food processor and whizz for 1-2 mins until smooth. If you prefer to mix by hand, beat the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Fold through the flour, milk and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.

2. Divide the mixture between 2 bowls. Stir the cocoa powder into the mixture in one of the bowls. Take 2 spoons and use them to dollop the chocolate and vanilla cake mixes into the tin alternately. When all the mixture has been used up (and if young kids are doing this, you'll need to ensure the base of the tin is fairly evenly covered), tap the bottom on your work surface to ensure that there aren't any air bubbles. Take a skewer and swirl it around the mixture in the tin a few times to create a marbled effect.

3. Bake the cake for 45-55 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months.

PS: My friend Ellena from Cuisine Paradise was prompted to bake this cake after I posted. Take a look at her mini cakes here. :)