Chocolate Marble Cake

I consider this a truly classic food. Recently, I satisfied a serious craving with this particular recipe, chosen after some deliberation, from a book titled "The Book of Afternoon Tea" by Lesley Mackley. My favorite compliment has been Mark's comment that it is "like a giant petit four". Like a petit four, it is moist, not overly sweet, and has lovely hard frosting.

2 oz. semisweet chocolate (semisweet chocolate chips will do)
1 tablespoon strong coffee
2 cups self-rising flour (or regular with 1 tsp. salt and 1 T. baking powder added)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup margarine, softened (I recommend butter instead)
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup ground blanched almonds (I used Red Mill brand almond meal/flour)
2 tablespoons milk
FROSTING:
4 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a ring mold (I used an angel food cake pan) with a 7 1/2 cup capacity. In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, break chocolate and add coffee. Heat until melted. Let cool. Into a bowl, sift flour and baking powder. Add margarine, sugar, eggs, ground almonds and milk. Beat well until smooth. Spoon half the batter evenly into prepared pan. Stir cooled, soft chocolate into the remaining batter, then spoon into pan. Draw a knife through batter in a spiral. Smooth the surface.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until well risen and a skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn out cake an dtransfer to a wire rack to cool completely. To make frosting, into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, put chocolate, butter and water; heat until melted. Stir frosting and pour over cake on a rack, working quickly to coat top and sides. Let set before serving.

Makes 10 to 12 slices.