The Best Marble Cake Recipes

MARVELOUS MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• In top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over barely simmering water, melt chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter; stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature., Preheat oven to 375°. Line bottoms of three greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease parchment., In a large bowl, cream remaining butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition., Remove 2 cups batter to a small bowl; stir in cooled chocolate mixture and, if desired, chocolate chips, until blended. Drop plain and chocolate batters by tablespoonfuls into prepared pans, dividing batters evenly among pans. To make batter level in pans, bang cake pans several times on counter., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency., If cake layers have rounded tops, trim with a serrated knife to make level. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cool slightly., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake., Drop cooled chocolate by 1/2 teaspoonfuls over frosting. Using a large offset spatula, smear chocolate to create a marble design in frosting.

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray or lightly butter two 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.
• Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated and brown sugars and beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes until creamed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs then the egg yolks one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. Use a whisk to rid any large lumps, if needed. The batter will be slightly thick.
• Remove 1 cup of yellow batter and pour into a medium bowl. Melt 4 ounces of chocolate in the microwave, stopping and stirring every 20 seconds until completely smooth. Pour chocolate into the 1 cup of yellow batter you set aside and stir until combined.
• Pour an even layer of the yellow batter into each cake pan. Spoon chocolate batter on top, as shown in the photo above. Pour remaining yellow batter on top of the chocolate. Using a knife, swirl the two batters together. Don't worry if it's not perfect.
• Bake the layers for 22-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one cake comes out clean. Mine usually take 24 minutes. During bake time, loosely cover the cakes with aluminum foil if you find the tops are browning too quickly. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and cream with the mixer running on low. Once added, increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add 1-2 more Tablespoons confectioners' sugar if frosting is too thin or 1-2 more Tablespoons of cream if frosting is too thick. Taste the frosting and add a pinch more salt if it's too sweet.
• If needed, level cakes to create a flat surface (I usually use a knife, be careful doing this!). Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or large serving plate. Evenly spread about 3/4 cup frosting on top. Top with 2nd cake and spread the remaining frosting all over the sides and top. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Slice and serve.
• Cover any leftover cake and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• 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.

MARBLE CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan.
• Place flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter or margarine, eggs, vanilla, and milk into mixing bowl. Beat slowly to moisten, then beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. Reserve 3/4 cup batter; pour the remainder into pan.
• Stir cocoa into the 3/4 cup reserved batter. Drop by spoonfuls over top of white batter. Using a knife, swirl the cocoa batter into the white batter to incorporate it in a marble effect.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour. Set aside 1/3 of the batter.
• In a bowl, mix cocoa and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add the cocoa mixture to the reserved cake batter; stir until well combined.
• Spoon batters into the prepared pan in 2 layers, alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate to simulate a checkerboard. To create marbling, run a table knife (or wooden skewer) through the batters in a swirling motion.
• Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn out cake from pan and cool completely on the rack. Cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

MARBLE CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Put the first 5 ingredients into the bowl of your mixer. Mix on low speed for at least 30 seconds to combine.
• Add the softened butter (cut into pieces) mix on low speed just until it looks like coarse sand. The dry ingredients will be moistened/coated by the butter and will stick to together if you press some between two fingers. Don't over-mix or it will turn into a large dough-like ball.
• Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing until blended.
• Add the vanilla to the 1 1/4 cup buttermilk. With the mixer on lowest speed gradually pour into the mixer. Increase the speed to #2 or # 3 (on a KitchenAid mixer). Mix for about 2 minutes, batter will be smooth and fluffy. If you are using a hand mixer rather than a stand mixer, mix a bit longer.
• Mix 4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder with 3 to 4 Tablespoons very hot water. Stir until smooth & set aside.
• Put 1 1/2 cups cake batter into a medium sized bowl and stir in the chocolate mixture to create chocolate batter. Set aside.
• Put about a cup of yellow batter into each of the three pans & spread, then add a few dollops of chocolate batter by the spoonful to each of the pans. Swirl with offset spatula or knife (we usually use something about 1/2 inch wide). Add more yellow batter by the spoonful, adding chocolate batter here and there until finished. Swirl this newly added yellow and chocolate. Be careful not to over-swirl- you'll lose the contrasting colors.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then turn out.

OLD-FASHIONED MARBLE BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• For the vanilla batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with the baking spray.
• Combine the butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. Stop and scrape the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula. Add 2 of the eggs at a time, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape the bowl.
• Add half of the cake flour and mix on low speed just until combined. Add the cream and buttermilk and mix again on low speed just until combined. Scrape the bowl.
• Add the remaining cake flour and start mixing on low speed to combine, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 4 minutes.
• For the chocolate batter: Transfer 2 cups of the vanilla batter to a medium bowl. Add the cocoa, sugar and baking powder and stir with a fork or small whisk until completely combined. Add the hot water and stir slowly until completely combined.
• Pour about half of the vanilla batter into the prepared pan. Dollop about half of the chocolate batter on top. Repeat with the remaining vanilla and chocolate batters. Run a skewer or butter knife through the pan to slightly swirl the 2 batters together.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 65 to 70 minutes. The cake will rise to fill the pan and will settle slightly once removed from the oven. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F and generously grease and flour two 8" round cake pans (you may instead use 9" pans, just keep in mind you will need to bake the cake for about 5 minutes less than indicated). Set aside.
• Place chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well, and then return to microwave and heat in 15-second increments, stirring well in between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside.
• Using an electric or stand mixer, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy (about 30 seconds on high speed).
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pause as needed to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
• Stir in vanilla extract.
• In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Using a spatula and gently hand-mixing, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter/oil batter, starting and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix!
• Pour ⅓-½ of the batter into a separate bowl and add chocolate mixture. Stir until completely combined and batter is evenly chocolate.
• Alternate adding vanilla and chocolate batter to each pan, evenly distributing batter into each pan. Use a knife to swirl for marbled appearance.
• Bake on 350F (175C) for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean but with a few moist crumbs (do not over-bake or the cake will be dry, you want there to be a few crumbs).
• Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes before carefully inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

THE BEST MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Spray Bundt cake with non-stick.
• Microwave chocolate with 20-30 sec intervals. Stir and repeat until most of the chocolate is melt but not all (usually takes 1 minute). I usually do not let it melt completely, which creates a nice effect in the cake.
• Combine cake mix, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, vegetable oil, sugar and water. Beat on high for around 3 minutes.
• Stir third of the batter into the melted chocolate, mix well.
• Spread half of the vanilla batter in the pan, then the chocolate batter and then the rest of the vanilla batter. Swirl the batters with a butter knife to create the marble effect.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, cool for 20 minutes in pan, remove from pan and cool completely.
• For the icing: melt the chocolate and butter (you can do this in the microwave as well, but be careful).
• Cool the mix for 5-10 minutes, add sour cream and then the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.
• Spread the icing on the cake when it has cooled completely.