Marble Cake

Ashleigh's school held their annual Spring Fair this weekend. At the fair, there are  many stalls selling items from cakes, gift baskets, vintage stuff, preserves and sauces, lollies, showbags, books plus games alley, plaster painting... you get the picture.

I made a Marble Cake as my contribution to the cake stall, which is always run by the families from the Kindergarten class.

180gm butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cup self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup milk
pink food colouring
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon milk, extra

1. Lightly grease a 20cm ring cake pan.Heat the oven to moderate temperature (120C for my oven).
   
2. Beat butter, essence and caster sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after additions.
3. Fold in sifted flour and milk in 2 batches. Divide mixture evenly between 3 bowls.
4. Tint mixture pink in 1 bowl, mix well. Stir sifted cocoa and extra-milk into second bowl, mix well.
5. Drop spoonfuls of each of the 3 mixtures into prepared pan. Run a knife through cake mixture for a marbled effect.
6. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. Test with skewer. Stand cake for 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

Icing
90gm butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
pink food colouring

1.  Beat butter in small bowl with electric mixer until as white as possible; beat in sifted icing sugar and milk in 2 batches. 
2. Divide the icing into two separate bowls; use colouring to tint mixture  pink in 1 bowl.
3. Drop alternate spoonfuls of pink and white icing on top of the cold cake. 
4. Use a spatula, swirl icing to give marble effect.

Notes:

• This cake can be made a day ahead and is suitable for freezing.
• Store in an airtight container.