I think about my Bubby a lot this time of year. Oh how I miss her.
On the eve of Yom Kippur, just as we finished the first pre-fast meal, we’d walk over to her house to ask for a piece of lekach, or honey cake. This custom was instituted as a means of asking for something, in case it had been decreed that during the year one would need to resort to a handout from others, the decree would be satisfied with the asking for honey cake.
(Bubby’s recipe cards for Marble Cake)
One by one, my siblings and I would walk over to Bubby and whisper in yiddish, “Biteh ken ich huben lekach“, or “Please can I have a piece of honey cake”. We didn’t speak yiddish from home, but it was customary to ask in the yiddish language, and Bubby would wait patiently until we said it before handing us a piece wrapped in a white napkin. She would bless us with a myriad of blessings for the year, kissing our foreheads as the line to retrieve her cake wrapped in blessings continued to grow with cousins, aunts and uncles.
When my Zaidy was still alive, we were lucky enough to be blessed by his holy hands, as he cried and patted us on on the forehead in the way only he knew how.
On Sukkos, our house was permeated with the smell of Bubby’s stuffed cabbage and there was nothing like it. Her secret was adding ketchup to the meat mixture to keep it soft, sweet and juicy. And it was the BEST.
But really, Bubby was known for her cakes, and when my mom was growing up, she would always come home to a freshly baked cake after school each day. There was Bubby’s chocolate cake, her honey cake, blueberry pie cake, and of course, her marble cake. And I’m so proud to share a little piece of her with you all as I think of her this holiday season.
Chag Sameach!
Bubby’s Marble Cake
2 cups sugar
1 cup neutral flavored oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup water
2 tbsp dutch process cocoa powder
Method:
Grease a 9×13 inch pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla (you can do this by hand or with a mixer). In a second bowl, combine the flour and the baking powder. Slowly add the flour mixture and water to the wet ingredients, alternating between them until incorporated.
Pour 2/3rds of the cake batter into the pan. Add cocoa powder to the remaining batter in your mixing bowl. Add dollops of the chocolate mixture to the vanilla batter in the pan and use a knife to swirl it to create a marbleized effect.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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Hi looks delicious, it doesn’t say to mix by machine is this made by hand?
Yes
I miss your bubby too!
I was her neighbor the last few years of her life and loved her dearly.
She was super proud of you, spoke about you all the time…
Will definitely make this marble cake.
Wishing you all the brachos in the coming year
I made a double batch for Succos. This is a winner recipe. So easy to put together and delicious. We will be thinking of your Bubby as we enjoy it. Thank you for sharing!
When you tell a story about your childhood, it’s always a favorite of mine.
This looks delicious. The slices of cake in your picture look like they’re from a loaf pan – what size did you use and how many loaf pans would this recipe make? Thanks!
They were just the ends, I didn’t bake in a loaf but I think it would probably make 2 medium loaf pans.
The recipe looks just like my mom used to write, pieces of paper and index cards. I saved them for my kids. Did you bake yours in a loaf pan?
I made the marble cake and it was absolutely perfect. Usually when I bake a cake I make a couple of fatal errors but somehow the recipe was written really well and it was easy to follow. I also used Brodie’s self raising flour and it was really good. And I also use a ring pan instead of a rectangular it was so delicious. I was told it was as good as a cake mix and I actually consider that a compliment because this was real.!!!! Nothing artificial
Delicious! I made it in a Bundt pan, and no matter how much I sprayed the pan (tried twice), it stuck to the top. Any thoughts?
Oh gosh, marble cake can be sticky. Try dusting it with flour.
Could you substitute parve milk or orange juice for water?
I haven’t tried but I suppose.
I want to bake it in a glass loaf pan. Should I change the temp or bake time?
I always go with the toothpick test! Just insert a toothpick or stick of spaghetti and it should come out dry.
Do you have to use Dutch process cocoa powder? If I use the natural one, will it ruin the cake?
No it won’t ruin it, but Dutch process makes it extra chocolatey.