How to make marble cake

The marble pattern on this cake was always fascinating to Jurgen Krauss as a child, he tells Prudence Wade

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Pair with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee

This cake was a standard on our Sunday coffee table and has a lot of nostalgia for me. It is quick to make, moist and flavourful, and the marble pattern was always fascinating to me as a child,” says former contestant on The Great British Bake Off, Jurgen Krauss.

Serves: 12-24, depending on tin size. The amounts given are for a loaf tin (950g) or a Bundt tin. For a bigger Bundt tin, double the amounts and bake for 15 minutes longer.

Ingredients:

For the batter:

125g unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, separated

180g caster sugar

250g plain flour

8g baking powder

125ml whole milk

For the chocolate batter:

10g cocoa powder

15g caster sugar

25ml double cream

¼ tsp ground cloves

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan/gas mark 5.

‘German Baking’ was inspired by Krauss’ time on ‘Bake Off’

2. Put the butter in a bowl and, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the balloon whisk, beat the butter until it is light and pale. Add the vanilla extract and egg yolks, alternating with the sugar bit by bit, and whisk for another 15 minutes until the butter and sugar mix is very frothy and white.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Alternate adding the flour and milk bit by bit to the batter while whisking on a low speed.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the butter and flour mixture.

5. For the chocolate batter, take one third of the plain batter and put it into a separate bowl. Fold in the ingredients for the chocolate batter. Put the two batters in a greased 950g Bundt tin or a loaf tin, starting with the vanilla batter, then add a layer of chocolate batter and finish with vanilla batter. Use a fork to create the marble effect by pulling it through the layers of batter with a swirling motion. Bake for about one hour; the cake should start separating from the tin and a skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean. Cover with foil if the top of the cake starts getting too dark.

6. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes before attempting to take it out of the tin.

7. This cake keeps very well for up to a week in an airtight container and for the first three days its flavour actually improves.

‘German Baking: Cakes, Tarts, Traybakes And Breads From The Black Forest And Beyond’ by Jurgen Krauss (published by Kyle Books on 31 August, £26).

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‘German Baking’ was inspired by Krauss’ time on ‘Bake Off’

Kyle Books/PA

Pair with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee

Maja Smend/PA

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