Marble Cake Recipe

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I don’t really know what to call this marble cake. It’s not quite a pound cake and it’s not quite a butter cake. I guess the best way to describe it would be to say it’s my hybrid version of both (Marbuttle?)

When I was in Malaysia, I baked a lot of cakes using my Third Aunt’s Butter Cake recipe (and even that has been modified because I used to put in 8-10 eggs) but when I got to the US, I found that pound cakes were very popular. Even though I liked them, I found that the ones that I tried to bake up were too dry and too sweet for my Asian tastebuds.

After many trials, I’ve come up with this version that is a hybrid of both and every time I bake it, I never have any leftovers! As a matter of fact, someone who recently had some told me it’s the best marble cake she’s ever had, and I have to agree, it’s that good!

It’s All About the Ingredients

I’ve baked this marble cake so many times lately (3 times in a week) that I can tell you that it’s a very easy recipe (also super fattening so thankfully, I baked it for others all those times). It doesn’t take too much effort for such a delicious cake. The trick is to use good butter and also good chocolate. For those who are die-hard chocolate fans, stick to the good stuff. But even with Nestle chocolate chips, I’ve found it’s still good.

The other important ingredient is plain yogurt. That is what makes the whole cake so hard to resist! Somehow, it just complements the buttery flavors and kicks up the vanilla/chocolate tastes.

I find that a marble cake is best when the chocolate part doesn’t overwhelm the vanilla bit so unless you love your chocolate immensely, make sure to take out a bit more than half of the vanilla portion before mixing the chocolate to the rest of the batter.

For the chocolate part of this marble cake, I normally just eyeball the chocolate (so I decided to measure at the last bake and it’s roughly about 100g of chocolate) and put it in a microwave safe bowl and nuke it at 30-second intervals, stirring between intervals, till the chocolate is all melted. Also, do make sure that your bowl is completely dry as any water will cause the chocolate to seize up and never come together in a smooth paste. I have also sometimes added a tablespoon of cocoa powder (Dutch process cocoa powder or natural, doesn’t quite matter) to the chocolate portion along with the melted chocolate. And when I’m feeling naughty, I’ll sometimes add some Grand Marnier to it too!

This recipe does give you a really big cake and I’ve found that when I’m baking it in my fancy bundt pan (Nordic Ware Star bundt pan which has a 10-cup capacity), it will overflow. It works very well to put them into two loaf pans or use a bigger bundt (I have a cheaper, 12-cup one that works really well) so do plan accordingly.

Marble Cake Recipe

Ingredients
3 sticks (12 oz) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature (I’ve cheated by sticking it in the microwave and nuking at 10 second intervals when I had forgotten to take my butter out of the freezer)
scant 2 cups sugar (I’ve gotten away with as little as 1 3/4 cups)
6 extra-large (large will work too) eggs, at room temperature (but if you’ve forgotten to take it out of the fridge ahead of time, it’s ok, this recipe is pretty forgiving)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 cups (15 oz) bleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plain yogurt (if you can use full fat, do so)
scant 1/2 cup milk (whole is better—I know, this is not a fat-free cake ok?)
100g (3.5oz) semi-sweet chocolate (morsels are fine, but if you can use really good dark chocolate, do so—the chocolate flavor will be more pronounced)
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
1 Tbsp Grand Marnier (optional)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Put chocolate in a dry, clean bowl and melt in microwave oven in 30-second intervals, stirring till you get a smooth paste. Remove and let cool a little.

Smooth, Melted Chocolate

Smooth, Melted Chocolate

3. In a stand mixer, or a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar till mixture is fluffy and sugar has been cut in well. I normally use 5-6 speed on my Kitchen Aid for about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat on med-high speed for about 20 seconds after each egg, and scrape down before adding the next one.
5. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

Creamed Cake Batter

Creamed Cake Batter

6. Add dry ingredients (I normally add all the baking soda, baking powder and salt in the first go along with the first larger third portion of flour) in three portions, interspersing with the yogurt and milk and stir gently (use stir setting on Kitchen Aid or stir with a spatula). So basically, this means 1/3 dry ingredients, yogurt, 1/3 dry ingredients, milk, final third dry ingredient. Stir till all traces of flour is gone.
7. Take out half (or a bit more) of the vanilla cake batter and drop it around the bundt pan (I’m being lazy, you can just put it into another bowl and wait till the chocolate is done to put them together into the bundt to get a really nice even mix).

Vanilla Cake Batter in the Bundt

Vanilla Cake Batter in the Bundt

8. Add the melted chocolate and cocoa powder and Grand Marnier (if using) to the remaining batter and stir it in till there are no more streaks of white (or as much as possible, a few streaks will not hurt too much).
9. Interspersing globs of vanilla batter with chocolate batter, drop batter into bundt. In my case, I normally unevenly mound the vanilla in three spots around the bundt, then follow that up by placing the chocolate batter in between the vanilla.
10. Using your spatula, twirl the batter together using a figure-eight motion to mix the batter up to get that nice pretty marble design. Don’t overmix lest you get a light brown cake. The more practice you get doing this, the better your marble cakes begin to look. The flavor won’t be affected even if you don’t get it too right so don’t worry about it too much.

Swirling Chocolate and Vanilla Cake Batter in the Bundt

Swirling Chocolate and Vanilla Cake Batter in the Bundt

11. Smooth out the top of your bundt/loaf pan and put cake in oven to bake. If you’re using loaf pans, start to test the cake after about 40 minutes. If using your bundt, it will need about 1 hour (test after 55 minutes). Cake tester should come out clean when it’s done. I always know when it’s almost ready—the house will smell heavenly!

Finished Marble Bundt Cake

Finished Marble Bundt Cake

A note about using a bundt pan—do invest in a good quality, non-stick one. I really do like the Nordic Ware Pro versions, they are sturdy and work well (a little costly but if you look around, there are deals to be found—I got mine at Costco around Christmas time for under $20) AND they come in all these cool shapes and sizes.

It’s the most awful thing when your bundt pan fails on you and you have cake that doesn’t come out in one piece. Another good trick is to use a non-stick spray to ensure that the cake will come out well. Also, please don’t let the cake sit in the pan for too long (cool it for about 10 minutes and then invert). If you do, it will be much harder to take out.

Enjoy! And please don’t blame me for the hit it’ll take on your hips…I’ve been there myself and have to now restrain myself to baking it for other people and stealing a slice if I happen to be around to share in it (or sometimes, I save a little bit of the batter and bake a cupcake or two to save for myself).

Cheers, Annie

133 thoughts on “Marble Cake Recipe”

  1. I made this cake for my boyfriend for his birthday. After it was cool I sifted some powdered sugar over the top and then drizzled it with ganache. It really turned out beautifully! Thanks for sharing your lovely recipe.

  2. I made this cake today for my son’s teachers day celeb tomorrow at school. It is a huge batter cake! I made 2 medium loaves and full. But mine needs more than 45 minutes at 160C. Kind of watery but it rised beautifully and looked great! Thanks.

  3. Hey annie! I tried your recipe today, however, I use a loaf pan, and the cake still watery after 40mins~! What can i do!

    1. Sorry I didn’t reply sooner–I must have missed this. You bake it until it is done. Normally this cake takes about 55-65 minutes to bake so maybe it just needed more time.

  4. I made this cake yesterday and it was AMAZING!!!! Its a huge hit with my family and friends.. Thank you so much!! ^_^

    1. Enny

      thank you so much for that nice comment! It warms my heart to hear of your success. Please remember to share where you got the recipe from with your friends 🙂 Cheers

  5. I made this last night in a tube pan and it didn’t bake properly — the chocolate parts weren’t cooked. Would you recommend increasing the temperature to 350, which is the usual temp for cakes? Maybe 325 is suitable only for your fancy (i.e., heavy) Nordic bake pan? I’m so sad — I made this for a special luncheon and I can’t serve it. And I even used Scharffen Berger chocolate! :O(

    1. Schipptomylou

      thanks for your comment. Sorry you had a bad result. You can raise the temp to 350 if you want.

      Oven temps can vary a lot, especially if the oven isn’t calibrated right. To ensure your cake is done, start testing at 55 minutes and don’t pull it until the tester comes out clean.

  6. I need to make an 11×15 cake. Would this just need doubled or tripled? Does it make a normal 9×13 cake? Thank you

    1. Hi, just speaking from making the batter to this cake about 10 minutes ago, you shouldn’t have to double it or triple it at all. Make sure you follow the directions on beating it in the beginning and it will get nice and fluffy. I made two 9-inch rounds and had left-over batter that I’m currently trying not to nom.

      Hope that helps!

      ~Dri

  7. Oh my goodness this was amazing. I haven’t even tasted the actual cake yet, but it was amazing. My boyfriend requested marble cake and I spend a good two hours the other day looking for a good recipe. Found this one and decided to give it a try. I used pretty good quality dark chocolate and the moment I opened the package I knew this was going to be heavenly.

    The batter was so light and fluffy that we couldn’t resist tasting it…. and tasting it… and tasting it… and double-checking that it wasn’t our imaginations… and tasting it again. I will feel this later. I also don’t care. Ahem, anyway, I won’t be able to try the cake until tomorrow night when I had it over to my boyfriend, so I will likely post again leaving a review on how he and I think the actual cake is. I just couldn’t wait to tell you how excited I am! If the batter is this good, then the cake must be delish!!

    Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!

    ~Dri (and Lauren, who helped me make it ^.^)

  8. Annie, not only did I bake the Marble Cake tonight, I also read all of the comments. The outcome was far more amazing than I can express. I am so thankful to have stumbbled onto your website. Your recipes are exceptional, easy to follow, and delicious beyond expression. I thank God for your insight and experience in baking. I will continue to use as many recipes as possible, and will tell my friends about your website.
    Very Grateful

    1. Teresa, I am overwhelmed by your praise. I do try my best to post only recipes that I have found great myself. Many times, if a recipe isn’t fantastic, I won’t blog about it (unless to tell people about my failure). I’ve been testing an apple pie recipe about 5 times and still will not blog it till I’m satisfied.

      But taste is so subjective and even though I love this recipe, there are some who don’t. So happy to hear positive reviews though–they’re what keep me going with the blog even when I’m super busy and tired. Thank you again for the really nice comment.

  9. Hi.. I’ve never commented on a recipe before. I got a request to make a marble cake this past weekend, I came across this recipe and I loved it!! love how moist it is.. I was wondering if this could just be a vanilla cake? If so, it will replace my current recipe.. I love the recipe how it is but I mainly get requests for vanilla cake.. I will definitely be making this cake from now on! Thank you so much.

  10. Hi Annie!
    I’m planing to bake this cake recipe for my boyfriend’s birthday. I really like it a lot it sounds a good recipe but I want to do it in a big cupcake pan. How long do I have to leave it in the oven?
    Thank you for your recipe

    1. Dear Maryuri,

      I think Nate didn’t quite read the question right. I’m not sure how big the capacity of your big cupcake pan is. If it’s 10 oz, I would bake it for about 40 mins and then start testing for doneness. Hope that helps.

  11. Hi Annie!

    Would this recipe without the chocolate element be a good vanilla cake? I’m looking for a great, moist and easy wedding cake recipe. (I’ve had a lot of different recipes that are too hard or not moist or that crumble…) Thanks again!

  12. Hi Annie!

    I was so excited to find your marble cake recipe! Have you ever tried this as a cake? (8″ or 9″ round pans) Mine didn’t turn out so well & I was wondering if you had any tips? The cake turned out dense instead of airy & light… it was still moist though! I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, please help!

  13. Hi-
    The cake sounds and looks so good. I would like to try it. Can it be made with unbleached all purpose flour?

    Thanks,
    Jerry

  14. Hey!

    This looks amazing, sorry I’m so late to the party…

    Wondering what you would recommend using as an egg substitute for this recipe? I’d love to give it a shot, so hope you respond!

    1. Niana,

      Thanks for your question. We haven’t used any egg substitutes so we can’t say. What are you planning on using besides egg?

  15. Hi Annie!
    Not sure if you still remember me! 🙂
    I left a comment way back in 2009 about this marble cake and how I make a mess of it as I overfilled the cake pan!
    I halved the recipe today (used a french vanilla flavoured low fat yogurt as that was the only one I’ve got in my fridge) and used a bundt pan and baked for 55 mins.
    It’s HEAVEN! My little one inside me (24 wks old :P) is kicking me hard now! Must be the delicious marble cake!
    PS: I have also “mastered” your green tea tiramisu after several trials! Next on my list is the marbled chocolate cookies!

    Es

    1. Dear Es,
      Yes, I do remember you. I’m so happy to hear that you made it again and that you liked it a lot. That always makes me happy!

  16. I’ve been looking for a “perfect” marble cake recipe and I finally found it. I baked your marble cake this afternoon and I got all praises from my four kids…it was crusty in the outside and heavenly moist in the inside. My ingredients were not even complete (incomplete # of eggs, less sugar), but still it came out so yummy. Thank you so much Annie for sharing this recipe. More power!

    Sandy of Germany

  17. My cake came out great except for the sweetness 🙁 I used canbury chocolate and followed directions to the T….What should I do add more than two cups sugar????

  18. Can I bake in a 13x9x2 pan? If so, IN YOUR OPINION, what kind of height would I get? (I am aiming for @2″) Mucho thanks!!!!

    1. You can bake it in a 13x9x2 pan. I can’t tell you precisely how high it will get but I think based on my own experiences, it will be about 1 1/2 inches high. It might get as tall as 2 inches but probably only at the domed part.

      Hope that helps.

      1. HI! Cakes turned out great! I had to make enough to give me a three tier stack and cake withstood it, beautifully. I didn’t alter recipe at all to bake into 13×9 pan…..it rose perfectly. I bake on convection settings and did it like a pumpkin pie~400* for 5 minutes, then dropped it way down to 325*. I wanted to get the inside done without it drying out/burning sides. Cake was very tasty! Thank you!

  19. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! My mother has always loved marble cake, but always used a mix. I never thought much of marble cake — thought it was a bit old-fashioned — but making this completely changed my mind. What a lovely, lovely recipe! I followed it to a T, and it came out perfectly. One of the very best cakes I’ve ever made, and it is now in my permanent recipe file. So moist and delicious! My mother absolutely LOVED it — thanks again for sharing such an amazing recipe!

  20. Hi Annie, I’m a first time baker, with absolutely not other cooking sense in the kitchen, and I’m willing to try this one out, so wish me luck.

    I do not have a Kitchenaid, but my kitchen does have a Breville Planetary BEM800 Stand Mixer. It does not have speed numbers, instead it has “Aerating / Whipping”, “Creaming, Beating”, “Light Mixing”, “Folding / Kneading” and “Pause”.

    My question is:
    – what would be your KitchenAid 5-6 speed equivalent to the above setting?

    Cheers.
    Nokko

  21. Annie, I tried the marble cake recipe for the first time. I have problems with the melted chocolate. Mixing the melted chocolate with my cake mix caused lumps. The chocolate hardened and didn’t mix well. I sieved the mixture and the cake turned out wonderful. What did I do wrong?

    1. Maimoonah,

      thanks for your comment. What kind of chocolate did you use?

      Sometimes the chocolate will sieze up and form lumps. Sieving the mixture will solve that problem, or you can just leave it. It won’t look as nice, but it will still taste good 😉

  22. Hi annie, for the ingredient: 100g (3.5oz) semi-sweet chocolate. Is this referring to the cooking chocolate that normally in a bar form?

    Thanks.

    1. Dear Ting,
      No, I am not referring to cooking chocolate. I find that cooking chocolate does not taste good but that is my personal opinion. If you have no other choice, then go ahead but if you can get regular semi-sweet chocolate (that you would choose to eat yourself), use that instead. I recommend Trader Joe’s pound-plus bars if there is a Trader Joe’s near you.

  23. I made this as a 9×13 cake since my just turned 3-year-old chose ” some chocolate and some vanilla” for his birthday cake. Everyone loved it and it is good. It turned out slightly dry but I think I overbaked it. I baked at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes and then 325 degrees F for 45-50 minutes. It rose beautifully and I did fully aereate the butter and sugar .. I just suggest either skipping the 400 for 5 or check it at 40 minutes on the 325 if you bake at the 400 for 5.

    I was so glad to find this recipe since the only recipe I had called for yellow batter and chocolate syrup – that’s not a marble cake to me. This was so much better. And my son helped me make the frosting … we had a great time with it.

    Thank you for posting this and all the commenters who helped verify it’s goodness so I could feel confident making it.

    1. Dear Donna,
      If you follow my instructions, I never start with 400 F. I just do it at 325 for the entire bake time. I think it just depends on your oven. For me, baking it at 325 F has never been a problem though for others, they found that their cake was underbaked and took longer. I think you just have to know your own oven and how it performs.

      I’m glad you enjoyed it and that you had fun baking with your son. I’ve never thought to frost this cake. You should post a picture of it on our Facebook page–I’d love to see it.

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