For Ivan’s cake
Last week I went to hospital to have a minor operation. I was taken into surgery roughly at the same time as a chap by the name of Ivan. I know this because the nurses wheeled him into theatre about 10 minutes before me. As you might imagine, I was a little nervous before going under the knife so to calm myself I meditated myself into a state of bliss dreaming of cake paradise, like any respectable guru seeking Nirvana, or Navana as I like to think of it.
Some people dream of wining the lotto, getting their dream job and some who are selfless dream of world peace, but those after Navana shamelessly dream of cakes.
I was about to decide how to adorne this wonderful chocolate and vanilla Bundt cake which I had baked in my brand new fancy schmanzy swirly shaped Bundt tin, when all of a sudden I heard, “Open your eyes, Ivan, Ivan wake up ...’ After no response the voice gets louder, “Ivan wake up, open your eyes, Ivan.” Annoyed at being pulled back from the brink of cake heaven, I murmured to myself, “For God’s sake, Ivan, wake up, so I can go back to my meditation on Bundt cake decoration.” And then I asked myself, what the heck is Ivan doing in my bedroom? Because I was thinking I was back at home, as I was still groggy from the general anaesthetic and confused. I opened my eyes to the stark lights of the hospital recovery room and staring right back at me was Ivan’s buck-naked butt! Which was a definite sign I was not in Navana.
Now you’re probably thinking, what has that got to do with cake right? Just bare with me (pardon the pun). Since I didn’t end up going back to sleep, I never got to see how I was going to decorate the cake, so I’ve decided to leave it in its birthday suit and in honour of Ivan I have named it, Ivan’s buck-naked marble Bundt cake!
It tastes better than it sounds, I promise!
Ingredients
2 teaspoons baking powder
5 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 & 1/3 cup plain flour
280g butter
200g sour cream
Method
Grease a round bundt cake tin
Pre heat the oven to 160C
Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set a side.
In an electric mixer beat butter and sugar on medium- high speed until pale and fluffy aprox 5 minutes.
Lower the speed to low-medium and add in eggs (one at a time) with one tablespoon of the flour (it will stop the mixture from curdling) add vanilla extract.
Add the remaining flour mixture alternating with sour cream until all ingredients have been incorporated.
Divide the mixture into 2 portions. Stir in the cocoa powder into one portion.
Alternately spoon the mixture into the pan.
Bake for 45 minutes or when skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.