Chocolate and lemon marble cake

This was a quick traybake to use up some eggs but it was simple and tasty so I thought I'd record it here anyway. Citrus flavours are always popular at work and I (and most other people!) like chocolate so the combination was designed to appeal to everyone!

The surface of the cake was very attractively marbled, the insides less so. I think I need to work on my marbling technique! However, this did have the advantage that you got a lemon mouthful, then a chocolate one and the flavours were more distinct. It was a nice, simple, moist cake enjoyed by many with a cup of coffee and sometimes these are the kind of cakes you want.

Chocolate and lemon marble cake
Ingredients
225g butter, softened
225g caster sugar
225g self raising flour
4 large eggs

For the lemon portion: zest of 1 1/2 large lemons (why 1 1/2 - check out this delicious bread for the other 1/2!!!)

For the chocolate portion: 30g cocoa powder

Method

- Preheat the oven to Gas 4/180C. Grease and line a traybake tin, mine is 20 x 30 cm (8x12")
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

- Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating slowly as you do so.

- If the mixture looks as though it's going to curdle, add a little of the flour.

- When the eggs are incorporated, add the flour and fold in until well mixed.

- Divide the mixture - place half into a different bowl and then add the cocoa powder and a little water or milk to one half, and the grated lemon zest to the other half.

- Blob alternately into the tin until all the mixture is used up, then swirl with a flat blade (I used the handle of a spoon).

- Bake for 30-35 minutes - the cake was cooked more quickly than I expected as it's quite shallow. It's done when springy to the touch and a cake tester inserted comes out clean.

You can see that the bottom of the cake is rather less marbled! No matter, it still tastes good!