Recipe: 10% happier

a cake recipe inside

What’s in this Light Letter for you today? A must-save recipe, inspired by my French childhood: le cake marbré, or marble cake. Easy, delicious, and mother-in-law-approved, perfect for tea time tomorrow if you need a break from mince pies (or whatever festive sweet treats you love), or to get the kids helping you out in the kitchen!

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Marble Cake (Cake Marbré) — the recipe

You need:

• Cake tin + baking paper

• One large mixing bowl

• 2 smaller mixing bowls

Ingredients:

• 120 grams of softened unsalted butter

• 100 grams of sugar (I use a mix of coconut sugar and cane sugar)

• 3 organic eggs

• 200 ml of whole milk (3.8% fat is best) or alternative (oat milk or the creamiest plant-based alternative you have)

• 1 tsp of Bourbon vanilla powder (or vanilla extract)

• 250 grams of all-purpose flour

• 15 grams of baking powder

• 1/2 tsp of pink Himalayan salt

• 80 grams of dark chocolate (or 50 grams of unsweetened bitter cocoa powder)

• Optional: Maple syrup to serve with the cake

• Optional: any adaptogens you already have (such as reishi/cordyceps/ashwagandha/mucuna/etc.— add a tablespoon in “the smaller bowl 1” mix)

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C.

2. In the large mixing bowl, whisk softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and mix well.

3. In a smaller bowl 1, combine flour, baking powder, and salt (dry ingredients).

4. In another smaller bowl 2, mix the milk and vanilla powder (or extract) (wet ingredients).

5. In the large mixing bowl:

   1. Add 50% of the contents of smaller bowl 1 (dry ingredients) into the large mixing bowl. Mix well.

   2. Add 50% of the contents of smaller bowl 2 (wet ingredients) into the large mixing bowl. Mix well.

   3. Add the remaining 50% of the contents of both bowl 1 and bowl 2 into the large mixing bowl. Mix until smooth.

6. Divide the batter equally into two containers.

7. In one container, add cocoa and mix to create the chocolate batter.

8. To create the marbled effect in the cake pan:

   1. Pour 1/3 of the plain batter into the cake tin.

   2. Add 1/2 of the chocolate batter.

   3. Pour another 1/3 of the plain batter.

   4. Add the remaining 1/2 of the chocolate batter.

   5. Finish with the last 1/3 of plain batter.

9. Bake in the preheated oven at 175°C for about 40 minutes. Monitor closely, as baking times may vary. I never really looked at the timer, but I kept an eye on it, and I can “smell” when it’s ready! The top of the cake should be golden, and a knife should come out dry when inserted.

10. Once ready, let the cake cool, then unmold.

How I like it best:

Serve the cake sliced and toasted (or warmed up in the oven) with maple syrup. And come back to let me know how it was for you.

Thank you for being curious,

Bless you,

Ardas Chandra