This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
FREE EMAIL BONUS:
5 Secrets to 20 Minute Dinners!
Tips, tricks, and recipes for dinner in a hurry!
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.
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
Can I Use Sour Cream?
Yes, you can. Sour cream makes marble cake extra moist.
Substitute milk in the recipe with the same amount of sour cream (4 tablespoons).
What Cake Pan to Use for Homemade Marble Cake?
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.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 373 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.
For more great recipes like this, sign up for our newsletter. We’ll send daily recipes you’ll love!
Sign up for our newsletter!
Marble Cake
Ingredients
- 7 oz. all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (225 g unsalted butter, at room temperature)
- 7 oz. 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 some butter.
- Mix the flour and the baking powder together and sieve. Add in salt and mix well. Set aside.
- Use an electronic hand mixer or stand mixer to mix butter and sugar until well combined or pale yellow in color. Add in the first egg. Beat well after each addition of egg until creamy. Scrape down the sides and add in vanilla extract. Fold the flour into the mixture and mix well. Add in 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. Shake it lightly to distribute evenly.
- Pour the cocoa batter in the middle of baking pan, and lightly swirl the cocoa batter with a butter knife. I usually make a "S" shape with the butter knife a few times. Do not over mix.
- Bake until golden brown and cooked, about 40 minutes. If the top turns too brown before the cake is set, cover the top with aluminum foil at 20 minutes mark to prevent the top from being too brown and crusty.
- Insert a cake tester in the middle of the cake to test doneness. Bake longer if the middle of the cake is still wet. Remove it from the oven and let cool on the wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pan, slice and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi Bee!
Can you tell me the measurements for your mini loaf pans? I have lots of sizes.
Thanks!
There are different sizes of mini loaf pans. 5 1/2 by 3 inches
If I want to make in a regular square pan. Can I follow this recipe.
Yes, you can use any pan you like, square or round.
Yes you can! :)
Such a simple and delicious recipe! I added raisins, baked for about 50 min at 190 degrees (celsius) in a large loaf pan. Managed to wait 5 mins after de-panning the cake before cutting off both sides of the crust and devouring them. :P
Hi Cas, yes this is an amazing marble cake recipe, so good!
May i know the weight of this cake????
Hi Hema, I am not sure how much this marble cake weights after baking!
Hi,Can i ask for this recipe what size of pan ?
Mini loaf pan.
It turned out sooo delicious. It was soft,fluffy,buttery and tasted awesome.Thnx for this recipe.
I baked at 185°C for 40 mins and last 20 mins covered with foil and then baked.
Awesome Rabiya, so glad you tried this marble cake recipe.
Haven’t even made the recipe yet, but I already love this recipe! Can’t wait to have a slice of this with a cup of coffee: YUM!
Hi, like to try your marble cake recipe but my son is allergic to egg white. Is there any recommended substitute for the eggs?
Anne
Hi Reema! I tried the marble cake recipe yesterday. The taste was super moist and delicious. But the problem was the top layer was hard and crusted. The cake sunk in the middle and a little portion was uncooked. I used a loaf pan. I’m also not able to figure out what happened. What do you think I did wrong?
You need to bake longer. Cover the top of the cake with aluminum foil half way into the baking, or when the top has set.
Hi, can I use 8-inch round pan to bake this? Would love to try this but I don’t have any square pans at home and am not too sure how to adjust the recipe for an 8-inch pan.
Yes, it works just fine. I have tried it. It works the same, for baking time, check at 30 minutes point and bake until the inside is cooked through.
That marble cake waken a lot of childhood memories. I love all of your recipes and I just made that cake.
Thank you Rasa
Hi Reema, thanks for trying my marble cake recipe.