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This homemade Marble Cake is so moist and and buttery. Easy marble cake recipe with deep chocolate flavors. Every bite is chocolatey and sweet. 5 stars.
Marble Cake Recipe From Scratch
Marble cake is one of my favorite cakes.
It is a rich, moist and buttery cake with chocolate swirls. Every bite is chocolatey, sweet and decadent.
It is great with a cup of coffee or tea and I enjoy it whenever I need a quick sweet bite.
This is the easiest and the best marble cake recipe step by step, adapted from my butter cake recipe. The taste is 5 stars!
How To Make Marble Cake
In this recipe, you will learn how to make the cake mix with the following ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Cocoa powder
Mix the cocoa powder to make the chocolate batter. Follow the steps in the recipe card and learn the techniques on how to create the marble effect in the cake.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Marble Cake Without Chocolate
You can use chocolate in the cake but I prefer to use cocoa powder because it’s easier.
Cocoa powder doesn’t compromise the taste.
This recipe is guaranteed to yield a cake that is rich, buttery with deep chocolate flavors.
Baking Tips
For the best results, please follow the tried and tested tips below:
- Grease the cake pan generously with butter.
- Regardless of the size of pan used, double and stack two pans together before baking. This will make sure that the cake doesn’t have a thick brown crust and have a softer texture.
- Cover the top of the cake at 20 minutes mark in the oven. This will make sure that the top of the cake is not too brown.
- Let cool the cake on wire rack for 30 minutes before removing from the pan. This will ensure that the bottom of the cake doesn’t stick to the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. Sour cream makes marble cake extra moist. Substitute milk in the recipe with the same amount of sour cream (4 tablespoons).
I baked the cake with mini loaf pans because I love small packages. The batter makes three mini loaves. You can also use regular loaf pan (9×5 inch) or standard rectangle cake pan measuring 9×9-inch or 8×8-inch.
This recipe is only 310 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Serve the cake with coffee or tea. For an afternoon tea party, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
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Marble Cake
Ingredients
- 7 oz. (200g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 7 oz. (200g) sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a pan with butter. Mix the flour and baking powder together, then sift. Add the salt and mix well. Set aside.
- Use an electronic hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the butter and sugar until well combined and pale yellow in color. Add the first egg and beat well after each egg addition until creamy. Scrape down the sides, then add the vanilla extract. Fold the flour into the mixture and mix well. Add the milk.
- Divide the batter into two portions. Stir the cocoa powder into one portion and mix well. Transfer the plain batter into the greased baking pan and shake it lightly to distribute it evenly.
- Pour the cocoa batter into the middle of the baking pan and lightly swirl it with a butter knife. I usually make an "S" shape with the knife a few times. Be careful not to overmix.
- Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. If the top browns too quickly before the cake is set, cover it with aluminum foil at the 20-minute mark to prevent it from becoming too brown and crusty.
- Insert a cake tester into the center of the cake to check for doneness. If the middle is still wet, bake for a little longer. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then, remove it from the pan, slice, and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Bee, I was in malaysia a couple of months ago and had some marble cake that I loved. I found your recipie and I am very grreatfull as I have been craving the marble cake I had in malaysia and after making it and the first bite took me straight back to Malaysia. Thanks for sharing this lovely cake.
Hi Andy, yes, this marble cake recipe is excellent. I don’t know why the marble cake found in the US is so dry and not very tasty. So glad that you were in Malaysia. Our food is absolutely some of the finest in the whole world!!
Can I use a 9X9 inch square pan? do I need to adjust the recipe? Roughly how long to bake?
Yes you can but I am not sure about the exact time of baking, you can use a cake tester to check doneness.
I tried and a bit dry
Hmmm, it shouldn’t be, it’s supposed to be very buttery.
I tried is a bit dry
Hi,
I tried your recipe word by word and ingredient by ingredient 100% as you have written and it turned out to be a hit!! everyone LOVED it, i wish i could post the pics of my cake here. THANKYOUUUU for sharing this HIT RERCIPIE!!! One thing though, i once tasted a marble cake at a friend’s and its texture was not web like, it was more moist and i did not feel like having a liquid like tea of coffee with it. Our marble cake just feels like odinary sponge cake in texture. Could you suggest an alteration to our cake so it is more moist?
Thanks!! cheers xxx :)
You can use sour cream or yogurt instead of milk in the recipe.
Why is my marble cake dense and damp? The top part has turn to a dark brown shade and when I poke with a toothpick, it came out clean. I am new to baking
I made both your butter cake and marble cake and they turned out super delicious! My family loved it :)
Do you happen to have recipe for butter almond cake by any chance? Will like to try something different.
Thank you once again :)
Hi
When i put the cake into the oven, what should the heat be set to?
Same temperature no need to adjust
Hi Bee,
Just wondering if you have any tips,
when the cupcakes first came out of the oven, they were super nice and fluffy to eat. delicious.
But the next day.. they got a bit harder? or denser? is this because it is too moist? or because it’s too dry? i couldn’t tell..
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks,
v
Yes the next day is usually dryer and harder because it loses the moist. You can wrap tight with shrink wrap to prevent that.
OMG this is indeed the best marble cake, ever !! I have been dying to eat marble cake but it is so hard to find dense, moist, buttery ones these days without the sweetness being too overpowering. Decided to bake one myself (and for the baby in the belly) and although my marble cake swirls Failed, it still tasted yummmmmmy!! Not perfect outlook wise for my first bake cos maybe I am still getting used to my oven, my cake ended up splitting at the top a little, and was slightly crusty.. but practice makes perfect. So long the taste is fantastic, it doesn’t have to look fantastic for me. loL. Thanks for your recipe!! It’s a keeper!
Oh my swirls failed but it looks like the brownie butter cake instead.. Hahaha..