Marble Bundt Cake

I like snow. When I have no where to go and no intention of leaving the house that is. Otherwise it is a complete pain in the derrière.  I won't forget cycling to an exam in a blizzard in final year or spending five hours on a bus to get home from college for Christmas- a journey that usually takes one and a half hours. But when you are aren't inching cautiously around in a car you can enjoy the benefits of snow. Firstly the panoramic snowy scenes and the satisfying crunch of the snow beneath your shoes. Secondly the freezing weather provides an excuse to stay inside, put on the fire and eat plenty of cake, bundt cake to be exact.

This marble bundt is what Nigella would call a 'spruced up' simple Victoria sponge.  The result is a pretty buttery sponge that is easy peasy and would impress the heck out of guests if placed on a table as an after party treat.

But first a few snaps of an Irish winter.

For a 1L Bundt Tin
225g butter or margarine softened
225g caster sugar
4 large eggs
225g self raising flour sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of milk
2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa dissolved in 3 tablespoons of boiling water, allowed to cool

To prepare your bundt tin- brush with melted butter or spray oil then dust lightly with flour. Knock out the extra flour by giving the tin a whack upside down over the sink. Don't forget to brush the inside ring! Place in the fridge for 20 minutes before putting the batter inside.

1. Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer until soft and light in colour- 5-6 minutes.
2. Add the egg one at a time with a heaped tablespoon of the flour. Beat well after each addition.
3. Fold in the flour gently, or beat on slow with the beater.
4. Divide the batter in half roughly. Into one half mix the cocoa powder gently. To the other add the milk and vanilla and mix in well.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 180oC until a skewer comes out clean. All