Ultimate Marble Cake Food

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray or lightly butter two 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.
• Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated and brown sugars and beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes until creamed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs then the egg yolks one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. Use a whisk to rid any large lumps, if needed. The batter will be slightly thick.
• Remove 1 cup of yellow batter and pour into a medium bowl. Melt 4 ounces of chocolate in the microwave, stopping and stirring every 20 seconds until completely smooth. Pour chocolate into the 1 cup of yellow batter you set aside and stir until combined.
• Pour an even layer of the yellow batter into each cake pan. Spoon chocolate batter on top, as shown in the photo above. Pour remaining yellow batter on top of the chocolate. Using a knife, swirl the two batters together. Don't worry if it's not perfect.
• Bake the layers for 22-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one cake comes out clean. Mine usually take 24 minutes. During bake time, loosely cover the cakes with aluminum foil if you find the tops are browning too quickly. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and cream with the mixer running on low. Once added, increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add 1-2 more Tablespoons confectioners' sugar if frosting is too thin or 1-2 more Tablespoons of cream if frosting is too thick. Taste the frosting and add a pinch more salt if it's too sweet.
• If needed, level cakes to create a flat surface (I usually use a knife, be careful doing this!). Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or large serving plate. Evenly spread about 3/4 cup frosting on top. Top with 2nd cake and spread the remaining frosting all over the sides and top. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Slice and serve.
• Cover any leftover cake and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

ULTIMATE MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and grease and line three 8" cake tins that are at least 2" deep
• Make the vanilla sponge by mixing the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, ideally using an electric mixer
• Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and whisk until fully incorporated
• Add the self raising flour and whisk in gently until you can't see any flour anymore
• Make the chocolate sponge by mixing the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, ideally using an electric mixer
• Add the eggs and milk, and whisk until fully incorporated
• Add the self raising flour and cocoa powder and whisk in gently until you can't see any flour anymore
• Add the batter to the cake tins in alternate spoonfuls, place each spoonful on top of the previous one. Continue until all of the batter is used up. The batter will spread out and fill the tin as you add it, but you can give them a little shake if needed to encourage it
• Bake them for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave them to fully cool either in the tins or on cooling racks
• To make the chocolate buttercream mix the butter, cocoa powder and icing sugar together. Once it starts to come together add the milk and mix until smooth. You can add more milk if the buttercream is too stiff. Use an electric hand whisk or stand mixer for best results
• To make the vanilla buttercream mix the butter and icing sugar together. Once it starts to come together add the vanilla extract and mix until smooth. You can add more milk if the buttercream is too stiff. Use an electric hand whisk or stand mixer for best results
• If the cakes have domed on top, level them off with a cake leveller or knife
• Put one of the sponges on a decorating turntable and spread a layer of chocolate buttercream over it
• Add the second sponge on top and spread a layer of vanilla buttercream over it
• Add the third sponge and then cover the whole cake in a thin layer of vanilla buttercream as the crumb coat, then put it in the fridge for 30 minutes
• To create the striped effect, pipe lines of alternating chocolate and vanilla buttercream all around the sides of the cake. Use a buttercream scraper to smooth the sides and create the stripey effect, making sure to wipe off excess buttercream from the scraper as you go
• Once the sides are smoothed to your liking, add more buttercream to the top of the cake and smooth it out using a palette knife
• Then pipe alternating rosettes of chocolate and vanilla buttercream on top of the cake round the edge, and fill the centre with triple chocolate curl sprinkles - or any sprinkles of your choice
• Move the cake onto a serving plate or cake stand and dig in! Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for 2-3 days

MARVELOUS MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• In top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over barely simmering water, melt chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter; stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature., Preheat oven to 375°. Line bottoms of three greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease parchment., In a large bowl, cream remaining butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition., Remove 2 cups batter to a small bowl; stir in cooled chocolate mixture and, if desired, chocolate chips, until blended. Drop plain and chocolate batters by tablespoonfuls into prepared pans, dividing batters evenly among pans. To make batter level in pans, bang cake pans several times on counter., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency., If cake layers have rounded tops, trim with a serrated knife to make level. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cool slightly., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake., Drop cooled chocolate by 1/2 teaspoonfuls over frosting. Using a large offset spatula, smear chocolate to create a marble design in frosting.