Are you out of ideas for a Sunday lunch dessert? Is it the end of the month, and your budget is tight? Or did you just get a call from your mother-in-law saying she’ll be at your house in two hours? What now? A delicious marble sponge cake can save the day! The recipe is easy, the result looks classy, and you likely have all the ingredients right in your kitchen cupboard.
The marble sponge cake is best made in a fluted baking pan, as this gives it a neat, professional look. However, you can use any baking mold if you don’t have a fluted one. A bread baking tray will also work, so don’t stress too much.
The good news is that the marble sponge cake recipe doesn’t need any complicated icing designs or decorations. You can simply dust it with icing sugar, drizzle it with melted chocolate, or serve it plain. Soft inside and crispy outside, it will melt in your mouth, making extra toppings unnecessary. But if you want to make it more festive, you can serve it with custard or ice cream.
Marble sponge cake recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup of caster sugar
- 1/3 cup of cooking oil
- 2/3 cup of full-cream milk
- 2 cups of cake flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then add the sugar. Mix well, and add the cooking oil. Whisk again, then add the milk.
- While whisking, gradually add the flour and baking powder until you have a smooth mixture.
- Pour half of the mixture into a separate bowl and combine it with the cocoa powder, creating two colors of batter.
- Grease the baking mold with cooking spray or butter and dust it with flour to ensure easy removal of the cake.
- Pour the two batters into the mold in layers. Bake for about 40 minutes. For the first 15 minutes, don’t open the oven, as this could cause the cake to fall. After that, check occasionally to ensure the cake isn’t burning on the outside. Adjust the temperature if needed, especially if using a gas oven.
- When done, the cake should be golden on the outside and firm inside. A toothpick inserted should come out dry. Take the cake out, turn it onto a tray, and dust with icing sugar.
Questions you might have:
How to measure with cups?
The “cup” used in this recipe is a standard coffee mug. For precision, a standard cup holds 240 ml. For this recipe, use 80 ml of cooking oil, 160 ml of milk, and 480 ml of flour.
Should I use an electric mixer?
No need! All the ingredients can be combined easily with a hand whisk.
Tip:
My mom used to divide the mixture into three parts, adding a drop of red food coloring to one for a pink hue, making the cake a three-color wonder. It’s a lovely touch, especially if baking for kids!
Source: Original author’s text