Mimosa: Happy Valentine's Day Part 2

Being Asian and all, I suck at baking cakes and what not. (Is being Asian really an excuse for this!?? lol...) Anyway, the only thing I managed to bake perfectly so far are cheese cakes and the "light" Japanese cheese cakes. Sure I've baked other sweet treats, but being picky and spoiled and all, most of them are not as great as say the ones from au bon pain or something. Sure, if I could bake like that I should be in my own bakery not sitting here in front of the 20" dual widescreen lcd typing, but having high standard for my own baked goods is ... good right? Anyway, long story short, knowing my own short coming in baking, about 2 years ago I volunteered to host Stephanie's baby shower, in return she gave me this great cake recipe, even baked the cake with me once at her house, walking me through each steps and I have to say, the cake is absolutely fabulous! Even a baking idiot like me can master it :D It's also great the next day after microwaving it for couple seconds hehe.. The recipe is from Great American cakes by Lorraine Bodger. Don't think the book is in print anymore though.

Marbled Cake
Baking pan: 2 9" round cake pans or 1 9x13x2 sheet pan
Preheat oven to 350 degree.

2 1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

for Marble cake:
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled ( could be a bit more I think)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1/ Stir or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs for several minutes (8 - 10 minutes) , until they are
light, thick and pale Add the vanilla and beat again.
3. Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition
4. Add the dry ingredients and the cream alternatively, in three parts
each. After each addition, beat just until blended.

For plan sweet cream layer: divide the batter equally between the two
prepared pans

For marble layers, Put half of the batter in a separate bowl. To one
bowl of the batter add the melted chocolate and the cocoa powder and
blend well. Drop alternating spoonfuls of dark and light batter into
each prepared pan, ending up with equal amounts of batter in each pan.
To make the marbled effect, draw a knife back and forth through the
dark and light batter several times. Do not over do the marbling.

5. Bake 9" layers for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven and sheet cake for 35 minutes or
until a test come out clean

cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, turn them out to cool.

Cream Cheese Icing
1 16oz pack confectioners sugar
1 8oz pack cream cheese
5 table spoon unsalted butter

Let the cream cheese and butter soften in room temperature. Blend them all together and done! You've got cream cheese icing!

This is how it looks like right after being marbled in the pan