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Vanilla & Chocolate Marble cake and some very distracting Sloe Gin

Friday, June 13, 2014

Entertaining guests in my new house is a source of great pleasure and I was delighted to be visited by allotment guru, Mandy, friend Laura and my sister Diane.  I have been hopeful that Mandy would share her green-fingered prowess and advise me on my best possible vegetable growing opportunities! In anticipation of their visit, […]


Entertaining guests in my new house is a source of great pleasure and I was delighted to be visited by allotment guru, Mandy, friend Laura and my sister Diane.  I have been hopeful that Mandy would share her green-fingered prowess and advise me on my best possible vegetable growing opportunities!

In anticipation of their visit, I decided to bake a Mary Berry marble cake which I have never tried before.  I have to admit that it was a great success, both looking and tasting good.  (the instructions on how to make it are below)

A delightful surprise during their visit was that Mandy produced some samples of fruit infused spirits that she has been making and we happily agreed to taste and rate them.  The choices were between raspberry infused gin, raspberry vodka, blackcurrant liqueur and sloe gin.

sloe-gin-drinks

Our first tasting was the raspberry gin and we all agreed that this would be an excellent addition to soda water or better still.  Happily, I was able to produce both and the sampling continued.   was able to shortlist my two favourites which were the raspberry vodka with Prosecco and the Sloe Gin, sipped on its own.  The Sloe gin tasted very Christmassy and a little like mulled wine but apparently this is due to the addition of cloves and cinnamon.  All in all, pretty yummy!

A few samples later, we all merrily tucked into the marble cake and I really do recommend that you try making it.

To make it you will need:

For the cake
225g (8oz) butter, softened
225g (8oz) caster sugar
275g (9¾oz) self-raising flour
2 level tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ level tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp hot water

For the icing
25g (1oz) butter
15g (½oz) cocoa powder, sifted
1-2 tbsp milk
100g (3½oz) icing sugar, sifted
about 25g (1oz) white chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Lightly grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin (I used 2 x 1lb tins and reduced the cooking time_

Line with a wide strip of non-stick baking parchment to go up the wide sides and over the base. (I used a loaf tin liner)

Measure the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, milk and vanilla extract into a large bowl and beat with a hand-held electric mixer for about two minutes, until well blended. Spoon half into another bowl and set aside.

marble-cake-two-mixes

In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder and hot water together until smooth. Allow to cool slightly, then add to one of the bowls of mixture, mixing well.

Spoon the vanilla and chocolate cake mixtures randomly into the prepared tin until all of the mixture is used up, and gently level the surface.

marble-cake-oven-ready

Bake for 50 minutes to one hour (mine took less as I used smaller tins), until the cake is well risen, springy to the touch and starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin. Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool completely.

marble-cake-cooked

To make the icing, melt the butter in a small pan, add the cocoa powder, stir to blend and cook gently for one minute. Stir in the milk and icing sugar, then remove from the heat and mix thoroughly. If necessary, leave the icing on one side, stirring occasionally, to thicken. Spread the cold cake evenly with the icing, then drizzle the melted white chocolate over the top. Leave to set.

 

If possible, wash down with some fruit infused concoction in Prosecco.  If not, it is equally good with a nice cup of tea!!

raspberry-vodka-prosecco

 


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