Black-and-Gold Marble Cake with Fluffy White Frosting

Black-and-Gold Marble Cake

3 tablespoons hot water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 squares Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate (melted)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Calumet Baking Powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable shortening* (at room temperature)

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

*To use butter or margarine, decrease buttermilk to 3/4 cup.

Stir hot water and 2 tablespoons sugar into the melted chocolate until smooth.  Then add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and blend well.

Measure sifted flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 2/3 cups sugar into sifter.  Stir shortening just to soften.  Sift in flour mixture.  Add buttermilk and vanilla; mix until all flour is dampened.  Then beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer or 300 vigorous strokes by hand.  Add eggs; beat 1 minute longer in mixer or 150 strokes by hand.  Pour half the batter into a bowl, add chocolate mixture, and blend well.

Grease and flour bottoms and sides of two 9-inch layer pans.  Put large spoonfuls of batters into pans, alternating mixtures.  Then, with a knife, cut through batter once in a wide zig-zag course to marble.  Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) 30 to 35 minutes.

Fluffy White Frosting

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoon water

2 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

In top of double boiler, combine sugar, corn syrup, water, egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt.  Cook over rapidly boiling water, beating with mixer or rotary beater until mixture stands in peaks, about 7 minutes.  Remove from heat; add vanilla.  Continue beating until frosting holds deep swirls.  Frosts a 13 x 9 inch or 2 layer cake.

Cake recipe © Baker's Chocolate and Coconut Favorites book
Frosting recipe © Cooks.com website (4th option when searching 'Fluffy White Frosting')