January 30, 2016

Turn any day into a celebration with Mid-Winter Carnival Marble Cake


It's safe to say that for most folks, especially in the Western World, January through to March is not exactly bustling with holidays. The biggest exception to that statement for many is Valentine's Day, but even there, that celebration of all things romantic doesn't usually hold the same gravitas or widespread communal merriment of days like Christmas, Easter, the 4th of July (or Canada Day on this side of the 49th), Halloween, and Thanksgiving.

In these dark, long, icicle bedecked months of winter you'd think that there would be celebrations right, left and center, but alas, in most societies there is not. A point that has always rather perplexed me, a lover of holidays and happy times.

That isn't to say these slate grey months are completely devoid of festivities, they're not - we have the cute and meaningful alike, from Groundhog's Day (which shares a date with the traditional observations of Candlemas) on February 2nd to Mardi Gras, which falls on the 9th next month, to St. Patrick's Day on March 17th, as winter - on paper at least - gets ready to hightail it out of town once more.

Still, even with these and a small number of  other observances (such as the traditional Pagan celebration of Imbolic at the beginning of February), winter calls for every excuse we can find to liven up this often bleak and ridiculously cold chapter of the calendar.

As vintage loving folks, I think we're especially adapt at celebrating life in general. We do so with our fashion joys, our adoration of the past, the toe tapping music so many of us delight in, the vibrancy and fun of the many ways we weave history into the present, and of course with our delightful old school recipes. We're a merry bunch in general and we're well suited to weather, quite literally, these lengthy, frozen months.

Today's recipe from 1947 for Mid-Winter Carnival Cake is a wonderful way to liven up and make a feast out of nearly any meal, be it for one of winter's few holidays/special days or otherwise. At its heart it is really a classic marble cake and thus works splendidly for a wide array of events or everyday meals alike.



{A traditional and much loved dessert for generations now, marble cake is a snap to whip up, always draws cheers, and can be frosted (or not) with a huge range of icings and/or sauces. Vintage Betty Crocker cake recipe ad image source.}


Marble cake is an age old classic that many people adore (myself and Tony both very much included, in fact, it's one of his favourite desserts), that has the added bonus of looking impressive, while being really quite simple to whip up.

One can always tint the white/yellow part of the cake with food colouring, if so desired, to fit a given holiday/special occasion or swap out the chocolate for another flavouring of choice such as cinnamon, orange, strawberry, coffee, or almond - and it takes, I find, wonderfully to being made (either from scratch or store bought mixes) in gluten-free form.

We often like our marble cake un-frosted, with just a little dusting (pretty stencil pattern optional) of icing (powdered) sugar and/or a scoop of ice cream on top. Given the time of the year however, I'd be more apt to reach for hot fudge, warmed up butterscotch, or a straight-from-the-stove top strawberry, raspberry, peach, pineapple, or winter fruit compote instead of ice cream though.

Given the chocolate in this beloved dessert, it's a natural shoe in for Valentine's Day, but really does suit a wide array of celebrations, very much including a random Tuesday night where you need something sweet and toothsome to help make the week more enjoyable.

Lengthy though mid-winter may be, there are ways to spice it up and delicious, budget-friendly old school recipes like this tasty vintage marble cake can go a very long way on that front. So why not bust out the mixing bowls and give this fantastic dessert a spin?

35 comments:

  1. I always feel that stretch between Christmas and spring the most! Food is pretty much one of the best ways that I know of to brighten this long stretch up!

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    1. Isn't it though! I made baby potatoes as part of our meal yesterday and was reflecting on that fact, as well as how they (tiny spuds) seemed like such a fitting food to represent both winter and spring. Potatoes themselves being a standard cold weather food, whereas new potatoes are a beloved sign of spring's return.

      Big hugs & happy start of February wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. Marble cake is so popular in my household. I love these recipes, sometimes there is nothing better than whipping up something in the kitchen for your family. Thank you for taking the time and effort to find such delightful mouthwatering goodies for us to try. Such a shame we can't all send you a piece to say thank you. Wishing you well my dear xx

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    1. It warms my heart to know that you enjoy the (mostly vintage) recipes that I share here, dear Emily. Thank you for your positively lovely (and very touching) comment and encouraging words.

      It seems like fewer and fewer people are posting vintage recipes on sites like Flickr any more, so I'm grateful that I bookmarked many over the years that I hope to continue to pull from and share here as time goes on.

      Wishing you a beautiful February,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. This looks delicious! I'm not much of a cook (or baker), but I might have to try this!

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    1. I hope that it turns out marvelously for you, if you do, sweet Grace. It's not traditional to this recipe, but I love swirling some cherries (fresh sliced, frozen, canned, etc) through my marble cake batter. It makes for a bit of a Black Forest Cake/marble cake hybrid that is suits Valentine's Day especially nicely.

      Happy baking and February wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Sunday greetings!
    ...from the one part of the world where January is so PACKED with holidays, that we welcome it's ending. :) Christmas (both eve and day), Old-counting New Year, Holy cross, our Patron Saint day.. days of feasts and days of sweets.
    As a matter of fact, there is a reason why all these celebrations come in this time of the year. Back in the day when our ancestors set their homes here, work was everything to them. come Sunny days, folks would start at dawn, and end when sun sets. Winter was the time of year when snow and ice stopped the works, and grey days were getting a bit dull - so, they partied! :)
    ...
    (the summer holiday for the kids even makes sense, when I tell you that it's right about harvest-time... see?)

    M.

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    1. I can imagine that feel like a bit much at times, but readily admit that I'd enjoy getting to experience it at least once. I hope that January's many celebrations unfolded really enjoyably for you, my darling friend. Things were incredibly busy here during the first month of the year, but rarely due to holiday related happenings.

      Thank you very much for your wonderful comment. I hope that February is off to a splendid start on your end.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. I have been thinking of making a marble cake all of the past two weeks and this has spurred me on. I'm not the best at making big cakes the eggless way, I am far better at faery cakes, so I am hoping for success with my chosen method xxx

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    1. Good luck, sweet dear. I usually find marble cake to be amongst the most fail proof - not to mention fun - to make. The act of swirling the two batters together never fails to put a smile on my face. :)

      Big hugs & happy baking,
      ♥ Jessica

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  6. put the coffee on the stove - i´m coming over for some yummy cake :-)
    xxxxxx

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    1. Absolutely anytime, my sweet friend! I'll even make one out of light and dark colours of kitty food for our darling cats, too. :)

      Tons of hugs & happy start of February wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. Midwinter carnival?? I like the sound of that! I was just lamenting on how winter just seems to drag on after the holidays pass, and how something exciting needs to happen to liven up this cold dark time of year! This sounds like a really fun recipe! I would probably be wild and mix some really random cake flavors together to see what happens.

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    1. Doesn't it though! We need way more holidays in the mainstream western world these days, especially during January and February (and then, later on, July and August, too, IMO).

      Go for it! That sounds like a blast! If you can get your hands on some flavoured extracts (and/or food colouring and/or dry pudding mix flavours), the sky is the limit. I really like making a version that's both lemon and either blueberry or strawberry flavour. It's the perfect Easter dessert!

      Oodles of hugs & happy baking wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Yum! I really shouldn't have read this post when I was already craving some cake... I haven't had marble cake for the longest time either, which seems so wrong! Hope you've had a lovely weekend x

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    1. I'm craving cake massively now myself, too. I think we know what we will on the agenda - and dinner table - come Valentine's Day (in particular I've been craving Black Forest Cake something fierce lately; it's been an age and a half since I last made one).

      Tons of hugs & happy first week of February wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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    1. I feel the same way now, too. :) Sounds like we might need to each whip one up for Valentine's Day later this month.

      Big hugs & happy start of Feb. wishes, lovely lady,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. Very fun and cute suggestion, my dear! I've never attempted a marble cake (something about it always seemed so difficult to me), but maybe I'll have to give it a go. You have an excellent point about the lack of celebrations at just the point in the year when people could use them. January and February are so gloomy, people should definitely get out a bit more and liven things up.

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    1. Thank you so much, sweet lady. That we should, especially once we've regained our energy after the busy Christmas/winter holiday season.

      I personally find marble cake to be quite fool proof, as the two batters come together so beautifully and always create a unique marbled pattern each and every time. If you give this recipe (or any marble cake) a spin, I hope that it turns out splendidly for you.

      Lots of hugs & happy Wednesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. February is for me the most difficult month, but in the end the one that looks like me, there is a proverb of my country that says: "February, February, short, short and cursed." A cold month, short and full of jokes, is carnival and 5 is my birthday (which is why it is difficult for me, I get older! Ehehheheh). Yesterday was the birthday of my cat Cenerino, we have the tradition to celebrate with a nice family lunch and a cake, and as it is the instant of carnival yesterday also ate the traditional fritters, whipped cream and chocolate, were very but good, by the way, my favorites were those of rice that was my grandmother.

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    1. Happiest early birthday wishes, sweet Sernea! I hope that your day abounds with fun, joy and oodles of lovely gifts, too. I'll be thinking of you across the miles and sending my best and warmest wishes your way!

      Big hugs & many thanks for your great comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. Thanks for the wonderful vintage ad and the great recipe!

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    1. My pleasure, sweet Sandy. I'm delighted to know that you enjoyed it.

      Have a fantastic first week of February!
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. I love baking pumpkin bread in the fall because not only is it the perfect treat to eat that time of year but also because it fills the house with the wonderful smell of pumpkin spice. I never thought of it before but a cake in winter would probably work wonders to fill the house with the wonderful aroma of vanilla, cinnamon, or whatever you chose to put in your cake! A cake is the perfect way to brighten up a deary winter! Such a great idea!

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    1. That it most certainly is (ditto for the smell of cinnamon buns or cookies baking, too). Even when I bake recipes that I can't personally partake of due to my medical diet, I still delight in just creating and them smelling them as they come to life in the oven.

      Thank you very much for your lovely comment, sweet dear. Happy wintertime cake baking! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  14. I've made marble cakes since I was 10 or 11 years old. I know the recipe by heart, and love the traditional version with cocoa. I wonder why I never have thougth of making it with other tastes than cocoa, so thank you for the great idea. In Denmark we never use icing on such cakes, we just eat a slice as it is with tea or coffee.

    Today, I am finally feeling better, so I've made patterns for a fifties style dress and a pair of cigarette pants. I've also cut all the parts and zig-zagged them. I am very excited for the result. I sew both from old curtains, so it is completely free. Nice to know if it does not go well, but I do hope so.

    I've written comments on two other post, also that I haven't received any VSS gift last Christmas, but none of them have shown up yet. I hope you are well, dear, and nothing bad is going on at your end. I wish I could drive by with cake and make you a cup of tea. Have a lovely day, dear. :)

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    1. That's so lovely! The same rings true for me as well. It was a staple cake growing up and remains such to this day around our house, especially given how much Tony adores it (in fact, I made a huge one as part of his welcome home meal when he returned from States last September). :)

      I'm delighted to know that you like the idea of trying out other flavours in this classic dish, too. I really like making half the cake lemon flavour and the other either strawberry or blueberry (really, almost any berry would be nice in this instance) and serving it for springtime festivities, such as Easter and Mother's Day.

      I really appreciate your concern and apologize that it took a little while to approve and reply to your recent blog comments. As touched on in one of my other replies (to you) today, my computer - which was barely two years old - completely died on Monday and thus I'm without one at the moment (getting by on my phone or a borrowed computer, when I can get access to one). I've ordered a new laptop today, but it won't arrive for 2 - 3 weeks, so this will be quite the interesting month when it comes to online happenings for me.

      Thank you for being the sweet, caring soul that you always are, dear Sanne.

      Tons of hugs & feel better wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

      ♥ Jessica

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  15. I like the sound of this and wish I had a piece right now to go with a cup of tea! All the other offerings on that advert look pretty good too!

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    1. Doesn't they though! That lemon meringue pie and the lovely peach cobbler look especially lip-lickingly good to me. :)

      Many hugs & happy (almost) weekend wishes, my dear friend,
      ♥ Jessica

      *PS* I finally had a chance to get out of the house and mail your Christmas parcel off earlier this week (on Monday, to be exact). I hope it reaches you fairly quickly now that the holiday season mail rush is behind us.


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    2. How very exciting! Thank you ever so much in advance! What a lovely surprise to look forward to!

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    3. You are so very welcome, my dear friend. Thank you again for your awesome Christmas parcel. It was a big highlight of the festive season for me.

      Tons of hugs from snowy Penticton,
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. That is such a great title for this post what a fun cake

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    1. It really is a delightful cake. Tony's a huge fan, so I made sure to have a big marble cake waiting for him when he returned home from working in the States last summer.

      Lots of hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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