I believe, in every Cypriot household, there is a recipe for chocolate marble cake. We call it “Geografia” which translates to geography. They say that the swirly shapes in the cake look like countries. Chocolate fans love it, kids love it, this cake is a star and I’m a groupie!

I replaced cocoa powder with melted dark chocolate. Chocolate makes a slightly denser cake but so rich, moist and decadent. I finished the cake with a luscious chocolate ganache but even if you serve it plain it’s still delicious.

Ingredients:

• 150 gr bittersweet chocolate (I use cadbury’s bournville)
• 250 gr unsalted butter
• 280 gr granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 280 gr all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 200 grams sour cream

For the ganache

• 100 gr bittersweet chocolate
• 100 gr cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 175 C, fan. Butter and flour a bundt pan.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler and let it cool slightly. Don’t let it become solid again.

Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

Sift flour with baking powder, soda and salt. Add about 1/3 of the flour to the mixer bowl. Add sour cream. Finish with the remaining flour. Don’t overbeat.

Divide cake batter in two equal parts. Mix cooled melted chocolate with one half of the batter.

Transfer half of the yellow cake mixture in the cake pan. Top with half of the chocolate mixture. Continue with the remaining yellow cake mixture. Finish with the remaining chocolate mixture. Pass a knife through the cake once in a zig-zag motion (even if you skip this step, the cake will still come out ok).

Transfer cake in the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a cake tester or a skewer comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert on a platter. Let cake cool completely before pouring over the ganache.

To make the ganache, chop chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream until just before boiling. Pour cream oven the chocolate. Let it stand 5 minutes to soften. Mix until smooth. Let it cool to desired consistency for pouring.