Sashas Marble Birthday Cake |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes |
Ready In: 80 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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Although I say Sasha, this cake has always been a favourite with all my children, and since I'm not a great baker, this was a good stand-by in the days when I needed a cake for the birthday and a cake for school! It comes from the Good Housekeeping Kids CookBook, A First Step-By-Step Book for Young Cooks , which is why the instructions are quite detailed, and I don't doubt all of mine could make this if they wanted to. Sasha in particular has usually helped me with it, she is the baker! We most recently made this early in September, for her 20th birthday, in fact, we made two, since she had all her varsity friends come for a barbeque! As I say, this comes from a childrens cookbook, which is why the instructions are quite detailed, don't be put off or offended! Ingredients:
vegetable oil, for brushing |
4 ounces plain white flour |
4 ounces self-raising white flour |
1 teaspoon baking powder |
6 ounces soft margarine or 6 ounces butter |
2 tablespoons milk |
6 ounces caster sugar |
1 teaspoon vanilla essence |
3 medium eggs |
pink food coloring |
2 tablespoons cocoa powder |
6 ounces milk or 6 ounces chocolate |
Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 350F/180°C.
2. Pour a few drops of oil into an 18 cm ( 7 inch) deep round cake tin. use a pastry brush to spread it all over the inside. Put the tin on a piece of greaseproof paper and draw around it with a pencil. Cut the circle out and press it into the bottom of the tin. Brush with a little more oil.
3. Put the flours, baking powder, margarine, 1 tblsp of the milk, the sugar and the vanilla essence into a food processor.
4. Crack the eggs into a small bowl, then pour the egg into the flour mixture. Put the lid on the food processor and turn the machine on for just two minutes or until everything is mixed together. (Don't leave it running too long, or the cake will not rise.).
5. Put about 1/3 of the cake mixture in a bowl, add a few drops of food colouring, and mix it evenly with a spoon. Put another 1/3 of the mixture in another bowl, and add the cocoa powder and the rest of the milk. Mix well.
6. Put a tablespoon of white cake mixture in the cake tin, then add a spoonful of chocolate mixture, followed by a spoonful of pink mixture. Keep doing this until all of the cake mixtures are in the tin.
7. Using a round-bladed knife, make the shape of an eight right through the mixture. This helps to mix the colours together. Level the surface of the mixture in the tin.
8. Bake the cake in the oven for about 1 hour, or until the cake is golden-brown on the top. press the cake very gently on top. if it is cooked, it will spring back into shape.
9. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the cake between the cake and the tin, then turn the cake on to a wire rack to cool. Peel the greaseproof paper off the bottom.
10. When the cake is cold, you can decorate it. break the chocolate into squares, and put it in a heatproof bowl. Put a little water in a saucepan and heat until it simmers. Stand the bowl over the water (the bowl should not touch the water), and turn the heat down to very low.
11. Stir the chocolate until it has melted (you can also melt the chocolate in the microwave on HIGH for two minutes).
12. Pour the hot chocolate on top of the cake, and spread it evenly with a palette knife.
13. Decorate with sweets and candles, then leave the chocolate to set before eating.
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