A loaf tin is a great multi purpose tin to own. I love baking a small cake, in a loaf tin. It’s enough for a small gathering, perfect with a cuppa and so easy to slice.
I’m also a sucker for a marble cake – they just look so pretty. This recipe is an old one from Rachel Allen, which was published in a weekend supplement back in 2022. The recipe used ounces, which was unusual, so for ease, I’ll do it in grammes.
Ingredients
- 170g Softened Butter
- 170g Caster Sugar
- 3 eggs (I always use large)
- 170g plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt (I use salted butter, so I skip this)
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp Camp Coffee essence
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C / Fan 160C / Gas 4. Line a 2 lb loaf tin.
2. Cream the softened butter in a mixing bowl, then add the caster sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well between each addition.
4. Next, sift in the plain flour, the baking powder and the pinch of salt, then add in the milk – don’t beat the mixture or it will become tough.
5. Tip half of the cake mixture into another mixing bowl. Into this second bowl, fold in the Camp Coffee essence & the sifted cocoa.
6. Mix the vanilla extract into the first bowl.
7. Put the cake mixtures into the prepared loaf tin, by alternating large spoonfuls of each one, next to and on top of each other. Using the handle of the spoons, draw a few swirls through the mixture to give a lovely marbled effect.
8. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 45-50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre, comes out clean. Allow the cake to sit in the tin for 5 minutes, before lifting it out and letting it cool on a wire rack.
9. While the cake is cooling, make the glacé icing. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. In a small jug, mix one tablespoon of hot water with the teaspoon of vanilla extract and drizzle into the icing sugar. Mix to a smooth and slightly thick icing. To check if the glacé icing is the correct consistency, when you lift up some icing with a spoon and drizzle it over the icing in the bowl, it should only just leave a trail. Add a little more water if necessary.
10. Once the cake has cooled, pour the vanilla glacé icing over the top and let it fall down the sides of the cake. Allow the icing to set for about 20 minutes.
11. Cut the cake into slices to serve.
Tips and Observations
- The cake would also be lovely without icing. Just cut it after it cools.
- Icing the top of a cake is easy, it gets trickier when you tackle the sides. The consistency has to be right. Another option, is to make half the icing and just ice the top. See final picture.
- If you can’t find Camp Coffee essence, you could just use a small amount of boiling water with 1-2 tsp of coffee powder dissolved in it.
Happy Baking
De (aka thecakemum)
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The Cake Mum 