Donna Hay’s Marble Cake

Donna-Hays-Marble-Cake

This marble cake is a riot of colour and a treat for your tastebuds!

Marble cake really reminds me of when I was a kid. I was a big fan! The classic marble cake has chocolate and vanilla swirls but in this Donna Hay recipe, I’ve gone all out and added some pink to the mix too! In fact I’ve recently updated this recipe and as well as reducing the sugar and tweaking some ingredients, I’ve also added a Thermomix conversion too.

This was the first cake I baked after my kitchen sabbatical. My recent travels have taken me around the world and kept me out of the kitchen for almost two months. I was wondering if baking was like riding a bike, you never forget how to do it! I’m pleased to report that this is most definitely the case except that baking is much easier for me. Side note: if you ever see me on a bicycle, be afraid, very afraid.

I have  noticed that I thoroughly enjoy making a mess but have not yet found my enthusiasm for cleaning it up. I was a bit worried that making this cake with it’s tri-coloured batter would be too much like hard work (read: too much washing up) but it was easy and the finished result was totally worth it. And in case you’re wondering, it really tastes as good as it looks!

What cake reminds you of your childhood? One colour or two, what say you?

Donna-Hays-Marble-Cake-slice

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

250g  butter, softened

220g  caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

2 ¼ (340g)  cup plain flour, sifted

2 ¼  teaspoon baking powder, sifted

1 cup milk

Pink food colouring

¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted

1 tablespoon milk, extra

Donna-Hays-Marble-Cake-bundt

How to – Traditional

  1. Preheat the oven to 160C.Grease and lightly flour a bundt tin – make sure the bundt tin is really well-greased with melted butter and lightly flour the tin before pouring the mixture in.
  2. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well.
  3. Sift the flour and baking powder over the butter mixture and fold through with the milk. Divide the mixture into three.  Colour one portion with pink food colouring. Stir the cocoa and extra sugar and milk through another.
  4. Drop alternate spoonfuls of pink, chocolate and plain cake mixture into the tin.  Swirl a knife through the mixture to give a marbled effect.  Bake for 50-55 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
  5. Cool on a wire rack.

Donna-Hays-Marble-Cake-cut

How to – Thermomix

  1. Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease and lightly flour a bundt tin – make sure the bundt tin is really well-greased with melted butter and lightly flour the tin before pouring the mixture in.
  2. Place the butter and sugar in TM bowl and mix for 30 seconds  on speed 4, scraping down lid and sides of bowl half way through.
  3. Add the vanilla and with the blades running on speed 3, add the eggs one at a time through the hole in the lid, beating well between each addition. This should take about 1 minute.
  4. Add the milk, flour and baking powder and mix for 15 seconds  on speed 4. Scrape down lid and sides of bowl and mix for another
  5. 15 seconds  on speed 4 or until well combined.
  6. .Divide the mixture into three, putting two portions in two medium bowls and leaving the final portion in the TM bowl.  Colour one of the bowls with pink food colouring and set aside with the vanilla batter.
  7. Add the the cocoa and tablespoon of milk to TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds  on speed 4 or until well combined. If necessary, mix for another 5 seconds  on speed 4. 
  8. Grease a 25cm fluted (bundt) tin. Drop alternate spoonfuls of pink, chocolate and plain cake mixture into the tin.  Swirl a knife through the mixture to give a marbled effect.  Bake for 50-55 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
  9. Cool on a wire rack.

Donna Hay's Marble Cake 3