Marble Cake

A substantial cake with a combination of vanilla and rum-flavored chocolate.

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Butter and flour a 9-inch Gugelhopf mold.

Batter:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1¾ cups sugar

4 eggs

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

⅓ cup whole milk

Chocolate Batter:

3 tablespoons cocoa

3 tablespoons dark rum

1. Cream butter, sugar and eggs, using one of the methods here.

2. Add vanilla.

3. Fold in half of the flour and baking powder.

4. Add the milk.

5. Mix in the remainder of flour, stirring gently but thoroughly.

6. Stir cocoa and rum together in a bowl until smooth.

7. Remove one-third of the batter and fold gently into the cocoa mixture.

8. Pour half of the remaining vanilla batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it with a spatula.

9. Then add the chocolate portion, followed by the rest of the vanilla batter.

10. If you wish, run a knife blade through the batter to marble it further.

11. Bake on the lowest rack of a preheated 375˚F oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

12. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a cake rack to cool thoroughly.

Serving suggestion. Dust with confectioners sugar.