Marble Cake
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This marble cake may look fancy, but its flavor is pure old-fashioned goodness.
With swirls of tender vanilla and fudgy chocolate cake, this marble cake looks fancy but tastes like pure old-fashioned goodness, and it appeals to kids and grown-ups alike. It’s essentially a marbled version of this award-winning Kentucky Butter Cake. Surprisingly, you don’t need two completely different batters to make marble cake. You simply take a third of the vanilla batter and mix it with melted chocolate and cocoa powder and voilà — that’s your chocolate batter! Be careful not to over-marble the batters or the flavors will get muddled; a few swirls around the pan with a knife will do the trick.
What You’ll Need To Make Marble Cake
Most recipes for marble cake call solely for cocoa powder for the chocolate portion of the cake. I like to add real chocolate as well for a more intense, fudgy flavor; this makes the chocolate swirl portion of the cake taste almost like a brownie.
If you’d rather not buy a whole carton of buttermilk for this recipe, it’s easy to make your own. Simply add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then add regular milk to the 1-cup line and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly curdled and thickened.
The Method
This butter cake is a “high-ratio” cake, which means that the weight of the sugar equals or exceeds the weight of the flour. Instead of the more common “creaming” method (where the butter and sugar are beaten together before the eggs, flour, and liquid are added), high-ratio cakes can be made using the “high-ratio” or “quick-mix” method. This involves mixing all the dry ingredients with the butter and some of the liquid first, then adding the remaining liquid ingredients. This method is not only faster and easier than the traditional creaming method, but it also yields incredibly tender and fine-textured cakes.(Other high-ratio cakes on the site include pound cake, yellow cake, and rum cake.)
How To Make Marble Cake
In a small saucepan, combine the cocoa powder, 1/2 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.
In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
Whisk and set aside. (Note that the mixture will start to look curdled as it sits; that’s okay.)
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 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.
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.
Transfer about 2-1/2 cups of the batter to a medium bowl and add the chocolate mixture.
Whisk until smooth — that’s your chocolate batter.
Spoon half of the remaining vanilla batter into a greased 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 overswirl.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. 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.
Set the baked cake on a cooling rack. Using a skewer or toothpick, poke about 40 holes in the bottom of the still-hot cake, going about 3/4 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.
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.
You May Also Like
- Kentucky Butter Cake
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Walnut Swirl
- Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Bundt Cake
Marble Cake
This marble cake may look fancy, but its flavor is pure old-fashioned goodness.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- Transfer about 2½ cups of the batter to a medium bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.
- 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.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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, check out the easy method here.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This cake keeps well for several days. Once cool, store in a cake dome (or cover with plastic wrap) at room temperature until ready to serve.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Calories: 443
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Sugar: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 223 mg
- Cholesterol: 87 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Wonderful! Followed the excellent directions to the letter and this cake turned out perfect. It smells intoxicating of vanilla and chocolate and both flavor notes really come through in the taste department. The addition of the dark chocolate bar in the chocolate part is genius. My husband kept saying that the chocolate flavor really shines on this. It is a very moist cake. I was impressed by how well it set up and it was just a joy to cut into – firm, moist, full of flavor with a wonderful crumb. The glaze is a wonderful addition—vanilla but somehow highlights the chocolate too. When my one girlfriend saw it she thought she would miss the frosting but she didn’t at all. Just perfect. Another winner, Jenn!
THANKS! You’re the best!
Jenn,
THANK YOU so much for all your wonderful recipes and for making people think I’m a really great cook! Quick question, what is the weight measurement you use for a cup of flour?
I find that I have more success baking when I weigh the ingredients out.
Thanks,
Pam
Hi Pam, so glad you like the recipes! A cup of flour is the equivalent of 130 g. It may be helpful for you to know that most of my recipes have metric/weight conversions. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope you enjoy!
I made your Marble Cake last Thursday for a Friday book club meeting and it was delicious! Using the flour/butter spray was perfect. The cake came out of the pan so easy. My friends loved the cake and I will definitely make it again! Thank you for your delicious recipes!
Marvellous cake.It took me 75 minutes to bake. A bit time consuming to prepare too. But worth all the trouble! Will most certainly make it again👍
I made the chocolate marble cake…. when shopping for the ingredients I could only get a reduced fat buttermilk at the supermarket. Otherwise all the ingredients were the same. I followed the recipe to the tee…. but when the timer went off and I checked for doneness it was too moist. Wound up keeping it in for an extra twenty minutes until my cake tester came out clean. The cake was dry and tasted flat. Was it the combination of less fat in the buttermilk and the extra cooking time?
So sorry the cake didn’t work out, Jane. I don’t think the low-fat buttermilk would cause an issue (I use it, too). Did you use the glaze at the end?
This cake is absolutely the best!! Turned out perfect first time! I have your recipe book and have made many of the recipes. Loved every one!
I made this cake today but it stuck to the bottom of my bundt pan even after I sprayed and floured it. I think the reason may be that my pan is old and worn out. May I ask the name or brand of the bundt pan that you use and where I can purchase one? I would love to make this cake again! Thanks!
Sorry to hear it stuck, Cindy. Thisis similar to the bundt pan I have. I assume you’ll have better luck with a new pan. 🙂
Made this over the weekend. Delicious!!! I’m a chocolate fan, my husband not so much, but he loved this. Next time I will take cake out at 60 minutes (vs 65). Was a little hard to determine doneness when toothpick hit some of the more gooey chocolate so I kept it in the oven a few more minutes. My oven bakes pretty accurately so I should have trusted my instinct that it was done in 60 minutes. And as much as you’d like to dig in immediately after unmolding, DO let the cake rest the 2 hours. This is a very tender cake and the chocolate parts need time to firm up. Jenn, another winner!!!!!
I don’t have buttermilk can I use sour cream? If so how much?
Love love love your website and recipes! Thankful for your talents!!!
Yes, sour cream will work, but you’ll need to thin it out with a little milk. I’d use a combination of the two to get to 1 cup. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Hi Again,
I haven’t tried the marble cake yet, but I’ve made it twice since I read the recipe last week. It’s fun to make! I’ve been busy all weekend baking and freezing for Thanksgiving and beyond. I have ten 26-year-old women coming for a college “reunion” two weeks after Thanksgiving…my daughter and her friends don’t want to give up the tradition, yay me, haha.
My question is this: Why, in this recipe, do you have the dry goods in the mixer and add the liquid to it, when usually, we cream together butter and sugar before adding flour mixture and alternating with egg/milk mixture? I’m so curious! Does it change the crumb of the cake significantly? I would imagine it does because we seem to be beating it a lot more than a typical cake recipe calls for…inquiring minds want to know!
Thanks,
Ruthie
That’s a great question, Ruthie. This is a “high-ratio” cake, which means that the weight of the sugar equals or exceeds the weight of the flour. Instead of the more common “creaming” method (where the butter and sugar are beaten together before the eggs, flour, and liquid are added), high-ratio cakes can be made using the “high-ratio” or “quick-mix” method. This involves mixing all the dry ingredients with the butter and some of the liquid first, then adding the remaining liquid ingredients. This method is not only faster and easier than the traditional creaming method, but it also yields incredibly tender and fine-textured cakes.
Hello,
Thanks for this lovely recipe, I made this today for my aunt’s 60th birthday party.
As delicious as it is, moist, buttery, all round goodness, my cake fell apart 😔
I was able to salvage a few slices… I’d like to know, what I did wrong? Or how I could fix it?
Mine also didn’t marble as beautifully as yours, will probably lessen the chocolate portion next time, or not mix in as much butter.
With all that said, my children were eating all the crumbs and cake pieces as it fell apart – it’s THAT good!
Hi Sa-eeda, Sorry to hear this fell apart! Did it crumble when you were removing it from the pan or when you were slicing it? Did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
I just found this response to my question in November…I’m sorry if all this info was already written at the top. I should know better…I am a teacher and constantly reminding kids to read everything on a page!
No worries!! 🙂