Marble Pound Cake

*From Martha Stewart's recipe

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons  unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
3  large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
5 tablespoons best-quality cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside. Butter a nice-inch spring form pan; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 8 tablespoons of butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing to incorporate after each one. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
3. Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, starting and ending with flour. Set aside one-third of the batter in another bowl.
4. In a small bowl, using a rubber spatula, combine cocoa powder and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water. Mix until smooth. Add cocoa mixture to reserved one-third of batter. Stir until well combined.
5. Fill the prepared pan by alternating large spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate batters, simulating a checkerboard pattern. Run a wooden skewer or paring knife through batter in a circular motion. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool; remove from pan after 5 minutes. Cool for about 30 minutes.

Cake assembly instructions.
How to decorate the cake with pansies.