Moist and Tender Marble Cake
A simply PERFECT recipe for the all-time classic cake! Super-moist with a tender crumb that slices like velvet. The vanilla and chocolate marry beautifully in texture, yet pleasantly contrast in color and flavor. A luscious milk chocolate ganache glaze, takes it over the top!
I have a long long loooooooooong list on my phone’s notes for things I want to bake.
Many of which are of things I’ve never made before and can’t wait to explore, a whole lot are of oldies that I’m determined to tweak to perfection, and quite a bit are of crazy concoctions that I’m dying to test out!
Out of the dozens and dozens of recipes that made it on my To-Bake-List, marble cake was never one of them.
Because to be honest…boooooooooooring.
To me, marble cake was nothing but a dull, confused cake lacking any distinction between the vanilla and chocolate components. This “supermarket” cake is more often than not dry, and the chocolate flavor could be confused with brown food coloring. Those that did a better job at delivering a more robust chocolate flavor, fell in textural issues. There was just no harmony in consistency between the vanilla and chocolate portions.
It just never really hit the spot.
I blame it on both consuming (and making) my fair share of mediocre marble cakes. So much so that I’d long chosen to close the book on it and never look back.
Until…
Until my sister-in-law pushed my buttons.
She told me that they’ve been living off of this overpriced loaf of marble cake from one of Cairo’s finest bakeries. She kept going on and on about how good it is, but she’d rather have a homemade version in her back pocket. When she asked me if I had a good recipe, I answered her with: “I divorced marble cakes a long time ago.”
But then when my other sister-in-law said that she too had been buying the same cake, followed by my mom’s equally shocking confession, it was like a big slap on the face! A wake up call that marble cakes haven’t lost its charm, and that I better give it the attention it deserves.
I had absolutely no idea that such an old cake still had this huge appeal.
That’s it! I’m convinced! Bring on the marble cake!
All I needed was a really good recipe to start with. Easy right?
Wrong!
I tried SO many recipes in the past 3 weeks to find THE one, that I never want to see a marble cake again!
Until next week 😀
Many trails later, tweaks here and there and several frustrating attempts at getting the chocolate portion right, I could finally say that I now have a marble cake recipe worthy of sharing with you.
This recipe takes the marble cake from “meh” to deeeeeeelish! It is actually now such a delight to eat, that it has become a regular at our house. Look who was hating on marble cakes earlier?! Oh people change…C’mon. Or in that case, recipes change.
And my sister-in-law, the reason behind all this…couldn’t agree more. She said that it is ” the best marble cake ever!”
The cake is a far cry from all my marble cake nightmares.
It is superbly moist (thanks to sour cream and a generous amount of butter in the batter) with a delicate crumb that slices like velvet. The chocolate and vanilla components have the perfect yin-yang relationship. Each distinct and special in it own right, yet harmoniously marry in texture and consistency.
The vanilla cake base is warm, aromatic and buttery while the chocolate swirl is rich in flavor without tasting dark and bitter. Which makes it perfect for kids and adults a like. The chocolate component has the exact same texture as its vanilla counterpart, not denser or drier as it often is. I employed several tricks to achieve that, which I’ll explain further in the step-by-step visuals.
To take the cake’s deliciousness a step further, I can’t even recommend this chocolate ganache glaze enough. Pour it on top of the cake or straight in your mouth and you’ll feel like you’ve gone to chocolate heaven. It is hands down the most delicious milk chocolate glaze I’ve ever tasted.
We really need to pause for it just a second because it is UNREAL!
I borrowed the recipe from my newest addition to my cookbook collection, The Baking Bible by Rose Levy Bernanbaum where its called ‘custom rose blend ganache.’ Rose uses a combination of white chocolate (which I’m not a fan of btw) and dark chocolate thinned out with some hot heavy cream. The result is a milk chocolate ganache that triumphs all milk chocolate ganaches! It is not too sweet, perfectly balanced and incredibly creamy.
If you’re not gonna make it for this marble cake, then please do yourself a favor and make it for EVERYTHING else.
Now let’s talk cake, shall we?
You’ll begin by beating the butter on its own until very creamy and ribbon-like. Then you’ll add in the sugar.
Then you’ll beat the heck out of them until the mixture turns very pale in color and SO fluffy! Like soon….
Then goes in 2 eggs and a yolk; one after the other. Make sure you beat well after each addition. Then add in a generous amount of vanilla. Because why not?
In goes 1/3 the amount of the flour mixture (which includes a lot of cornstrach for tenderness, leaveners and some salt), then 1/2 the amount of a mixture of sour cream and milk (oh sour cream batters, how do I love thee).
Repeat…1/3 flour mixture, rest of sour cream mixture and ending with the flour.
To make the chocolate marbling batter, you’ll make a chocolate paste from unsweetened cocoa powder, hot milk, melted butter, a little sugar and teeny bit of baking soda. Then you’ll fold that into 1 1/2 cups of the vanilla cake batter.
*BAKING SCIENCE ALERT! Through experimentation, I found that while the recipes that folded melted dark chocolate into the vanilla batter, produced a bold chocolate flavor, it lend to a texture that was more brownie-like and dense. Not that brownie is a bad thing, but I just didn’t like how differently it felt on the tongue compared to the vanilla cake portion. When I tried just folding some cocoa powder into the batter as some recipes call for, it dried out the cake. A combination of cocoa powder and water/or butter was a bit better but tasted bitter. So I ended up using a mixture cocoa powder (for minimal textural change), some sugar (to counter the bitterness of the cocoa powder), some butter and milk (for added moisture and richness) and finally a tiny bit of baking soda (for some lift, so the chocolate proportion is as fluffy as the vanilla).
Now marbling time!
We prefer our marble cake “not so marbled.” That is, the vanilla and chocolate in opposite ends (like a yin-yang) with very little mixing, and this is what I’ll show you here. *If you prefer a more layered and mixed marbling effect, be sure to check the instructions for that in that ‘NOTES’ section of the recipe.
To get the yin-yang look, you’ll want to use the back of a spoon to make a tunnel in the middle of the batter, all around the pan. Spoon the chocolate batter into the tunnel, avoiding the sides. Using a butter knife, swirl the 2 batters together in an ‘S’ shape motion.
P.S: If you prefer more (or less) chocolate coverage in relation to the vanilla cake, than what you see here…worry not! I’ll tell you exactly how you could customize it your own liking in the ‘NOTES’ section of the recipe.
Into the oven it goes and comes out into this beauty.
The choice is all yours now. Leave it as is; nice and simple with a cup of coffee or tea…
Or shower it with an avalanche of powdered sugar…
Or drizzle with that incredible glaze.
Either way…
This cake will not disappoint.
And turn marble cake snobs (like my old self) into lovers.
Moist and Tender Marble Cake

A simply PERFECT recipe for the all-time classic cake! Super-moist with a tender crumb that slices like velvet. The vanilla and chocolate marry beautifully in texture, yet pleasantly contrast in color and flavor. A luscious milk chocolate ganache glaze, takes it over the top!
Ingredients
For the cake base:
- 2 cups plus 3 tablespoon (7 3/8oz, 210g) all purpose flour (see note below)
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (1 3/8 oz, 40g) cornstarch (*see note for substitution)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (6.4oz, 181g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 cup (8oz, 227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2oz, 300g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (1 1/2 tablespoons if using imitation vanilla extract)
For the chocolate marbling: (*see note below for increasing or decreasing the amount of chocolate marble according to your preference)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (30g/ 1 1/8oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon (1/2 oz, 15g) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
For the milk chocolate ganache glaze:
- 2.7 oz/ 77g white chocolate containing cocoa butter (I used Lindt), chopped
- 1.4 oz/ 40g semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, (I used Hershey's semisweet chocolate chips
- chopped
- 1/3 cup (2.7 oz/ 77g) heavy whipping cream, very hot
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Butter and flour (or generously spray with a non-stick cooking spray) a 10-cup bundt pan (*see note).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup (or a small bowl) whisk together the sour cream and milk. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl and an electric hand mixer), beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, ribbon-like and slightly lightened up; 2 to 3 minutes.
- With the mixer running on medium-low speed, gradually add in the sugar. Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating together until lightened up in both color and texture; 4 to 5 minutes. The color should turn very pale (almost white) and texture should look fluffy.
- Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and beat together for one minute.
- On lowest speed, add in one-third of the flour mixture and mix until mostly combined. Add in half of the sour cream/milk mixture and lightly stir until almost mixed in. Continue with adding another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining sour cream and ending with the last third of flour mixture. Mix until just combined and a smooth batter forms. Do not overmix. With a rubber spatula, give the batter one good, final stir to make sure that everything is well incorporated.
- Remove 1 1/2 cups of the batter from the bowl and set aside.
To make the chocolate marbling:
- In a medium bowl, combine the milk, butter and sugar and heat in the microwave until the butter has melted. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add in the cocoa powder and stir really well until there are no lumps and a very thick chocolate paste forms. Add in the baking soda and stir again.
- Take a few tablespoons from the reserved vanilla cake batter and stir really well into the chocolate paste to lighten it up. Add the remaining reserved cake batter into the chocolate mixture and fold until evenly incorporated and no light streaks remain.
- (Note: The following method of marbling creates a cake with subtle marbleness, meaning that the vanilla and chocolate portions are more distinct in 2 different ends like a yin yang, instead of them being throughly mixed in a zebra-like pattern. It's just a matter of preference. Please see note below for a more layered marbling effect). Transfer the vanilla cake batter into the prepared pan, then using the back of a spoon, make a tunnel in the middle, around the pan. Spoon the chocolate batter into the tunnel, avoiding the sides. Using a butter knife, swirl the 2 batters together in an 'S' shape motion.
- Bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the center springs back to the touch and a skewer inserted down the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist but cooked crumbs attached.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes then invert on to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve plain or dust with powered sugar or drizzle with the milk chocolate ganache glaze (recipe below) if you prefer.
- The cake will keep for 3 days stored in air-tight container, at room temperature.
To make the milk chocolate ganache glaze:
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine together both chocolates and heat in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds, until almost completely melted; about 1 1/2 minutes.
- Remove from the microwave and stir until completely melted.
- Pour the hot cream on top of the chocolates and stir until completely smooth. It will look broken at the beginning but will come together just fine as you continue to stir. If you'd like, press the glaze through a fine-mesh strainer for a smoother finish.
- Allow the ganache to cool a bit, until it mounds slightly before smoothly disappearing; about 1/2 an hour.
- Use the glaze right away or cover until ready to use, reheating it in 3 second bursts in the microwave until desired consistency is achieved.
Recipe Notes
- Cornstarch is used in combination with the all-purpose flour in this recipe to imitate the results of cake flour, which produces a finer and more tender crumb. Cake flour could be hard to find in some areas, so this trick works like a charm. If you have cake flour on hand, by all means use that instead of the all purpose flour/cornstarch combo. You will then need to use a total of 2 1/2 cups (8.7oz/ 250g) cake flour.
- A larger bundt pan maybe used, however it may bake faster, so check earlier than the suggested timing for doneness. Although I haven't tried it myself, but I believe that this recipe will work just fine divided between 2 loaf pans.
- My family prefers a 3:1 ratio of vanilla to chocolate cake. However, I understand that this can vary from one person to another. Some people like almost equal amounts of chocolate and vanilla, while others like a barely there chocolate swirl. Here's how you could personalise it to suite your taste:
For less chocolate batter:
Mix only 1 cup of the vanilla batter in this amount of chocolate paste:
1/4 cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons sugar
A pinch of baking soda
For more chocolate batter:
Mix 2 cups of the vanilla batter in this amount of chocolate paste:
1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/8 teaspoon baking soda
- To create a more layered marbling effect, that is more mixed in with the vanilla batter, so you get both the chocolate and vanilla in one bite, alternate between batter layers. Start by filling the bottom of the pan with 1/3 of the vanilla cake batter, followed by 1/3 of the chocolate batter, then cover with another third of the vanilla batter, then another third chocolate, the remaining vanilla then finishing off with the chocolate. Using a butter knife, swirl together in an 'S' shaped motion, but don't over do it.
- The beautiful bundt pan that I used is called Fleur De Lis by Nordicware.
Marble Cake recipe: A Cleobuttera Original
Milk chocolate ganache glaze adapted from The Baking Bible
Measurements Note: All recipes of this site have been developed using weight measurements. Although US volume measurements have been included for your convenience, it is highly encouraged that you weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale to get the best possible results. Due to the sensitive nature of baking, kitchen scales are proven to yield more accurate and consistent results than measuring cups. Enjoy!
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Gorgeous as usual! Love all your posts!
Thank you Sabrina! The feeling mutual! I love everything you post too 🙂
Its in the oven, can’t wait to try it!
I’ll have to try this, I’ve never had anything other than “meh” marble cakes
Hahahaaa 😀 Oh yeah! ‘Meh’ cakes are seriously a waste of time and calories. This one is more like ‘YUM!’
IT LOOKS AMAZINGLY DIVINE!!! It looks a lot like my Grandma’s marble cake, which is one of her signature desserts! She would be proud if she saw your work of art!
This brings me to another point, which is I’m following a whole food diet, so all purpose flour is a big no no. This prevented me from eating her marble cake for months and I’ve been craving it badly. Do you think that whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour would work? I think they’ll be too dense, but I can’t think of something to lighten them up.
Thanks for sharing this with everyone, since every family needs a magnificent marble cake recipe. 😀
For some reason marble cakes are always associated with either mothers and grandmothers or the supermarket’s bakery section. Don’t you think? They are kind of nostalgic I have to admit. I wish I could get the blessings of your grandmother for that one 🙂
Hmmmm…wholewheat flour are kind of tricky because they absorb more liquid than white flour and have less gluten which prevents them from having the proper structure needed for rising well; hence the density problem. So several alternations are needed in the recipe to achieve fluffy results and avoid a squat cake. To be honest, I’ve only ever tried baking with wholewheat flour in bread recipes, so I don’t have much experience in that field to be able to advise on how to approach it. White wholewheat flour is probably a better option though. I really wish I could better help you, but I’d be lying if I told you that I knew what you should do.
Good luck with your diet and thanks for your comment!
Well it took a while, but I finally got a chance to bake something in kitchen after a hiatus! I decided to try baking this cake, but I substituted the flour to a healthier one. I used the gluten free all purpose flour, and yoghurt instead of sour cream. The rest of the ingredients and steps were followed precisely.
Not only was it exceedingly healthy with those substitutions, but it was amazingly delicious! It tasted just like my Grandma’s! It was fluffy, perfect flavour, sugar was optimum and texture was out of this world!
I thank you so much for that, as you’re the reason that this happened, and from now on I know where to head when I want an amazing recipe for baked goodies.
Mohamed you gave no idea how happy your comment makes me! I’m so thankful that this recipe did not turn you down and that it still worked well with your substitutions. I’m sure your experience will be of great help to other gluten intolerant readers, who are interested in this cake. Thank you so much for taking the time to write your feedback and I’m honored that you think of this blog as a trusted source for good recipes.
This looks AMAZING!! Need to try it ASAP!
Thank you and please do!
the fact that I pinned the recipe before even beginning to read the post means that this is an epic cake. I can feel it in my bones! plus we’ve not had a marble cake in forever. ooh, and our bundt tin needs to come out of retirement! I can’t wait to bake it!
Hahaaa I love your sense of humor 😀 It really is one great cake that I think you’re gonna love. Your bones won’t let you down 🙂 I’m killing my bundt pans from all the usage, it is the marble cake that I thought had retired. Turns out I was wrong BIG time!
This cake is making me crave marble cake. I LOVE the picture with the powdered sugar raining down!
I never ever craved marble cakes until I actually made a good one and now I want them everyday 🙂 Thank you for your sweet compliment.
Hi:)) is there something i can substitute sour cream with? Can’t seem to find it anywhere:(
Hi Noura!
Although I haven’t tried it so I can’t confirm, but I just got a feedback on Facebook from someone who made the recipe using yogurt instead and she said that and I quote her “super moist and delicious.” So I think its safe to say to go ahead and substitute the sour cream with yogurt, just be sure that it’s full fat and if you could get your hands on Greek-style, even better 🙂
Happy baking!
OMG!! Every picture is stunning!! I want to take a shower under that powdered sugar avalanche and then drink the chocolate ganache and then eat thin cake slices with my hands, slice by slice (i don’t know why with my hands, but it is what I want to do) and then drink a cup of dirty chai tea and then relax and look at more recipes. Going to make the recipe this week, on top of my to-do list, so excited! I can almost taste it! Almost…Thank you for another Cleobuttera Original!
Blanca your comment made laugh so hard, you must’ve typed it on an empty stomach ? And by the way…nothing beats eating cake with your hands. Forget the fork; it just isn’t the same! I’m so excited for you to try it. I hope you love it 🙂
Hi Tasbih, can this be made in a circular cake tin instead of a bundt pan?
Hi Sarah! Although I’ve never tried it in any other form other than bundt, I’m pretty confident that it would work just fine in round pan form. You’ll need to divide the batter over two 9-inch round pans or three 8-inch ones.
Best of luck & please let me know how they turn out once you try it, so others could benefit from your experience.
Hi! This looks lovely! Wondering if this would work for a Chocolate orange marble combo? I’m thinking of replacing the milk with fresh orange juice and adding some zest. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
Hi Mahvish!
Chocolate & orange marble sounds lovely and you have a pretty great idea on how to make it. Your additions and substitutions would work really well. I’d add a ton of orange zest if you really want the flavor to come through to compensate for the little amount of orange juice. One to three tablespoons depending on how strong you like it shall do the trick.
Enjoy 🙂
Thank you, I’m going to give it a try and report back 🙂
So I tried the chocolate and orange variation…annnnddd….it is by far, THE best marble cake recipe I have ever made! So so tender and lovely! I ended up subbing yogurt for the sour cream, and it still turned out super light and moist. Thank you ever so much, Tasbih! Next on the list are your Pecan Pie Bars 😀
That is the best news EVAAAA!!! Mahvish you have no idea how happy this makes me. I went through so many trials to develop this recipe & to hear that it’s great, just makes it all worth it in the end. Thank you so much for your feedback 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have tried to bake this cake but instead of bundt I used a square tin as it was a base for a birthday cake for my twins. I covered it with rollout royal icing, which kept the cake amazingly moist. It was divine. For the first time ever, the whole cake got eaten and everyone ate it (kids and adults).
Happy birthday to your twins!??
I’m ecstatic to hear that the cake was a hit! I’ve never tried it any other way but in bundt form, but now that you & several other amazing readers reported back that it’s working perfectly as a layer cake, I’m so tempted to try it myself. Thank you so much for your valued feedback 🙂
I have been looking for a marble cake recipe for months! I have even looked in german (the cake origin). This is BY FAR the best recipe!! I have loved it!!! And not only for the results but also for the accurate explanation regarding ingredients and steps. Thank you so much for sharing!
Oh Maria your comment is making me smile from ear to ear. Feedback like this is what makes all the testing & hardwork put into developing a recipe worthwhile. I’m so happy you loved this cake. Thank you so much for making my day ?
Hello. Can I replace sour cream with cream cheese? Or is there any replacement for sour cream? Thanks so much in advance.
Hi Lusy! It’s best to stick with sour cream if possible, as its what keeps the cake so moist. However, I’ve gotten feedback from several readers saying that they substituted it with yogurt with great results. If you could get full fat Greek yogurt then that would be the best substitute?
I want to make this cake for my sister’s birthday because marble cakes are her favorite but I was a little confused on wether you use 3 egg yolks and 2 egg whites or 2 egg whites and 1 egg yolk?
Great choice Michelle; your sister’s gonna love it! The recipe uses 2 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk. So that means a total of 3 yolks & 2 whites. You’re gonna use 2 full eggs as is then take the yolk of a third egg & discard or freeze its white for later use; it’s what I always do. Enjoy 🙂
I just made this for Valentine’s Day. This cake is sooooo good. The vanilla cake recipe was amazing. So much so that I want to use this as my basic cake recipe from now on. The outside was almost a little crispy, while the inside cake was light and moist. I would almost skip the chocolate cake, it wasn’t nearly as wow-y. I didn’t have white chocolate for the glaze, so I used just semi-sweet chocolate, whipping cream and some extra sugar. The cake/glaze combo was amazing. Thanks for the great recipe!
Woooohoooooo!!! I’m so happy to hear that you loved it so much! I never though of making this cake without the chocolate swirl because I was having marble cake on the brain while developing it. But now that you & another reader said that you’re using it as a basic vanilla cake, I’m so tempted to it that way. I have another go to vanilla bundt cake that I absolutely adore, but I think it might be time to cheat on it. If you’re interested, here’s the link to it:
https://cleobuttera.com/cakes/glazed-vanilla-bean-bundt-cake-with-macerated-strawberries/
I think I’m in love at first sight with this blog. <3 <3 <3
Thank you Jojo for your kind comment. I’m so happy you like it over here☺️
Hi, the marble cake recipe sounds amazing and looking forward to trying it!
a couple of quick questions – would it work if I halved everything to make a smaller cake? any changes/modifications to note there?
I understand that some people have had good success with using yoghurt but wanted your opinion on that too…any particular type of yoghurt? how about buttermilk in place of yoghurt?
thanks ever so much!
Hi Deepika 🙂 I’m so excited you want to give this a go. You could most certainly halve the recipe. You could either bake it in a small bundt pan or a loaf pan. I got feedback for someone who baked half the recipe in a loaf pan & she loved it! You just need to watch out the baking time, as it will bake in a lot less time than the full recipe. I’d start checking around 25 or 30 minutes.
As for the yogurt substitute, I’d recommend Greek yogurt as it’s known to sub well for sour cream, but I know people who made it using kefir and had success with it. Whatever type of yogurt you choose, just be sure that it’s full fat, as going down the fat content will affect the moistness of the cake. Honestly, I’m not sure about the buttermilk substitute. I’d have to try it myself to confirm if it will work well.
Hi Tasbih, I’m just craving to make this marble cake, and it looks like I’ll be trying to use home-made buttermilk (as I neither have sour cream nor yoghurt on hand) and I so want to try it TODAY, as I have a bake & tea session coming up this weekend! If it turns out great, would you permit me to post it on my blog (at http://foodelicacy.com), and of course, it’ll link back to your fabulous blog and recipes! Thank you and wish me luck!
Hi Celia! You have an amazing blog rich with great recipes and beautiful photography. It would be an honor if you share my recipe with your readers. Absolutely go ahead! I’d also LOVE to know how the homemade buttermilk substitute work out for you 🙂
Hi Tasbih, thank you! Your kind words mean so much to me. Just wanted to let you know that I was all out of milk too, so the buttermilk option coudn’t go through (my heart sank that I couldn’t bake your recipe right away)…butI’m definitely, positively am going to make your gorgeous marble cake soon. I will be in touch to let you know how it turns out! Happy baking, meanwhile! 🙂
Aaaawwww what a bummer! I hope you give it a try soon. Looking forward to your update:)
Hi
Getting ready to try this marble cake and wondered if it makes a difference whether you use Dutch Process Cocoa or Natural Cocoa – I know they interact differently with baking powder and baking soda. Which do you use?
Hey Susan! Yeah you’re absolutely right about that. They do work in different ways but can sometimes be interchangeable. I use natural cocoa powder in all my baking as Dutch process is very difficult to find were I live. I’m not sure of the results if using dutched as I haven’t experimented with in this particular cake. If you do, I’d love to know.
Enjoy ?
I’ve been looking for a great recipe for marble cakes and am wowed with this that I screen grabbed it immediately. I can’t wait to try it. Muah! I ll reach out to u later for further questions bothering me Tasbih
Hey Aa’isha! I’m so lucky your search landed you here! So welcome abroad. Looking forward to all your comments & questions. I hope I could be of your assistance 🙂
I’m an upcoming baker who passionately wants to improve from my simple basic baking skills to a renowned baking. Thanks to you, I’ve found the right place
Thank you Aa’isha for your kind words. I hope you find this blog helpful. I love your enthusiasm about baking!
I am in search for a perfect marble cake for my daughters birthday and this looks like the perfect recipe! Will be making this in a few days. Do you think I could use two 8 inch pans instead of the bundt pan?
Hi Rosemary! Love your name by the way:)
Absolutely! I’ve had feedback from people who baked it in circular pans & raved about the results. I’m thinking more like two 9 inch pans or three 8 inch pans to be on the safe side. I’m just worried that the batter will be too much for the 8 inch pans that the batter could overflow in the oven.
Happy baking:)
Hi Tasbih,
I just placed the cake in the oven and read your reply. I also thought I should use 3 round pans and prepared them. Turns out the batter did fit in the two 8 inch pans. They are baking and smell delicious! Will give you an update later!
Oh…and thank you for the compliment on my name. 🙂
Can’t wait to know how they turned out! Wishing you the most delicious of results 🙂
I made this cake and the taste is superb. But, it crumbles as I try to cut it. It’s impossible to cut it with a knife in those nice slices I see on your pictures. What did I do wrong? I followed the recipe to the letter and baked it for about 50 min. It formed a nice crust outside and inside is just perfect, moist and yet baked. Did I put too much or too little butter or flour? Any suggestion very much appreciated.
Hi Vesna! So happy to hear that you liked the cake. Oh how I wish I was with you in the kitchen to understand what happened to cause the crumbliness. I don’t think it was too much butter, but I suspect that it might very well be too much flour. If you have a kitchen scale, then I highly recommend using that instead of measuring by cups as its a lot more accurate & will take the guesswork out of your results. I’m also wondering if all your ingredients were at room temperature, as it might affect the texture too. I hope that helps.
Hi Tosbih,
thanks for your reply. I will try measuring the weight instead of volume of the flour next time. It is also possible that I didn’t let the ingredients warm up to room temperature long enough. I also wonder if it has to do with flour. I know that the flour in US and the one in Europe is different in that the one here, in Europe, has more fat and therefore requires less butter. Although, I could not say how much that difference would be. I will experiment with the flour and ensure that the ingredients are at room temp next time.
Hi Vesna! Weighing all the ingredients & not just the flour will make a great difference in the end product. I highly doubt the problem has to do with the flour, but most definitely related to not bringing the ingredients to room temperature. You wouldn’t imagine how big of a difference room temperature ingredients can have on baked good. To bring eggs quickly to room temperature, simply submerge them in a bowl of warm water before cracking. I also like to microwave the sour cream & milk for a few seconds. Cutting the butter into little cubes helps them soften a lot faster.
Hi Tasbih,
I finally got around making the cake again. I followed your advice and left the ingredients to warm up to room temperature. I am happy to say that it worked! The cake did not crumble. It cuts into nice firm peaces. I may have overbaked it a bit, so it is not as moist as the first one was, Still, it is moist enough and tasty to disappear in no time 🙂
That’s great news Vesna! A great trick to quickly getting ingredients to room temperature is to put the eggs in a bowl full of very warm water for a few minutes. It will lose its chill in no time. As for sour cream and milk, I just give them a quick zap in the microwave until they no longer feel cold to the touch. Be careful not to overheat them though, as that could separate the sour cream. For the butter, I just cut it into 1-inch pieces instead of leaving it whole on the counter. That way it comes to room temperature way much quicker. I hope that helps:)
Hi!
Just tried making your marble cake …thank you so much for your reply and the tips.
I made half the quantity in a loaf pan. I added more sugar and vanilla towards the end …dont know why…i think I panicked …so its tasting sweeter than it perhaps should.
Is also a bit too crumbly and heavy…too much butter? too little flour?
loved the fact that i finally have a moist marble cake though.
Great to hear that Deepika! Adding the extra sugar might’ve affected the texture because sugar adds moisture. It’s shouldn’t be crumbly but it is a buttery cake yet has a fluffy crumb. If you would like to cut back on the butter a bit, only do so by 2 tablespoons. Also if you have a kitchen scale, I’d highly recommend using it. The results will be much more accurate so you won’t have to worry about over or under measuring anything.
Hopefully next time will turn out even more perfect ??
What changes can I make in order to make this in a 9×13 pan? Excited to try this for my daughters birthday party!
Happy birthday to your sweet princesses! I think the quantity should fit just fine in a 9X13 pan. Just make sure that it’s only 3/4 of the way full so it doesn’t rise & spill in your oven. If you have any extra batter, which I doubt, you can make a few cupcakes with them. Watch the baking time though, since it’s thinner than a bundt, it will most probably bake in less time.
Happy baking!
Hi Tasbih!!
Greetings from Australia. I made this cake yesterday with my 4 year old daughter and it turned out exactly as you described. Moist, fluffy, delicious and overall amazing. I was on the hunt for the marble cake to rule all marble cakes and this is it. Sure, it involved me buying some extras I don’t have lying around in the pantry,but it was worth it. Thank you for this recipe, it’s absolute perfection.
Wooooohoooooo Christina?? You’re comment makes me want to do a little happy dance ?????? I couldn’t be happier that the cake met the expectations you were looking for. Thank you so much for reporting back!
This cake looks so amazing!! I was asked to make a 9 X 13 X 4 marble birthday cake and this being my first marble cake ever (really nervous) and this is a paying client; do you think it would be possible to use this recipe and obtain the same results. What would be your suggestions about altering the recipe so I have enough batter? Any help is appreciated.
Hi Melissa! I’ve had readers try it in square & rectangular pans & have reported back their success, so hopefully there’s nothing to worry about 🙂
I think the quantity should fit just fine in your pan. Just make sure that the batter only fills 3/4 of the pan, so it doesn’t rise & spill in your oven. If you have any extra batter, you can make a few cupcakes with them. Be sure to check for doneness earlier than suggested in the recipe, as thinner cakes tend to bake in less time that bundts.
Thank you for your quick response!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe! It was indeed moist and soft!
I’m glad you loved it Olivia ?
The cake was a hit, everyone complimented how amazing the cake tasted. I made the cake exactly like you suggested except used Greek yogurt. I thank you so much for the recipe. It came out beautifully.
That’s so amazing to hear Melissa! So glad the Greek yogurt worked out. I’m sure a lot of reader who don’t have access to sour cream would be relieved to know that. Thank you so much for taking the time to write back:)
I made your marble cake and it was DEE-licious. The texture was perfect and moist. The chocolate was rich and “chocolatey” but the vanilla also held it’s own. Nice balance.
Thank you for posting and for doing the research and experimenting for us.
This is my one and only marble cake now.
Thanks again.
You’re so sweet PatT? Thanks to YOU for taking the time to write your feedback. Comments like these really make my day. I’m so happy that you found your go-to marble cake recipe and that you loved it so much.
What a great cake! I am happy you have found a way to make marble cake highly desirable again!! I have tried some recipes too but they only got me disappointed. They all seem to result in a good cake when it is still warm. But then it is dry and not appealing anymore the following morning.
I made this cake yesterday with a few changes. Based on some previous experience (and some “personal mathematics”) I decreased the sugar amount to 260g (I know, huge change, and could be risky decision), with no sugar added to the chocolate part (I choose the “more chocolate batter, adding 2 Tbsp milk to it). Used cake flour, as per your guidance. No milk chocolate ganache this time,saving these calories for the cheesecake coming soon! But definitely this cake deserves the ganache too!
This recipe has given me a good moist marble cake, rich chocolate flavor, well balanced sweetness. And it is still moist and nice today. Indeed I will make it again!
Thank you also for sharing so beautiful photos!!
Wow Camila your feedback has made my day! I’m so glad you finally found a marble cake recipe that does not disappoint you. I’m also happy to hear that it still turned out great with the changes. Thank you so much for giving it a try and for taking the time to share with us your input.
Guess what’s for iftar tonight! Saha wa hana.
Awesome! Enjoy your iftar sweetie☺️
I am running a short on the sour cream and can’t make it to the store…. is there anything I can substitute sour scream with?
Yes you can substitute sour crew with Greek yogurt. Just make sure it is full fat. Good Luck!
I ma super excited to try this recipe! I have been looking for the perfect one and I have found it! The only problem I have right away is that I am running a short on the sour cream and can’t make it to the store. Can I use the sour cream I have and use Greek Yogurt for the rest?
Thank you very much,
Maria
Sure Maria! I couldn’t have said it better than Ellie and Camila? A lot of readers reported back that they used Greek yogurt for the sour cream with great results. Enjoy!
Dear Maria,
I have made this substitution before with a different cake and it worked out pretty well! It was with banana bread, using plain vanilla yogurt instead of sour cream and it is great! I would only use a thick yogurt, and I guess you can try!! Good luck and enjoy your delicious marble cake with a good cup of coffee!!
Camila
thanks for sharing the recipe! it works perfectly – i cut the sugar to 1 cup and its perfect!!! the best marble cake ever!
So grateful that you share this recipe so generously.
And thanks to you for your valuable feedback! I’m so happy you liked this recipe. It’s also great to know that the cake still came out well with less sugar! That means we could eat more of it ?
Amazing recipe, already got the ingredients to make it this week.
Quick question, regarding the frosting, and since I prefer not to use uncooked eggs, I’m thinking of putting mini marshmallows on the top, and broiling the cake for a couple minutes, how do you think that would turn out?
Hello Bayan! Thank you so much for your comment. I’m just a little confused though, because your comment appeared the marble cake but it seems like you’re talking about another one. I’m guessing you’re referring to the Tres Leches Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting. Is that right? If yes, then absolutely, torching some marshmallows on top would work as a great substitute for the frosting. If you can get marshmallow fluff, that would be great too. Concerning the frosting, if you’re worried about the eggs being uncooked, rest assured because it reaches a very high temperature that makes them safe to eat so it’s not technically “uncooked”.
Enjoy and happy baking?
The moistness of this cake is unreal! My love for marble cake has been found again. Thank you for the lovely recipe.
That’s the best thing I could ever here! I’m so happy this recipe was able to win you over?
Thank you so much for this recipe. It is definitely the best marble cake ever and everyone came back for a second slice. So much for my plan to freeze half of it! I’m going to make it again this weekend but I’m going to divide the batter into 3 and add coffee to the third portion, using the same method as,for,the,chocolate for a chocolate coffee marble cake-mocha marble cake! Not sure how much coffee (espresso) to add but will let you know how it comes out ( any tips?). I used a 9 X 13 pan and it was perfect and also baked at 160 degrees fan oven. Thank you again.
I baked this cake a few hours ago, and since then I haven’t been able to stop!! This is absolutely DELICIOUS, hands down the best marble cake on the planet. Everything was superbly moist and flavourful, reminds me of the marble cake I used to get from the bakery, but better! I mean, why travel 4663544 miles to get a cake when you can do it at home?? Thanks for this awesome recipe 😀
Jadith this is the best review ever! Thank you so much for taking the time to write it. I’m so pumped that you loved the recipe that much. You got me wanting to run to the kitchen & bake one!
Thanks so much for this great recipe! After 2 failed attempts with 2 previous recipes, I came across yours after lots of searching and not only is it moist it’s also delicious. My marbling didn’t work out as well as hoped so I will bake it again and this time also try you ganache. I’m already looking forwarx to sampling that one ?
Vanessa I’m so pleased to hear that you finally found a marble cake recipe that you’re happy with! And that ganache…oh yum! It’s not only good on this cake, but on EVERYTHING!
Thank you so much for this recipe!! The cake was such a big hit and got devoured in minutes! I am definitely going to follow your blog.
That’s the best thing to hear Shama! So glad it was a hit! Thank you for trying the recipe out.
Thank you very much Tasbeeh for your awsome cake recipies.
I have request please: could you please send me the recipie of white sponge cake?
Thank you
You’re most welcome Rima. Please send me an email & I’ll send you a pic of a sponge cake recipe from my favorite baking book.
DearTasbih
Would you be willing to share the recipe for sponge cake recipe please
Does this recipe have sour cream in as well
At moment I am experimenting with vanilla cakes for my son’s forthcoming wedding I need a moist fluffy cake
Can you help
Kind regards,
Edna
Hi Edna! I’m in love with this super fluffy vanilla cake:
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2017/01/02/new-favorite-white-layer-cake/
It has sour cream too, which ensure a moist crumb. I’m planning to share my own take on it soon!
Can I use butter milk instead od reg. milk
Hmmm…it’s difficult to confirm without further testing, but to be honest I think it might just work. It’s such a little amount & the acidity from the sour cream is already present, so it’s not a radical change. Ofcourse it’s safer if you could stick to the recipe as is, but if buttermilk is all you have then go for it.
baked this today! halved the recipe and baked it in a loaf pan. I forgot to put the vanilla extract but still a very good cake! Thanks for the recipe!
As Salaamu Alaikum Tasbih:) I made this ever so yummy best ever marble cake today! Jazak Allah Khair for another lovely recipe:) Masha Allah. Take care 🙂
That’s the best thing to hear Shakerah!
As Salaamu Alaikum. I’ve tried this cake..And it came out AMAZING. My family really enjoyed it including ME. Really, I must say that these recipes that you put up here DON’T flop! All other websites the cakes flop…
I want to know if this cake can be made in cupcakes? Really would like to try that..
Jazakallah..
Keep up the great work!
Wa Alaikom Alsalam Faatima. I’m so happy you loved this cake & enjoying other recipes of the blog. Thats the nicest compliment I could ever want to hear.
I’ve never tried this recipe in any other form other than in bundt form, so I can’t say for certain that it will work as cupcakes. However, a several readers have commented that they made into layer & sheet cakes with great results. With that in mind, I think it should work as cupcakes too.
Happy baking ?
This cake was simply divine!!! I made it for my son’s birthday and it was enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
Perfectly sweet, moist, and the chocolate side provided a nice balance in texture and taste. It was such a sophisticated version of the standard marble loaf. I topped mine with just powdered sugar- the slices presented beautifully.
Next time, I think I will try reducing the chocolate portion a little bit, so thank you for providing guidance on how to do that.
Yes, it takes a little prep time to bring the ingredients down to room temp, and yes, it takes a little extra time and effort to add the ingredients systematically. I followed the instructions step and step and didn’t cut corners on this one (which I’ll admit, I sometimes do 🙂 )– the results were 100% worth it.
Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe!! I will be back for more!
Wow I just loved your detailed feedback on the cake. I’m beyond pleased that you’re so happy with the results. Thank you so much for taking the time to share it here with us.
A little tip for bringing ingredients to room temp…put the eggs (with the shells still on) in a bowl of very warm water for a few minutes, and voila! You have room temp eggs in a flash.
As for the milk & sour cream, I combine them together in a glass measuring cup & microwave them for 10-15 seconds.
For the butter, I cut it into 1 inch pieces & usually by the time I prepare everything else…it’s soft enough, if not then I nuke it in the microwave for 5 second intervals being very careful not to melt it.
Hope that makes the process a little faster?
I should never have made this cake. Now my husband is hooked and refuses to have it made any other way. Seriously, he won’t listen! I followed this recipe to the T, except I used curd instead of sour cream and oh my gosh! It. Was. Delicious! Absolutely love, love this recipe! It does take a long time to make but the end result is worth it. I’ve made it about 5 times already with consistent results. To be honest, I probably would’ve made it more often if it were easier to make… I have two young toddlers who don’t give enough time to do all the things I want, lol.
Thank you for this recipe!
So happy you’re enjoying this recipe so much! I haven’t made it in such a long time, but you just reminded me that need to get my act in the kitchen.
Thank for your your sweet comment.
I shouldn’t bake this cake!IT RUINS MY DIET!!I know I shouldn’t eat much,but I really can’t stop eating this buttery,flaky cake.It was awesome!Delicious!Fantastic!I don’t prefer marble butter cake much cause it always taste plain.I’ve made marble cake using Tang Mian method before, cause they said it brings out the buttery taste,but it doesn’t.It it moist,but not buttery,flaky like your recipe.But because of you,I finally fall in love with marble cake! Thanks you for this awesome recipe.
P/S:Can you please tell me the amount of milk in vanilla batter in grams?I’m quite confused cause my cup has different measurement than yours.
Hahaaaa! That’s so funny! I know how you feel…when you love something too much but your waistline hates it. Aaahhh….life.
The 1/4 cup milk is 60 grams. Hope this helps! So sorry for my embarrassingly late reply.
Thank you so much for this wonderful marble cake. It has been my family’s all time favorite.
Tried this cake today and it was yummy and moist. Trust me, I have never ever baked such a moist cake. My family loved it.
I love baking and am definitely going to try your other awesome recipes.
Query: It was difficult to cut the cake as it was super soft. I was unable to get perfect slices as it started falling apart. The only change I made in the recipe was that I substituted sour cream with curd. It’s difficult to get sour cream here.
Please let me know what should I do so that next time I can get a perfect slice. 🙂
Hi Jerrin! It’s wonderful to hear that the cake was such a hit! I’m unsure if the curd could be the reason behind it falling apart because I’ve never baked with it before. I highly doubt it though. Isn’t curd a type of yogurt? A lot of people tried this recipe with yogurt with great results, so the substitution shouldn’t cause any problems. How about using a serrated knife to cut the cake? I find that it cuts much cleaner than a regular knife.
love love love!!!
loved this marble cake , just like the original grandma ones, I’m so pleased with your recipe I’m pretty sure i will make it every week… thank you so much for sharing it
So happy it turned out so well Goly! Enjoy ?
Hi there, Can i do the recipe and just half and half and not do it in the tunnel, i would like to see the marbeling
Hi Maura? May you please explain what you mean further? I don’t quite understand what you mean by doing in half & half & not tunnel? Do you mean just layering the 2 batters on top of each other?
Hey there, Cleobuttera 😉
I am German and thus I take pride in my usual marble cake (containing a whopping 300 grams of butter and 5 eggs, separated, with whipped egg whites for the fluff). The one I normally make is also the winner of a competition that ran for years (meaning: I tested MANY recipes, just like you), it also requires making a chocolate “cream” for the dark portion, just like yours… As soon as I had finalized the recipe, I swore to stay true to that one. But yours looked SOOOO good! So I cheated on my cake 🙂 And even though I took out your cake 5 minutes too early, I am way impressed!! It’s clearly different, but equally good, I have to admit.
I love how much thought you put into everything – and I can’t wait to test your lemony lemon cake. I LOVE lemon and never found a cake that translated the specific thrill of the lemon. I’ll keep you posted. This is a beautifil site. Thanks and love from Good Olde Europe,
Carolin
Carolin that means so much coming from you! I’m so flattered to hear that it measured up to your tried and true, many time-tested cake. And coming from a German? Wow…gotta take pride and joy in that. I’m so happy you loved it & I hope you enjoy the lemony one just as much.
Thank you dear for your sweet comment.
Dear Tasbih,
EVERYONE here was crazy about your cake, by the way. Germany loves you :-*
Carolin
Aaawwww! That’s the sweetest thing I’ve heard in forever! Thank you so much lovely Carolin. It’s my dream to visit Germany some time.
Hi…love the pics, can’t wait to try! I was wondering if I can use this recipe as is to make mini bundt cakes?
Hi Kandece! I think they’d be super cute! I’ve actually only tried this recipe using a regular sized bundt pan, but so many readers have reported back that they used all types of pans (even cupcake pans) with great results. With that said, I suppose the mini bundts should work just fine. Best of luck!
Hello, I’m new to your blog and I’ve fallen in love in your website. The pictures are remarkably stunning. I hope you’re feeling better and that your health is improving every day!
I would like to try this recipe of yours first as I’ve read all the wonderful comments left by your readers and I can’t wait to bite into a slice of heaven! 🙂 I would like to know if you used fan mode for this recipe and that it applies across all of your recipes?
Thank you!
Hi Yafee! So happy you’re liking it here. Welcome!
Unfortunately, I’ve never baked using the fan mode of the oven before, so I really don’t know. So sorry I couldn’t be of any help but I don’t want to stray you the wrong way.
Hi I’ve just seen your comments. I have made this a ni bed of times and I have a fan oven. The recipe is not for a fan oven and I bake it at 160 degrees centigrade. Hope that helps.
Thanks Sharon for your response. I’m sure it would be of great help ?
Oops should have read number of times!
My emai is chef939361@gmail.com
Thank you
Your blog is GORGEOUS! I’m so glad I stumbled upon it and I’m gonna try this recipe later this week- so excited!!:) What camera do you use for you pictures? And do you have a lighting kit?
Thank you so much Dorea! I’m so happy you stopped by.
I use a Canon 5D mark iii. My shooting set is so simple; just a table infront of a big window & a white board to act as a reflector on the other side. So I actually have a lighting kit, since I fully depend on great natural light.
I just made this cake to test out for a sheet cake I have to make for a first birthday. I have been looking for a fluffy yellow cake recipe that isn’t dense like cornbread and is still moist and fluffy. This is perfect! The chocolate mix also bakes up beautifully with the yellow. I will absolutely be adding this to my personal recipe archive (and let me tell you I dont put just any ol recipe into that book). Thanks so much for this beautiful recipe.
Oh yaaaay! What an honor that it’s entering your precious archives. So glad you’re pleased with this recipe.
This was the first cake I’ve made from scratch! And…I overcooked it horribly. It was so incredibly dry. However, I do intend to attempt it again as the taste was still delicious. I’m determined to get it right. Hopefully the next time I make it, it won’t take me two hours to mix up. 😀
It’s so great that you’re starting to bake from scratch, because once you get the hang of it, you’ll never be able to go back. It’s undeniably more work, but the results are well worth it. Glad you liked taste, despite the dryness…hopefully you’ll nail it the next time around. Thanks for trying this recipe and for your feedback.
I tried it out today and it tastes pretty great. However it kinda got stuck on the bottom of my bundt tin. It’s the first time I’m using one and mine is silicon. Should that make a difference? Taste wise, it was INCREDIBLY buttery and SO tender. Definitely a ‘special occasion’ cake for me versus an ‘everyday’ one. If I reduce the butter a little, will I get a slightly less buttery cake? I’m thinking I’ll try that out next time. Thank you so much for the recipe and all the details on customising it!
I’m so glad you still enjoyed the cake Alyssa. Personally I’m not the biggest fan silicon cake pans. I don’t have the best experience with them. They’re wobbly, unstable & just like you, I’d end up with half of the cake stuck to the bottom. If it’s all you have, just make sure to spray it really well with non-stick cooking spray. Better luck next time?
As for the butteriness, you could cut it down by 2 tablespoons (1oz) & still got fabulous results. When I was developing this recipe, I started with 6oz of butter, but wasn’t happy with its moisture level so I bumped it up to 7oz. I really liked the texture of the 7oz but was greedy for even more moisture so I increased it to 8oz and liked that even more. 7oz was great though, and if you’re hoping for a less butter-rich cake, then go with that. If you still feel it could use less butter, take it down to 6oz but note that it won’t be as moist. Enjoy ?
This looks amazing. I have a wedding cake to make this weekend and saw this posting. The one I have been using has been a bit dry so I’m on the hunt for a better one. Would this hold up as a 3 tiered wedding cake? I plan to use a 12”,9” and 6” layers. I plan to use buttercream frosting but I would like to know if it will hold up with fondant for future use. any timing suggestions would be great. They are all 3” deep pans. Thank you!
Oh no! I’m so sorry for my late reply. I hope the wedding is still tomorrow ?? To answer your question, I’d say it’s a pretty sturdy cake & will hold up well to stacking. I’ve never made it any other way than in bundt form, but so many readers have replied back that they baked it in round pans with great results. As for baking time, it really depends on the pan size. The 6inch one will bake much faster than the bigger ones. Timing should range between 20 minutes for the 6 inch pan, 30 for the bigger & 45 for the biggest. Give or take ofcourse. Best of love on the wedding cake!
Would this cake still be good without the chocolate ganache? I don’t have white chocolate… Could I maybe use a vanilla icing recipe?
I rarely make it with the ganache. I save it for special occasions, when I want more of a dessert than a tea cake.
I have made this cake so many times, never with the chocolate ganache, I don’t miss it but it is a personal preference. This cake is fabulous!!
Same here ?
this cake was awesome…loved it… :*
Happy to hear that Nitz ?
Is there any other substitute for cornstarch. (I also don’t have cake flour it’s pretty hard to find)
Hi! Cornstarch is also referred to as cornflour in other countries. So you might find it under than name. It helps tenderize the cake because it has no gluten. Potato starch could work instead. If you can’t find that too, you could just use regular flour instead.
I always use cake flour when I’m home. Since the holidays I’ve been with my family, and here I don’t find it. However, some brands of all purpose flour here are very low in proteins, and I tried one of them with about 10% proteins that worked out pretty well, I did not add cornstarch. The cake came out moist and soft. Your cake will be fabulous! This recipe is my “weekly-must-bake”!!
Thanks Camila for your tip! Greatly appreciated 🙂
Another observation I made, depending on your location it might not be easy to find sour cream, then I used unsweetened “plain yogurt” and again worked fine. I just didn’t want to prepare a “homemade sour cream”. Sometimes the plain yogurt won’t be as thick as sour cream, but then I try to control the amount of milk to give the batter the consistency I’m already used to when using sour cream. This cake is always a huge success. And the “marble design” is fool proof, always works well, and I love to see the result. Always with the option “more chocolate”, I think it’s more balanced to my preference! Baking it in Brazil! Happy baking to you all!
Hey, Thank you so much share for this lovely recipe.I will be definitely try.
Your welcome! It’s really my pleasure. I hope you love it as much as we do!
I made this moist and delicious cake today. I wiil make this cake again and the next time I plan to have more vanilla than chocolate cake. ( I added to much vanilla batter into chocolate batter ) Thanks
So lovely to hear that Deborah! I’m so happy you enjoyed it ?
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made it last night for my dad, who requested a marble cake. I used the option for more chocolate and the proportions came out great! I will definitely keep this on-hand as my go to recipe for marble cake. Thanks again so much.
Absolutely love hearing that Michael! Thank you so much for your great feedback. I hope your dad gave it his seal of approval 🙂
Ok, I’m going to try this now. I already love you for giving us the “Gramm” amount of the ingredients!
I hope it turns out amazing & that you love every crumb of it Nur! I actually divorced cup measurements a couple of years ago after noticing how much my baking has improved just by converting to weighing. So happy you agree with me on that!
This recipe looks divine! I was wondering if anyone has tried reducing white sugar and using some brown sugar. What do you think that would do to the recipe? I love to mix the two for a nice blend of flavors.
This recipe is divine! Trust me! I haven’t tried mixing white and brown sugar, my only change was to reduce white sugar down to 250 grams, to match the amount of flour, and the sweetness that came out of this change was just right!! It is my favorite marble cake (and my family loves it too). Good luck!
I was super excited about this cake and it baked beautiful – I even have the exact bundt pan! However, mine was dry. I checked it at 40 minutes and it was not done, pulled out at 45 minutes. Came out of the pan perfect. It wasn’t super dry or anything, but it was far from moist!
I may try again in case it was baked two minutes too long or something, but it was not what I had hoped for!
Hi Caroline! Thanks for trying this recipe and for your nice comment. I really doubt 2 minutes will make such a big difference in the moistness of the cake. May I ask how you measure your flour? Over-measuring dry ingredients is moisture’s worst enemy, so it could be a possible reason as to why you cake came out dry. If you have a kitchen scale, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients, if you haven’t already. It’s a surefire way to make sure that your ingredients are accurately measured and produces the best possible results.
This recipe looks great. I have a birthday cake to make soon and the little lady has requested a marble cake. I need to use a 10x10x3 square pan,would I needto double or triple your recipe to do so? Thank you!!
Hi Ondie! Hope this cake makes the little princess so happy on her birthday! I believe that 1 recipe makes enough batter to fit your pan; no need to double it up. However, if you need more cake, you could make 1 1/2X the recipe. Enjoy ?
I think the weight measurements for the flour are wrong by about a hundred grams, this turns out perfect with measuring cups, was a disaster both times i weighed.
Hi Donelle! You know what…I think you’re right. I wrote this recipe about 3 years ago, so I can’t remember what I might’ve done here. I’m currently traveling, so I’ll retest it in both weights & volume, as soon as I’m back home to compare the results & get answers. What I can tell for certainty is that I’ve always used weight measurements for this and all of my recipes on the blog, with great results. I stopped using cups many years ago because I never get consistent results with them. So I’m pretty sure that I developed this recipe using weight measurements and then converted them to cups (which is where I might’ve strayed). I’m surprised your results were disappointing when you you weighed, and not the opposite, because it’s usually the other way around. I’d love to know how your cake came out when you weighed, so I can get a better understanding of the results. Was it dry? Wet? Crumbly? Dense? It would be of great help if you let me know exactly what was wrong with it. Thanks!
Hi, I’m interested to try this cake but I’m wondering if you use natural cocoa powder or dutch-processed cocoa powder to make the chocolate batter?
Hi Sue! I use natural cocoa powder. I hope you love it. May I also recommend weighing your ingredients using a kitchen scale if you have one, as a reader has recently commented that my conversion may be a bit off. I always weigh, so it’s the best way to guarantee perfect results. So until I retest the volume measurements, weighing is the best way to go. Enjoy ?
Thanks Tasbih! I made the cake today and it’s sooooo delicious! I didn’t do the chocolate part instead I did a green tea and vanilla marble cake and it was still really yummy! I followed your advice and use weight measurements and the cake turned out perfect! thanks for sharing such a great recipe 🙂 Also, I’m thinking of adding some vanilla bean paste into the batter for a richer vanilla flavor
Yum! I can imagine how beautiful a bright green swirl turned out. So glad you enjoyed it. Vanilla beans would take this to the next level. Enjoy ?
What can i say !! Never have i ever considered enjoying a marble cake , in my case ( divorced before marriage ) , well this cake changed my mind , it is perfection !! Used cake flour (definitely a game changer her ) and a dutch proceeded cocoa since you didn’t mention the type you used and i wanted more intense chocolate flavor, eventhough was hesitating of the soda with dutch proceeded cocoa yet i went for it ! What i did was serving the cake over the gleaming chocolate sauce which doesnot harden at all it stays soft and luscious !! This way each one can put as much or less plus it looks extremely inviting this way ! A couple of chocolate curls and it beats birthday cakes 100 times !!
Tasbih , keep the amazing work , your blog is a JOY to me !! And i am not the typical novice baker ! I have been baking for over 16 years , since i was almost 14 ! And i know that your blog is not a go to AVERAGE blog !! It is way more special !!
tried your mars lazy cake — good
Biscotti —amazing
And pumpkin cupcakes —- mind blowing !!
And regarding the pumpkin cupcake i am not the cupcake guy , so i am gonna order a Twinkie pan bake them in that mold frosting it with a line of that b.b cream cheese and some candid pecans !! Imagine that toffee oozing when you bite !! I think people wouldn’t know what hit them after a bite , thinking it a french kind of thing !!
Now will you excuse me , i need to write this marble cake in my beloved notebook!!
ALL THE BEST!
WOW Osama! You know what’s more mind blowing than all of these recipes that you loved? Your beautifully written comment, descriptive feedback and kind words. Thank you so much for always sending that nicest comments and for your constant encouragement. You have no idea how happy I am to hear that this recipe has changed your mind about marble cake. Maybe you should re-propose to it now lol! Couldn’t agree more about the cake flour. Unfortunately we don’t have the proper kind of cake flour in Egypt, so I always end up using the substitute which yields similar results but not as amazing. LOVE the idea of turning the pumpkin cupcakes into Twinkies…GENIUS!
I made this cake for Christmas giveaways and it was a winner! This is the best marble cake recipe I’ve come across. Since I didn’t have sour cream on hand, I substituted with yogurt. It was moist and tender. Got lot of appreciations. Thanks so much for posting a lovely recipe. I want to try your orange cake recipe as well! God bless you 🙂
Diana, comments that end with ‘God bless you’ are always my favorite…because what more can I ask for?! Thank you so much for trusting my recipe and for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m so happy you loved this cake so much and that it made your Christmas a little sweeter. If you love this one…then you’ll surely love the orange one too. They share the same kind of tenderness and softness. Enjoy and may God bless you too ?
Discovered this recipe in 2015. Wrote it down, and made it religiously till 2018 when I became a vegan. I then forgot about this recipe. It’s now 2019 and my son randomly declared he wanted a chocolate marble cake for pudding. I then remembered this recipe, scoured the internet for this recipe for an hour, having lost the written version. I substituted eggs with Orgran egg replacer, yogurt for milk & ACVinger & butter for coconut oil/vegan butter. Will post results once I’ve eaten it all without telling my son!!
Oooooo how interesting?! I can’t wait to hear how the vegan substitutes worked out. I hope it turned out lovely ?
Can I make this recipe in regular round cake pans to make a layer cake for a bday?? If so how should I adjust baking time? And does the regular old sticking a toothpick in to check for doneness work for this cake? Thank you much!
Hi Tara! I got so consumed in testing this cake out in bundt form, that I never got around trying it as a layer cake. Although I can’t be 100% sure of the results without trying it myself first, I’m pretty confident that it should work just fine as a layer cake, especially that I’ve had readers comment that they’ve made in layer form with great results. The temperature should remain the same, but the baking time will be shorten depending on the size of pan you’re using; probably around 25-30 minutes. The toothpick trick works perfectly well here. If you do give a try, would love to know how it turns out. Best of luck and enjoy!