Perfect Marble Cake

Ingredients
birthday cake - cake recipe - marble cake recipe

yields one 10" round cake (3 layers) or 24 cupcakes

2 sticks butter (8 ounces)
2 cups sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

NOTE: All amounts are given in U.S. standard measures. Click here for international equivalents (page will open in a new browser window) .
Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare a 10" round x 3" deep cake pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray and lining bottom of each pan with a wax paper circle cut to fit.
here's what you do:

1.using an electric mixer beat butter and sugar at high speed until lighter in color and fluffy.

2.add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition

3.sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt on to a piece of parchment or wax paper.

4.mix the milk and vanilla together.

5.add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients alternately to the batter, ending with the dry ingredients.

6.divide the batter evenly into two bowls and mix the melted, chopped chocolate into one.

7.alternately spoon vanilla then chocolate batter into the prepared pan, alternating the colors all around the pan.
8.use the handle of a spoon to gently draw swirls through the two colors of batter to get the marbleized effect, but not too much or you'll lose the effect completely.

9.bake for 35 minutes or so (check after 35 minutes and every 10 minutes after that), until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

10.cool the cake in the pan for about 15 minutes then turn out of the pan on to a wire rack to cool completely.