This layered marble cake is always a hit, and it’s SO easy to make! I’ll show you how to make an old-fashioned marble cake swirled with moist and fluffy chocolate and vanilla cake batter, frosted with creamy homemade chocolate frosting.
After so many requests for a marble cake, I’m excited to share today’s recipe! This moist, frosted marble cake took several rounds of testing. I even went to my Instagram stories to ask YOU what makes the best marble cake recipe. I have to say, the results are everything I wanted and more. The distinct swirls of fluffy chocolate and vanilla cake are made from the same batter, so this cake is quick and easy to put together. If you love this marble cake as much as I do, I suggest that you make these marble cupcakes next!
What Makes This Homemade Marble Cake So Good
- Two favorite cakes in one. The beauty of a marble cake is that I never have to choose between chocolate cake and vanilla cake!
- One batter, two flavors. Conveniently, you make the chocolate swirl from the same batter used to make the vanilla cake.
- Soft and moist. I can’t get enough of this marble cake’s rich, tender texture. Layered with creamy chocolate icing, it’s a dessert that tastes as good as it looks.
Cake Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the perfect marble cake from scratch (be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for specific amounts).
- All-purpose flour – Measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method or a kitchen scale. Scooping directly from the bag risks overmeasuring.
- Baking powder and salt – Check the expiration date! If your leavening has expired, buy a fresh package so the cake rises properly.
- Unsalted butter – Butter adds the flavor you really love in a vanilla cake, while oil adds the ever-important moisture.
- Vegetable oil – Use any neutral-flavored oil, like vegetable or canola oil.
- Sugar – I recommend granulated sugar.
- Eggs – Bring these to room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – You can also use equal parts vanilla paste.
- Buttermilk – I use powdered buttermilk. Regular milk works fine as a substitute.
- Bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao) – I strongly recommend sticking with bittersweet chocolate for this cake. I find it gives the best flavor and texture to the chocolate cake portion.
Homemade Chocolate Icing
- Butter – Soften the butter before you start.
- Shortening – Shortening stabilizes the frosting so it holds up better at room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Also called icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar.
- Vanilla extract – Again, you can substitute vanilla paste if needed.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Make sure it’s unsweetened, or the frosting will be overly sweet.
- Water or milk – To thin out the frosting to the right consistency.
The Best Chocolate For Marble Cake
When testing my marble cake recipe, I found that the type of melted chocolate used made a big difference in the texture and flavor of the cake. Bittersweet chocolate that is 60% cocoa is best. The chocolate cake had great chocolate flavor, without being overpowering or bitter.
I came to this conclusion after testing both 100% chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate. The former made the chocolate cake dense and dry. The semi-sweet improved the texture, but lacked flavor. Bittersweet chocolate, the middle point between 100% cocoa and semi-sweet, was a clear winner!
How to Make Marble Cake
This marble cake recipe starts with a simple vanilla cake batter, some of which is set aside to become the chocolate batter. Here are the steps.
Prepare Two Cake Batters
- Prepare for baking. Line two 9-inch cake pans with circles of parchment paper and grease the sides.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat the wet ingredients together. Cream the butter and oil with sugar in a separate bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. Do not skimp on the creaming time! Next, add the eggs, two at a time, until smooth and combined.
- Combine. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet batter, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Scrape down the bowl and mix just until the ingredients are well incorporated. Do not overmix the batter.
- Divide the batter. Set aside 1 ¼ cups of batter (this will be the chocolate portion). Divide the remaining cake batter between your two prepared cake pans.
- Make the chocolate batter. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in increments. Then, add it to the batter that was set aside. Gently fold that together to combine. A little melted chocolate goes a long way here. It adds flavor while maintaining a uniform texture between the chocolate and vanilla cake batters. Too much chocolate messes with the texture, so less is more!
How to Marble a Cake
The key to a perfect marble cake is not to over-swirl the batter, or you won’t have that distinct vanilla and chocolate coloring in the cake.
- Marble the cake. Now, drop spoonfuls of chocolate batter on top of the vanilla batter in the pans. To marble the two batters together, use a knife or a toothpick to swirl through the cake once in one direction, then again in the opposite direction. That’s it!
- Bake. Bake this marble cake at 350ºF for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cook the bakes in the pans for a couple of minutes before removing them to cool completely.
Assemble and Frost the Cake
The final step is covering your marble cake in homemade chocolate frosting. I have an in-depth tutorial on how to frost and cake with buttercream, but here’s a quick step-by-step:
- Make the frosting. Beat butter and shortening with powdered sugar, vanilla, and cocoa powder, adding water or milk as needed to get a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Assemble the cake. First, level and torte the cake layers so they’re flat and even. Then, place the first layer on a plate or cake round. Spread 1 cup of frosting over the cake, and carefully place the second layer on top.
- Frost the cake. Use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.
You can make the chocolate frosting in advance and keep it in the fridge for 1 month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just give it a good stir to get the consistency nice and smooth again before using. Alternatively, frost this cake with vanilla frosting or chocolate buttercream.
How to Store a Frosted Cake
- Store the cake covered. You can store this cake on the counter for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week. In either case, I recommend covering the cake with Saran Wrap or placing it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
- Freeze. It’s easiest to freeze the marble cake layers before they’re frosted. Let the cakes come to room temperature, then wrap them in 3-4 layers of Saran Wrap and place them in an airtight freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let the cakes thaw on the counter for a few hours or in the fridge overnight before assembling and frosting.
More Classic Cake Recipes
Easy Marble Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cooling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 52 minutes
- Yield: 12–14 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This classic marble cake is wonderfully moist and buttery, with swirls of vanilla and chocolate cake covered with creamy chocolate frosting.
Ingredients
MARBLE CAKE
- 2 1/4 cups (293g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk*
- 2.5 oz bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), chopped**
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- 1 1/4 cups (280g) butter
- 1 cup (189g) shortening
- 8 cups (920g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (114g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6–8 tbsp (90-120ml) water/milk
Instructions
Make the Marble Cake
- Prepare two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the butter, vegetable oil, and sugar to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
- Add the eggs two at a time, mixing until well combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined.
- Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not overmix the batter.
- Set aside 1 1/4 cups of batter, then divide the remaining batter between the two cake pans and set them aside.
- Melt the chopped chocolate, then add it to the batter that was set aside and gently fold together to combine.
- Drop spoonfuls of batter over the top of the vanilla batter that is already in the cake pans. Use a knife to swirl the chocolate and vanilla batters together, being careful not to overcombine them. I ran a knife in a swirl through the cake in one direction once, then the opposite direction once, and that was it.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- To make the frosting, beat the butter and shortening together until smooth.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and 4-5 tablespoons of water or milk and mix until smooth.
- Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add additional water or milk, as needed to get the right consistency of frosting.
- To put the cake together, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes so that they’re flat. These cakes don’t have a large dome, but I like to make sure they’re completely flat.
- Place the first cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round.
- Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake.
- Add the second layer of cake on top, then frost the outside of the cake.
Notes
- Store in an air-tight container. Cake is best when eaten within 3-4 days.
*I use powdered buttermilk. Regular milk would work fine as a substitute.
**I strongly recommend sticking with bittersweet chocolate for this cake. I find it gives the best flavor and texture to the chocolate cake portion.
NOTE: If you’d like to use a vanilla frosting on this cake, replace the cocoa powder with an equal amount of additional powdered sugar and increase the vanilla extract to 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 786
- Sugar: 80.4 g
- Sodium: 285.7 mg
- Fat: 41.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 102.2 g
- Protein: 6.2 g
- Cholesterol: 72.8 mg
I would use butter, feel free to refer to my Vanilla Buttercream Icing recipe.
Hello lindsay i always follow your recipes always works perfect thanks a lit being for us teaching us I wish you could do more those short videos it’s very practical for us when u show it.thanks a billion times honey
I have question what I can use instead of shortening cuz it’s not available place that I live?
And thanks a lot for responding back quick ????????????????
I’m glad the baking videos are helpful! Instead of shortening you can use butter. Here is a link to my Vanilla Buttercream recipe using butter instead of shortening.
Hello lindsay i always follow your recipes always works perfect thanks a lit being for us teaching us I wish you could do more those short videos it’s very practical for us when u show it.thanks a billion times honey
I have question what I can use instead of shortening cuz it’s not available place that I live?
This looks great. Could this be done as a sheet cake?
I haven’t tried this as a sheet cake, but I used a similar recipe for this vanilla sheet cake so I’m guessing it’d be fine.
Hello Lindsay I love cakes I always do ur recipes it works perfectly amazing honestly.
I have question what can I put instead of shortening it’s not available place that I live I try margarin n didn’t work out good taste wasn’t good at all specially for buttercream what would be your recommend?
I would use butter, feel free to refer to my Vanilla Buttercream Icing recipe.
Additional butter can be used in place of the shortening.
I made this as a sheet cake for my daughter’s college graduation party last Saturday. Baked at the same temperature for 35 minutes in 9 x 13 pan. It turned out great! The chocolate buttercream is fantastic!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
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 Lindsay,
I would like to do a marble cake with an other of your vanilla cake/cupcake recipe (your Favorite Moist Vanilla Cupcakes). It’s the base I use for all my cakes and cupcakes. Do you think if I put melted chocolate the texture would be alright? I kind of hope it will make a good chocolate cake so that I only have one base recipe.
Thank you for all the time you put making wonderful recipes and to share them with us.
Viviane Bonneau
I haven’t tried it with that cake to be able to say for sure, I’m sorry. It’d definitely be worth trying though!
Hi, Lindsay! When you posted this cake, I headed straight to the kitchen! I followed your
directions except I melted the chocolate before I began the cake. When I added the warm chocolate to the cake batter and swirled, it was still loose. But, when the cake baked, some of the chocolate mixture firmed
up into small chunks. Very surprising, since the chocolate was warm and the oven was hot. Any theories? It was still a wonderful tasting cake and was gone in two days.
Hmmm, so the chocolate didn’t have chunks before it was baked, but it did afterwards? What kind of chocolate did you use? Was it chocolate chips?
I used the 60 percent cocoa chips by Ghirardelli and melted them. It was smooth and warm when I added it to the batter .Must be the chips because you used a bar of chocolate and chopped it. I will try making this cake again and see what happens.
Yea, I had wanted to try the chocolate chips to see if they worked well. I’m guessing that was the issue. I’m sorry!
Oh, I like it!!!
hi i made this cake this morning but it didnt turn into a chiffon. it was not light and soft. it was densed. then thr batter with melted chocolate you mean you will not use all of it? just spoonfuls? what about the rest? then the frosting i only used 4 cups powdered sugar instead of 8 cups and the color didnt turn into the color of your cake. maybe it varies from the cocoa powder that was used. another question is that when you say one cup buttermilk, is that pertaining to liquid form already. then how much of the powdered buttermilk should i prepare before dissolving it with water?
The spoonfuls are dropped over the vanilla cake batter, but you do use it all. For the frosting, more powdered sugar will lighten the color of the frosting. Different cocoas could also make a difference. The one cup of buttermilk is simply one cup – that’s it. I use powdered buttermilk, but you could use the liquid one. If you’re using the powdered, follow the instructions on the container of the one you use.
Hi just wondering if I could double or triple this recipe ?
I don’t see why you couldn’t, you would just need larger cake pans.
Hello,
I have tried many marble cake recipes and not been totally happy with the results. I am looking forward to making your marble cake recipe as it seems to tick all the boxes, which every other recipe seems to miss.
Just a question about the weight of the butter. I am from Australia and thought that half a cup of butter was 112 grams. Could you please clarify this for me.
First time commenting, and it will be the first recipe I make of yours. Rather exciting.
Regards from Australia,
Angela
You are correct, I’m sorry about that! I’ve updated the recipe. Thank you!
On the recipe section no mention of when to add the vanila extract
I have updated the recipe to make that more clear. Thank you!
I love to bake all kinds of desserts! Looking forward to seeing what comes next!
I had marble cake for my wedding cake. I love it! Yours looks so yummy and just kind of old fashioned and pretty!
Thanks Joanna! I hope you’re able to give it a try!
That’s so crazy – I literally made my own marble cakes this weekend! Yours looks so tasty and moist. Love it!
Hi, can i make the chocolate part with cocoa instead of chocolate? And can i add chocolate chips inside the cake?
Using cocoa and melted chocolate affects recipes very differently, so no. I haven’t tested adding chocolate chips or anything to the batter, so I don’t know if they will sink or not.
hey girl- this cake looks so yummy!
Hi Lindsay, LOVE your recipes and would like to try this marble cake. How would I adjust the ingredients so they go into a bundt pan? Thanks in advance.
I’m so glad you enjoy the recipes! I’m really not sure about a bundt pan, since I haven’t tested it. It could end up being quite dense.