Marble Cake: the old-fashioned dessert recipe with a mottled look

This Marble Cake is an easy, old-fashioned dessert recipe. It gets its name from the mottled appearance that comes from the chocolate and vanilla swirls. The loaf is tender, soft, and moist inside, with a golden-brown crust.

The chocolate and vanilla batters are easy to make and it’s made from the same batter. You simply mix a cocoa and milk mixture into the vanilla batter to turn it into chocolate! To make it, you will need a few baking staples like eggs, flour, sugar, milk, and oil. It's easy to make and is an impressive loaf cake to make for a birthday party, or simply enjoy for breakfast or tea time.

Marble Cake Ingredients

Eggs – use large eggs that are at room temperature.

Sugar – use white granulated sugar.

Sunflower oil – it adds moisture to the cake.

Butter – use unsalted or salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the batter.

Milk – use full-fat milk for the best results.

Cocoa powder – use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder. It will give color and flavor to the second batter.

Flour – use flour 00, or all-purpose flour.

Baking powder – use it for increasing the volume and lighten the texture of the loaf.

How To Make a Marble Cake

Create the vanilla batter. Whisk the eggs with the sugar until thick and foamy. Add the vanilla, sunflower oil, and milk, and whisk until smooth. Add the flour and baking powder and whisk until the batter is smooth.

Make the chocolate mixture by whisking together the cocoa powder and milk. In another small bowl add the cocoa, and milk and mix together.

Make the chocolate batter. Divide the batter between two mixing bowls. Add the cocoa mixture into one of the mixing bowls and mix it all together well.

Create the marble effect. Add the cocoa batter to a greased loaf tin, then add a spoonful of vanilla batter. Continue until all the batter is used up, alternating between the two batters (about 4 spoons of each mixture). If you prefer, you can make more swirls by using a knife.

Bake in the oven at 180°C/350°F for 40 minutes or until cooked through. Finally, decorate this marble cake with chocolate and coffee spread cream.

Tips

Add a teaspoon of instant coffee to the cake batter to accentuate the chocolate flavor!

Create a 3-color marble cake! Divide the vanilla batter into three mixing bowls. Add the chocolate mixture to the one, and your choice of food coloring to the other.

Add more chocolate flavor by stirring in semisweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips.

How To Store Marble Cake

Store the marble cake in a cake tin, or another airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

More Recipes You'll Like

• Marble Pound Cake
• Vegan Marble Bundt Cake
• Marble Mini Bundt Cakes

Instructions

Add the four eggs to a large mixing bowl.

Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until thick and foamy.

Add the sunflower oil and milk and whisk again until smooth.

Add the flour and baking powder and whisk until the batter is smooth.

In another small bowl add the cocoa, and milk and mix together.

Divide the batter between two mixing bowls. Add the cocoa mixture into one of the mixing bowls and mix it all together well.

Add the cocoa mixture to a greased loaf tin, then add a spoonful of vanilla batter. Continue until all the batter is used up, alternating between the two batters (about 4 spoons of each mixture).

Bake in the oven at 180°C/350°F for 40 minutes or until cooked through. To test if the marble cake is done, insert a wooden skewer into the cake and see if moist crumbs stick to the skewer. If you see wet batter, you’ll need to bake the cake a little bit longer. Cakes usually continue cooking for a short while after baking, so don’t wait until the skewer is completely clean, otherwise, you’ll end up with an overbaked cake. Decorate with chocolate and coffee spread cream. Slice, serve and enjoy!