If you grew up in Goa, this cake is nostalgic! Every special event had to be graced by its presence. Independence Day celebrations, an annual day at school, sports day, a birthday party, picnics, or a family get-together were not complete without this delicious cake. It would be served on a paper plate, with chips, a chutney sandwich, and patties. If you went to visit a relative, you would take this cake for them! Every household has a favorite baker they get it from, ours is in the Margao market. 

When you are away from home, you miss these simple joys. I cannot even remember the last time I ate this cake, I was probably a kid. I wanted to make it for Mayur to try and it did not fail! It did bring back a lot of childhood memories for me. If you haven’t do give it a try! I am sure it will be one of your favorites too!!

What you will need:

How to make it:

• Tip: The butter and eggs need to be at room temperature. A quick way to do that, if you forget, is to use the defrost setting in the microwave to soften the butter. You have to keep a close eye on it so that it does not melt. It will vary based on your microwave settings. To bring the eggs to room temp, just add them to a bowl of warm water. You may have to change the water and repeat the process twice. It always works for me because I am forgetful LOL 😀
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your cake pan with butter and dust it with flour. 
• In a stand mixer, whisk together the butter and sugar until it is creamy.
• Add one egg at a time and whisk for a few seconds.
• Add vanilla extract after the last egg, and whisk for 10 minutes or so at medium speed.
• In the meantime, sieve the flour, baking powder, and salt and set them aside.
• In two small bowls, take a little green and pink color and set aside. I used natural food powder colors, but you can use gel colors as well. A little goes a long way! You want a light pink and light green color.
• Once the eggs have beaten and incorporated, add all the flour mixture and whisk quickly until all the batter comes together, scraping the edges as needed. Do not over-mix!
• Take around two spoonfuls each of the batters and add them to the bowls with color. Mix them well. 
• Pour half the cake mixture into the greased cake pan. Add one of the colors across and then add the other to cross it. Pour the remaining batter on top of this layer. There is no right or wrong method as long as you try to keep the colored batter in the middle.
• Bake on the middle rack for 45-60 minutes, based on your oven and baking pan size, or until a toothpick comes clear when pocked in the center. 
• Enjoy with tea!