Marble Cake

This is a delicious cake that will almost certainly end up in the centre of a party or celebrations, the white chocolate ganache complements the strawberries on top.

Makes 1 large cake

Ingredients:

For the sponge:

175g caster sugar

175g unsalted butter

175g self-raising flour

3 medium eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

75g cocoa powder

For the white chocolate ganache:

150ml double cream

150g white chocolate

For the chocolate dipped strawberries:

50g milk chocolate

50g white chocolate

15 fresh strawberries (100g)

For the chocolate decorations:

75g milk chocolate

75g white chocolate

Method:

To make the sponge, preheat the oven to 185 degrees C and line 2 x 20cm tins with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer, add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth, if it curdles add one tbsp of flour to the mix. Then add the remaining flour to the mix, split the mixture in half and mix the cocoa powder into one half of the mix. Pour half of the cocoa powder mix and half of the vanilla into one of the tins and the other half of both of the mixes into another. Using a small cake tester, marble the cakes, enough so that it resembles marble but not so much that it mixes in completely. Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Take out and leave to cool.

To make the ganache, heat the cream in a saucepan until it just starts to boil and then pour over the white chocolate and stir until it's melted and glossy. Whip the mixture until it becomes soft peaks, then leave to set in the fridge. If the ganache curdles, heat it up in a bains-marie and then whip it again.

To make the chocolate covered strawberries, melt both of the chocolates separately in the microwave. Dip half of the strawberries in the white chocolate and the others in milk chocolate, lay them on a tray to cool. To add extra decorations, drizzle the opposite chocolate on the strawberries and then leave to cool in the fridge.

To make the swirly chocolate decoration, on a sheet of baking paper, swirl a fork dipped in chocolate round in a circle until it is solid enough to support itself. To make the chocolate flicks, take the melted chocolate and spread it over half a toilet roll tube covered in baking paper and leave to cool. To make the shards, spread the remaining milk chocolate on baking paper and then drizzle and spread out the white chocolate and then leave to cool.

To assemble, lay one of the cakes on a plate then spread ALL of the ganache on top of that, then put the second cake on top and then add the chocolate decorations and strawberries.