110. Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Marble Cake

This was my choice of cake for my littlest daughter's birthday cake this year, as we've realised that none of us particularly enjoy fondant icing. I thought it'd be nice to try a different type of sponge, to ring the changes. Despite the two different mixtures, it was very easy to make, with the vanilla mixture being the 'base' if you like, and then what was left after dolloping half into the tin was turned chocolatey. I've never made a marble cake before, and quickly saw the error of my ways when dolloping in the chocolate mixture to fill the gaps: my dollops were too large. The end result, therefore, was a 'blob' cake, rather than a marble one! Smaller blobs next time, Sal.
I decided to use this bake as my experiment with the oven temperature, and knocked it down by 10 degrees, also reducing the cooking time by 10 minutes. Peering through the oven door, it looked like it might be ready, so I poked it with a cake tester and found it still a bit moist in the middle. After a further five minutes, I was fairly sure it was done, and took the gamble. I made a stencil for the '2' and once it had called, removed it from the tin so that I could shape it accordingly. That was when I discovered the squidgy bit at the centre - apparently missed by the skewer. It wasn't hideous, but was definitely under-baked in a very small section. Just a few minutes more would've solved that, so I'll try reducing the temperature, but sticking to the time for my next bake.
It was very easy to sculpt and was only just a tiny bit dry at the edges. I improvised with the icing and didn't mess about with bags, just used a spoon to drizzle it all over, Jackson Pollock style, chucking a few white chocolate stars at it for good measure. I thought it looked quite effective, and the kids certainly appreciated it. It tasted nice; the chocolate topping and the chocolate chips in that part of the sponge worked really well, and it was lovely and light. The birthday girl's Grandad certainly enjoyed it!
Husband rating: he really liked it; he's not available for comment at the time of writing!
Baker's verdict: easy to make; tasty; would make it again with smaller dollops.

109. Marmalade Cake

I decided to bake this one next as a means of reducing the amount of marmalade left in the jar, bought on a whim by husband (and hardly touched). It's essentially a fruit loaf, with a tablespoon of marmalade added to the mixture, and a tablespoon spread on top when the cake has cooled. It was very easy to make, but it did turn out dry, owing to me not doing anything to rectify the unreliable oven situation. It was still very tasty though, and the marmalade was a nice addition, if quite a subtle one. I think I'd add more to the mixture next time, to try and give it a bit more of a tang.
Husband rating: He liked the flavour and was very kind about the dryness!
Baker's verdict: a nice, buttery fruitcake, but needed more of a marmalade flavour running through the cake.

108. Borrowdale Teabread

I baked this ages ago, along with a lemon cheescake (in the same weekend), and forgot to take photos of it! Happily, I'd made two loaves, so when the second one emerged from the depths of the freezer, it was duly 'papped'. It was a very straightforward bake, with relatively few ingredients; always nice to soak fruit overnight and see them go all plumpy the next day. I think maybe the tea could've been stronger; I'd probably let it stew for longer next time. I'm still doing battle with our unreliable oven, so inevitably this came out a bit on the dry side, but was nevertheless very tasty - especially with butter.

Husband rating: alas, he won't remember.

Baker's verdict: very easy to make and pleasant to eat.