Reduced-sugar chocolate marble cake recipe
This marble cake shines for a number of reasons: it’s simple and straightforward to make, contains less refined sugar than the classic version, yet has a delightfully light, fluffy texture and that classic chocolate flavour.
A brilliant option for a family-friendly treat when you’re looking for something sweet, but don’t want to send everyone on a spiralling sugar rush, this tasty bake only takes 10 minutes to put together and is easy enough to get children involved, too.
Should you wish to transform the cake into something more special, nutritionist and cookbook author Charlotte Stirling-Reed (who created the recipe) suggests doubling the batter and baking in two tins. Once cooled, the layers can be sandwiched together and decorated for a celebration cake that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
The recipe features in Charlotte’s third cookbook, How to feed your family: Your one-stop guide to creating healthy meals that everyone will enjoy, which sees her on a mission to help people with young families make healthy, balanced and uncomplicated meals.
Things to note:
You will need a loose-bottomed 20 cm (8 in) round cake tin (pan).
This recipe makes a single layer cake. To turn it into a more traditional birthday or celebration cake, double the quantities to make two sponges. Charlotte suggests sandwiching the layers together with chia seed jam and thick Greek yogurt.
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 80 g Greek yogurt
- 90 g light brown sugar
- 80 ml milk of your choice
- 1 large free-range egg
- 150 g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tbsp cocoa powder
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 2.8 oz Greek yogurt
- 3.2 oz light brown sugar
- 2.8 fl oz milk of your choice
- 1 large free-range egg
- 5.3 oz plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tbsp cocoa powder
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 2.8 oz Greek yogurt
- 3.2 oz light brown sugar
- 0.3 cup milk of your choice
- 1 large free-range egg
- 5.3 oz all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 150 g fresh strawberries and/or raspberries, trimmed
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 5.3 oz fresh strawberries and/or raspberries, trimmed
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- 5.3 oz fresh strawberries and/or raspberries, trimmed
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Baking
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 10 mins
- Cooking Time: 30 mins
- Serves: 8
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Grease a loose-bottomed 20 cm (8 in) round cake tin (pan) with oil.
- In a large bowl (or stand mixer), whisk the yogurt, oil and sugar together until combined. Stir in the milk and egg, then fold in the flour and baking powder.
- Spoon half the cake mix into the prepared tin. Add the cocoa powder to the bowl with the remaining batter and stir well.
- Pour the cocoa mixture into the cake tin and swirl it through the plain batter to create a marbled effect. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through (a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean).
- Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the cake from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack.
- To decorate, dust the cooled cake with the icing (powdered) sugar and top with strawberries and/or raspberries. If you’re making a double layer cake, sandwich the sponges together with 100g thick Greek yogurt and a little chia jam (or a filling of your choice) and sprinkle with icing (powdered) sugar.
Recipe adapted from How to feed your family: Your one-stop guide to creating healthy meals that everyone will enjoy by Charlotte Stirling-Reed. (Ebury Press) Photography by: Haarala Hamilton.
How to feed your family: Your one-stop guide to creating healthy meals that everyone will enjoy.
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