Fluffy Marble Cake (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the cake swirls

01 - 16 ounces granulated sugar
02 - 16 ounces cake flour
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 4 large eggs, at room temp
07 - 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
08 - 14 ounces buttermilk, slightly warmed or at room temp
09 - 5 ounces vegetable oil
10 - 2 teaspoons vanilla
11 - ½ teaspoon almond flavoring
12 - 3 ounces hot water
13 - 1 tablespoon cocoa powder for sprinkling
14 - 1 ounce cocoa powder (Dutch or regular)

→ Ganache frosting

15 - 16 ounces chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
16 - 16 ounces heavy cream
17 - ¼ teaspoon fine salt
18 - 1 teaspoon vanilla

→ Chocolate drip decoration

19 - 4 ounces heavy cream
20 - 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

# Instructions:

01 - Fire up your oven to 335°F (168°C). Take three 8-inch round pans and coat them well with pan spray or a homemade grease. Don't skip on getting your eggs, butter, and buttermilk to room temp—it's the secret to smooth batters sticking together.
02 - Warm up 3 ounces of water until it starts steaming, then mix it into 1 ounce of cocoa powder in a little bowl. It'll look a bit clumpy, but that’s fine. Let the paste cool down before adding it to your batter later.
03 - In one jug, blend ¾ of the buttermilk with the oil. In a separate one, whisk the rest of the buttermilk with the eggs, almond extract, and vanilla until the eggs break down nice and smooth. Leave both mixtures off to the side.
04 - Put your flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle head. Mix just for a few seconds to mix it all up. Toss the butter in next—it’ll look like sandy crumbs once blended for about half a minute. This step keeps the cake super tender.
05 - Pour the buttermilk and oil combo into the flour mix. Stir on low enough to dampen everything, crank it up to medium, and let it beat for a good 2 minutes. Don’t rush this step, or your cake layers might sink or crumble on you.
06 - Scrape all around the bowl before dropping the mixer speed low. Add the egg mixture bit by bit—divide it into three pours, waiting about 15 seconds between each addition. Scrape down the sides and make sure it's all mixed in evenly.
07 - Scoop out ⅓ of the batter, fold it carefully into the cooled chocolate paste, and have both batters side-by-side. Layer them into the pans, switching between plain and chocolate. Swirl gently with a knife to create the marble texture—don’t overdo it, or you’ll lose the design inside the layers.
08 - Slip the pans into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. The cakes are done once a toothpick comes out with only small crumbs on it. Take each pan and smack it firmly on the counter to release any steam—they’ll cool without shrinking.
09 - After giving the cakes 10 minutes to rest in the pans, flip them onto wire racks and let them cool completely. Wrapping the layers warm in plastic keeps them moist, or chill them before handling if you're putting your decorating hat on.
10 - Put 16 ounces of chocolate into a heat-safe bowl. Heat the cream until bubbles appear around the edges (avoid boiling). Pour it over the chocolate and let it hang out for 5 minutes without stirring. Add the salt and vanilla, then whisk until beautifully smooth. Let cool in a shallow pan until it’s like soft peanut butter—this takes about 20 minutes.
11 - Spread the ganache onto the cooled cake layers. When the whole thing is assembled, chill it in the fridge for around 20 minutes. Use a soft makeup brush to dust the sides lightly with cocoa powder, if you’re after that velvet-like finish.
12 - Heat cream for the chocolate drip until it’s warm but not bubbling. Pour it over the chips and set it aside to rest for a few minutes. Whisk it up into a glossy mixture, let it go slightly cool, then drizzle onto the setup cake.

# Notes:

01 - Out of buttermilk? Mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice with regular milk as a quick fix.
02 - Switch to a kitchen scale (even for liquids) to make your baking more accurate and hassle-free.
03 - Set up ingredients ahead (Mise en Place)—it ensures nothing gets forgotten halfway through.
04 - This cake, once chilled, is easy to stack and can handle being covered with fondant.
05 - The reverse creaming technique gives this cake a softer texture than regular creaming methods.

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