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The Historical Significance of Good Friday

Good Friday is one of the most solemn days in Christianity, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday, it marks the culmination of Holy Week and serves as a day of reflection, mourning, and reverence. Historically, Good Friday traces back to the early Christian church, when believers honored Jesus' sacrifice for humanity. According to biblical accounts, Jesus was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death by crucifixion under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. His execution, believed to have occurred around A.D. 30, is seen as the ultimate act of redemption, paving the way for salvation in Christian theology. The name "Good Friday" may seem paradoxical, given the suffering endured by Jesus. However, the term "good" in this context is understood to mean "holy" or "pious," signifying the sacred nature of the day. Across the world, Christians observe Good Friday through fasting, prayer, and special c...
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Marble Cake

 

Moist, buttery, and swirled with vanilla and chocolate—this marble cake is a timeless treat everyone loves.


INGREDIENTS

For the Cake

  • ½ cup natural cocoa powder, such as Hershey's
  • 2½ cups sugar, divided
  • ½ cup water
  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli, broken into 1-in pieces
  • 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

For the Glaze

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract


INSTRUCTIONS

For the Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 10-in (12-cup) Bundt pan generously with nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy or Pam with Flour.
  2. In a small saucepan, combine the cocoa powder, ½ cup of the sugar, and the water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, whisking until smooth. Off the heat, immediately add the chocolate; whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside. (Note that the mixture will start to look curdled as it sits; that's okay.)
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining 2 cups of sugar. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. Add the softened butter and half of the buttermilk mixture and mix on low speed until moistened but still a little crumbly, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the remaining buttermilk mixture until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium and mix for three minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter should look pale and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again, making sure the batter is evenly mixed.
  5. Transfer about 2½ cups of the batter to a medium bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.
  6. Spoon half of the remaining vanilla batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Pour the chocolate batter over top. Finish by spooning the remaining vanilla batter over the chocolate (don't worry about covering the chocolate layer completely). Using a butter knife, swirl the batters together with a zig-zag motion, going three times around the pan. It may not look like the batters are swirled; that's okay. It's important not to over-swirl.
  7. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  8. While the cake bakes, make the glaze: In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, water, and vanilla. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.
  9. Set the pan on a cooling rack. Using a skewer or toothpick, poke about 40 holes in the bottom of the still-hot cake, going about ¾ of the way down. Spoon or brush half of the glaze evenly over the bottom of the cake. If the glaze starts to pool on the surface, poke more holes to help it absorb. Leave the cake on the rack to cool for 30 minutes.
  10. Invert the cake onto a serving platter. Brush the remaining glaze evenly over the top and sides of the cake, letting it soak in as you go. (Go slowly so that the glaze gets absorbed.) Let the cake sit for at least two hours before serving. Cut with a serrated knife.

Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, see recipe below. 

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
  • 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon milk, any kind

Instructions

  1. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup.
  2. Pour milk to the 1-cup line (use this same ratio of lemon juice/vinegar to milk when you need more or less than 1 cup of buttermilk). Stir to combine the liquids.
  3. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes. You’ll begin to see small curdled bits in the mixture; this means it’s ready to add to the recipe. Even if you don’t see much change in the appearance of the mixture, the acid has been added to your milk and will work just like the store-bought version.
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