MARBLE CAKE

The history of cake dates back to ancient times. The first cakes were very different from what we eat today. They were more bread-like and sweetened with honey. Nuts and dried fruits were often added. According to the food historians, the ancient Egyptians were the first culture to show evidence of advanced baking skills. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the English word cake back to the 13th century. It is a derivation of 'kaka', an Old Norse word. The idea of marbling two different colored batters into a cake originated in nineteenth-century Germany. One popular variation of this recipe during Victorian times was “Harlequin cake,” which was baked with checkerboard patterns. Early recipes used molasses and spices to achieve the dark-colored batter.
 

Serves 8
90 minutes
512 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 400 g caster sugar
• 8 tbsp sunflower oil
• 280 g plain flour
• 5 tbsp cocoa powder

Method

1. Line the base and sides of a small loaf tin with non-stick baking paper and heat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Put the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat with a mixer or by hand until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Add the flour and mix well.
4. Spoon half of the mixture into another bowl and beat in the cocoa powder.
5. Spoon both mixtures into the tin in alternate blobs then swirl slightly together with a skewer.
6. Tap the tin on the bench firmly to get rid of air pockets, then bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.