Marble Pound Cake - International Fellowship of Christians and Jews® of Canada

Two defining characteristics of Israeli culture are hospitality and spontaneity. So throughout the year you might end up with lots of guests that just pop by for coffee and cake. Even in COVID-19 times, on nice days, this delicious cake can be served outside, socially distanced, with your tea or coffee.

In Israel, the marble pound cake was a staple in almost every household. Traditional pound cake originates from England, but this delicious loaf also has very strong roots in Jewish and Israeli culture. Not so strange, the term for "loaf pan" in Hebrew is actually "English Cake" pan. This pound cake would often be made Thursday or Friday mornings to be served after the Shabbat meal, or as a treat after Shabbat lunch, when friends often stop by for coffee.

This recipe calls for milk so it is dairy, but you can make it non-dairy by substituting soy or almond milk.

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1.5 cups sugar
3 large eggs, plus one egg yolk
2/3 cup whole milk
3/4 cup grapeseed, avocado, or vegetable oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×5″ loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and oil. Whisk to thoroughly combine until becomes light in color, about 2 minutes.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the egg and milk mixture into the well. Whisk until thoroughly combined, about 1-2 minutes.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Add the unsweetened cocoa powder and instant coffee to the remaining batter.
Whisk to fully incorporate the cocoa powder, removing any lumps.
Gently pour the chocolate batter over the vanilla batter, and use a skewer or knife to create a marble pattern. Don’t overdo it. You still want to see distinct colors.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before removing.

Source: myjewishlearning.com

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