Chocolate Marble Cake

WARNING - IF YOU ARE ON A DIET, AVERT YOUR EYES NOW.

Don't be deceived, it's not a giant party ring biscuit. It is, in fact, Mary Berry's marbled chocolate cake; gloriously decadent, and perfect for a birthday party or genuinely just to impress your friends.

Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of the cake after it was sliced, but the effect inside is brilliant. Splodging the cake mixture around the tin, then adding chocolate cake mixture in dots on top and swirling them together, leaves you with a stunning marbled effect - everyone will think you're a baking genius when really it's quite simple :)

225g softened butter
225g caster sugar
4 large eggs
225g self raising flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/2 level teaspoons cocoa powder
1 and 1/2 tablespoons of hot water
150g plain chocolate (for the icing)
2 tablespoons water
100g butter
50g belgian milk chocolate OR white chocolate (Mary uses milk for the drizzle, but I think white looks more impressive!)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (Fan 170). Grease a 1.75 ring mould.

Measure all the cake ingredients, except the cocoa and water into a large bowl. Beat until thoroughly blended. Dot about half of this mixture, in teaspoons, into the base of the prepared tin.

Mix the cocoa and hot water together in a small bowl then mix into the remaining cake mixture. Dot this mixture over and between the cake mixture already in the tin. Swirl a little with a knife, then carefully level the surface.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until well risen and the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, break the plain chocolate into pieces, then melt it gently with the butter and water in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Pour over the cake and then leave to set for about 1 hour. Break the white or milk chocolate into a bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water. Spoon into a piping bag, snip off the end, and drizzle the chocolate over the cake. (It is worth putting a sheet of greasepoof paper under the cake when you ice it, to save making a mess of the kitchen sides!)

*Happy Baking*

PS. Choc-a-holic? Whip up a batch of my Best Ever Triple Chocolate Brownies or Millionaire's Shortbread.