Vanilla or chocolate? Tired of having to choose?? I know I am! Well, with this recipe, you can have both, or either! This recipe is for both vanilla and chocolate lovers! Baking can be complicated, but this recipe is perfect when you have a short time frame to make an easy and tasty baked good , or for entertainment when you’re bored on a rainy day! This is a recipe for a marble walnut cake and it is very easy to make, yet it is tasty at the same time. Another thing I love about this recipe is that you can easily modify it. I know many people don’t like chocolate. However, with this recipe, the addition of chocolate ganache is an option based on preference or ingredient availability. You definitely do not have to be a professional baker to make this cake, but it will taste as if it was made by a professional!

This recipe is one of my family favorites! The cake is reflective of the different flavors my grandmother, my mother, and I enjoy. Sometimes, I bake the cake with my family, which has created long lasting memories and helped me bond with my family members. My grandma originally taught me how to make this cake, and now we make it together sometimes.  After all, Julia Child said that “a party without cake is just a meeting.” Now, let’s start baking!

Ingredients: 

For the cake: 

3 cups of flour. (Some extra for the cake pan and the walnuts)

1 cup granulated sugar.

6 eggs

1 cup oil

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon baking powder.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

½ a teaspoon of salt.

About 1 cup of chopped walnuts, but you can modify the amount.

For the chocolate “ganache”: (It sounds more complicated than it is.)

3 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

½ cup of milk

3 tablespoons of granulated sugar.

¼ cup of butter

Before we start making the cake batter we need to make the chocolate “ganache”

First, get a pan. Then, put the stove on medium heat and add the milk. Let the milk sit on the stove until it becomes warm. Then, prepare three tablespoons of cocoa powder. Add each teaspoon individually, letting the cocoa powder dissolve until adding the next. Repeat until all three tablespoons are done. Now, add the sugar. After, add the butter. Then, keep mixing the ganache. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and keep mixing until it solidifies. Then turn the heat off completely and let it cool until it’s cold.

Now, heat up your oven to 350 degrees. After, get a cake pan. Any one you want. Preferably a loaf cake pan. You can use cooking spray, but I usually coat the cake pan in butter. Then, sprinkle it with some flour. So now, chop the walnuts, and coat them in a little bit of flour. (The addition of walnuts is completely optional, based on preference)

Now, time for the fun part: making the cake batter! Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt 1 time. Then set the flour mixture aside. In a hand mixer, electric mixer, or even a whisk, beat the eggs, vanilla extract on medium speed for 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes have passed, add in the granulated sugar. Again, let it mix for 3 minutes. If all the sugar granules are not mixed completely till 3 minutes let it mix for a little more time till the sugar is combined. Then pour the oil and milk at the same time. Also let that mix for 3 minutes!

Then stop mixing the batter, and use a spatula. With a spatula combine the flour mixture slowly into the batter. IMPORTANT: When mixing the batter, make sure to mix it in one direction. If you start mixing to the right, keep mixing to the right. If you start mixing to the left keep mixing it to the left. If you keep mixing in different directions this will cause the cake batter not to rise in the oven. Also, don’t overmix your batter– that can also cause your cake not to rise in the oven.

Now, here comes the tricky part: First, pour some of the cake batter into the cake pan. Then pour some of the chocolate ganache onto the batter, and marble it with a toothpick. Then sprinkle some walnuts, put some of the cake batter, then the ganache, sprinkle the walnuts. and keep doing that until the last thing you end with on the cake is chocolate ganache. Keep in mind that usually there is some cake batter left over, you can prepare another cake pan to bake the rest of the batter so nothing is wasted!

Let the cake bake for 45 minutes-1 hour. Then take the cake out and let it cool completely. Use the extra chocolate ganache and put it on the top of the cake.

And now enjoy!