rainy days are for staying inside, curled up on the sofa with homemade cake and a cup of tea in hand whilst you enjoy your favourite novel or classic movie on the set. Blankets are highly recommended but cosy jumpers and oversized scarfs will do just fine and a dash of warming liqueur would slip down quite nicely too in fact. The rain last night was relentless, battering the window panes and hammering upon the roof so loud that the usual delicate pitter-patter that would so occasionally soothe me to sleep was long forgotten in my startled slumber. Not to mention the fuse blowing so I was creeping around in candlelight, toes cold numb on the tiled floors. I’d like to think that this was quite exciting, however ensuring that the contents of your fridge-freezer were still edible by morning (mainly for a highly-coveted cake creation) was a feat in itself. 
 
However, we made it through the storm and so over peanut butter on toast (of course!), I pulled out my stash of baking books to inspire today’s bake. Carrot cake, hummingbird cake, walnut loaf, banana bread; I just didn’t feel like any of it and besides in this weather, tea was an essential requirement to pep me up. Earl grey tea and honey loaf – perfect, except you had to soak the tea and honey overnight for which I did not have time for (this bake will happen soon though)! So I came across a recipe that fit the bill but that I fancied alternating just slightly to make it that little more exciting for a bank holiday Monday. 
 
It had been an absolute age since I last made a marble cake and although I went for the traditional “chocolate and vanilla” batter mix, a slip of the hand and in fell the Baileys…whoops! So here’s my take on what I like to call my “Boozy Mascarpone Marble Cake”. Adding mascarpone gives the batter a rich and indulgent flavour that you’ll need on a day like today. I’d give it a whirl if I were you.
 

Boozy Mascarpone Marble Cake
3 tbsp cocoa powder
50ml boiling water
125g unsalted butter, softened
200g caster sugar
200g plain flour
150g mascarpone cheese
3 medium eggs
2 1/2 tsp baking power
25ml Baileys
 
1. Line the base and side of a deep 17cm long loaf tin and pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/gas mark 4. 
2. Stir the cocoa powder and boiling water together until you have a smooth and relatively liquidy paste. 
3. Beat the butter and sugar in another bowl until pale and fluffy, then add in 1/4 of the flour, sifted and mix again until smooth. 
4. Beat in the mascarpone and then the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Then sift in the baking powder and remaining flour and beat once more.
5. Divide your batter in two and add enough cocoa mix to one half until it’s a delicate chocolate brown. Add your Baileys to the other and mix in thoroughly. 
6. Spoon the mixture in alternate blobs into the tin, tap firming to knock out any air bubbles and then use a skewer to “swirl” the batter gently. 
7. Bake for 50-60mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Then leave to cool in the tin for a while before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool completely. 
8. Enjoy with your very best tea. 

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