Most of the recipes I found online to make marbled cake (the ones I was attracted to anyway) involves using ovallette, something not readily available here in UK.
After searching and debating with myself (lawan kemalasan), i decided to make an altered recipe found on the All Recipe website.


A winter tip: if you want to make something using butter that needs to be softened, take it out of the fridge WELL ahead of time (i.e the night before or even the day before) and make sure you leave it to soften somewhere warm the whole time! not like me who left it in the kitchen that was cold like the fridge the entire night ...DOOOH!!

ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter - unsalted (if using salted, omit salt)
3 cups plain flour*
1 1/2 tsp baking powder* (*sifted together)
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs- lightly beaten
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

1. preheat oven to 180C. grease a cake tin with butter and dust with flour, shaking off excess flour.
2. cream butter and sugar until light light and fluffy. add the eggs a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until well incorporated.
3. Add the flour and milk, alternating a little at a time. (i.e add 1/3 of flour followed by 1/3 of the milk and beat well and repeat until finished)
4. place 2 1/2 cups of the batter mix into a medium sized bowl and sift cocoa powder into mixture. mix together with whisk.
5. place batter into cake tin, alternating between plain and cocoa batter. drag a spoon through the batter a few times to create a marbled effect.
6. bake in the oven for 1 hour @ 180C. leave to cool before slicing and serving.