7.26.2011

marble cake

Not to be a grammarian, but shouldn't the word be marbleD? Or marbleiZED? But marble cake it is, and this loaf combines the two great flavors of chocolate and vanilla. I think I fell in love with the idea of something marbleized when I visited Florence in 1987. At Il Papiro, the gorgeous papers, stationery sets, and journals were and still are all created by hand by Italian artisans. The undulating swirls, rhythmic and beautiful, delight the eye.


So you can understand why I love the marble loaf. The best part about making this (aside from eating it) is being able to whirl the two batters together. I get to be that Florentine artist for a few moments, creating yet stifling the urge to go swirl-crazy.




Marble Loaf
adapted from Martha Stewart Baking Handbook

printable recipe

1¾ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ sticks (6 ounces) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
⅔ cup milk
¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted
3 tablespoons sugar, extra
1½ tablespoons milk, extra

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture and milk, and mix until combined. Divide the mixture in two. Stir in the cocoa, extra sugar and milk through one portion.

Spoon the batters into the loaf pan in 2 layers, alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate batters to simulate a checkerboard.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.


This post is linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Delectable Tuesday

13 comments:

  1. And an artist you are! :-)

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  2. Your marble cake is a work of beauty too. The last time, I made a marble cake, I used strawberry and vanilla and my strawberry disappeared and I had a pink cake, no marbling. I will have to call on you, next time, I try this.

    I invite you to link it to Bake with Bizzy, if you have a moment.

    http://bizzybakesb.blogspot.com/2011/07/bake-with-bizzy-10.html

    Have you started the creme brulee? How do you spell it?

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  3. So funny that you say the marbling is the best part. I hate that part because mine never comes out looking right! Yours is SO pretty. A work of art.

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  4. thanks so much, rivki!

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  5. i have to squeeze it in sometime in the next few days. have you tried it yet?

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  6. I cannot wait to make this. My husband will love it. Thanks for sharing it. Great pictures. Come over and visit. We have a wonderful easy sorbet recipe today.

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  7. Ours was not particularly marbled, either, but it didn't last on the plate long enough for anyone to really notice. I used whole wheat pastry flour because I do for almost everything and no one was the wiser. De-licious!

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  8. I think I might start using whole wheat flour more often- do you ever use the white whole wheat pastry flour? Glad you subbed it in and that it worked!

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  9. I haven't tried the white WW. I keep meaning to. Maybe I'll remember now that we've had this "conversation!"

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  10. i wonder about the bleach. also wanted to tell you that i tried a marble cake recipe that turned out a little lighter/fluffier (more like Entenmann's). if you're interested in a different texture, i'll send you the recipe.

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  11. Sure - it would make a fun comparison (what's not to like about comparing loaf cakes?). Do you use Bob's Red Mill flour? I wonder what his bleaching process is like. His other flours are pretty wholesome.

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  12. i use the industrial-sized (25 lb.) con agra flour from costco, since i go through it so quickly. haven't ever tried Bob's regular flour, though i do use his almond meal.

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