Marble cake

When I was growing up, there were a limited number of cakes in the family repertoire. Basically, there were three: Devil's Food, orange and marble. Devil's Food was in high rotation, obviously - what kid doesn't agitate for chocolate? - orange was the adult's choice and marble got trotted out for company as its swirls of chocolate and vanilla were suitably showstopping. Alas I don't have Mum's original recipe, but this one, from American baking authority Martha Stewart, is exceptional. And easy. Made in a loaf tin, its golden exterior slashed with satiny chocolate exempts you from fiddly frosting. It's airy and light yet satisfying sturdy. Rich but not too sweet. And oh so pretty.


 
Marble cake
Adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart

When you add the cocoa mixture to the portion of vanilla batter you've set aside, the mixture will seem way too wet. I was worried but it turned out beautifully. Apparently cocoa dries out a lot in the baking process so there's a method to Martha's madness.


1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar  
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa
3 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf tin; set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour. Set aside 1/3 of the batter. 

In a bowl, mix cocoa and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add the cocoa mixture to the reserved cake batter; stir until well combined.  

Spoon batters into the prepared pan in 2 layers, alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate to simulate a checkerboard. To create marbling, run a table knife (or wooden skewer) through the batters in a swirling motion.  

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a skewer comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer tin to a rack to cool for ten minutes. Turn out cake from tin and cool completely on the rack. Cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.