Chocolate And Vanilla Marble Cake A Rachel Allen recipe Prep time: 25 min Cook time: 45 min Serves: 6-8 Difficulty: easy Rating: This classic is made using a basic Madeira cake recipe, and Rachel Allen’s version is excellent served with icing sugar or hot chocolate sauce. Ingredients 225 g butter, at room temperature 225 g caster sugar 4 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 225 g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 50 ml milk 50 g cocoa powder, sifted Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Butter and flour the sides of a 20cm cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper. 2. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. 3. Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Gradually add the eggs to the butter mixture, beating all the time. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in gently to mix, then add the milk and mix gently to combine. 4. Tip half of the cake mixture into another large bowl and, into this bowl, fold in the sifted cocoa powder. 5. Place the cake mixtures into the prepared tin by alternating spoonfuls of the vanilla batter with the chocolate batter, then with a skewer or similar implement, gently draw swirls through the cake mixture to ‘marblise’ it. Don’t overmix or you won’t have that wonderful marble effect. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. 6. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack and allow to cool before serving. Adapted from Rachel Allen, Bake (Collins)