If you need to make a cake that is easy and fairly fast, but looks impressive this Easy Marble Cake recipe is a good choice. As the actual cake is possibly on the simple side, I like to spruce it up with lots of decorations, this time its gorgeous hydrangea.

(do not eat hydrangeas, they are not edible, for a childproof version try nasturtium)

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Easy Marble Cake Recipe

225g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

225g Fairtrade caster sugar

3 large free-range eggs (brought to room temperature)

225g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

100ml whole milk, plus 1 tablespoon extra for the icing

3 tbsp cocoa powder

For the icing

125g Icing Sugar (sieved)

15ml Water (warm)

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Preheat your oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4.

Cream the softened butter together with the sugar until light in colour. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. (it is a good idea to use eggs that have come to room temperature, this makes for a smoother batter)

Sift in the flour, then add vanilla and milk and stir until smooth. Spoon half the mixture into another bowl and stir in the cocoa powder and 1 tbsp milk. I can recommend Green & Blacks Organic Coco Powder, it is intensely rich and full of flavour.

Grease a 20cm cake tin.

And here is the fun part; spoon alternate batter mixtures (coco and plain) into the cake tin. Then draw a simple pattern in the mixture with a skewer to create a marbled effect. Don’t over do the pattern stage, or the two mixtures will combine too much and the marble effect will be lost.

Bake for 30 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for a further 12-15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Don’t over bake this cake, as it will go very dry. Leave to cool in the tin, once cooled remove from tin, and place on a wire rack.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add half of the water and mix, then gradually add the remaining water, until the icing has the desired consistency. Be careful not to add too much water. If the Icing becomes to runny, add more sifted icing sugar.

Decorate with the icing, and/or maybe not flowers. Pretty sugared flowers also look lovely.