Marble cake is one of the easiest cakes in Larousse Gastronomique. It's a simple sponge that, as the name of the recipe suggests, is marbled. To achieve this effect you make a batter using 200 grams of caster sugar, 175 grams each of butter and flour, 3 eggs, a teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt. The mixture is divided into two portions. 25 grams of cocoa powder is folded into one of the portions. You them carefully spoon each portion into a cake tin to create the marble effect. The cake is baked at 180 degrees for one to one and a quarter hours.
I haven't had much luck with cake in the past. I always, always, always seem to mess it up. Savoury I can do. Sweet? Not so much. I've found my situation has improved since I started following Larousse Gastronomique's recipes (most of which are very accessible) closely and using a digital scale (not needed for most savoury applications). My pastry chef housemate gives me grief about my reliance upon the Good Book. He looks down on some of Larousse Gastronomique's methods and cites numerous points (such as the fact Robuchon and co. use milk in clafoutis instead of cream) that he disagrees with based on his many years of experience. That's all well and good for him but for me, pastry is a dark forest with many a steep ravine and sheer drop to stumble down and countless rocks and roots to trip over. I have no idea where I'm going or what I'm doing there. I follow the book's guiding light closely because that's all I have. I bought a dedicated pastry book, Advanced Bread and Pastry, but I'm unafraid to admit it's too technical for me. I know enough to realise that it's bloody brilliant but I don't know enough to fully digest its wisdom. I don't have formal training. I don't have know-how gained through decades of trial and error. When it comes to sweet foodstuffs, much moreso than savoury, Larousse Gastronomique is my lifeline.
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