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’ve made this recipe a few times now and always love it! The texture is spot on for me- fluffy and soft- not dense. The instructions are easy to follow. Thanks for the recipe!!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Ok. I am a new baker and have tried several of your cakes and they are absolutely delicious. On the melted chocolate, may I melt it in the microwave or do I have to melt it over the stove in a pot and bowl?
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the recipes! You can definitely melt it in the microwave.
I am planning to make this cake this weekend, but wanted to ask – did you use bleached or unbleached flour? Does it even make a difference? Thanks!
I have used both, so either should be fine.
I only have one 9inch pan. Should I just put the batter in the oven twice? Or just put it all in at once?
I would do it twice.
Happy Mother’s Day. Thank you for such a quick response. Also…it’s so hard to get to the store. Single mom. I only have semi sweet chocolate and am sure it will still be delicious.
I totally get it! I hope you enjoy it! Happy Mother’s Day!!
Hi Lindsay,
The recipe was great and so was the taste, however when I removed the cake from the mould after I cooled it the cake broke, it fell apart from the side and middle,
Any idea why this could’ve happened?
Thanks,
Mayanka
I may be misreading your comment, but it sounds like you allowed the cake to cool completely in the pan. Is that correct? It’s possible that it just stuck to the pan after cooling in there. There may have been some extra moisture from the condensation that could’ve caused a problem. I typically let cakes cool in their pen for just a couple of minutes, unless the recipe states that it should be done for longer, and then I move it onto a cooling rack to cool.
Can whipped icing be used in place of buttercream?
Sure!
Thanks . Are you supposed to do a crumb coat when using whipped?
You certainly could. If your cake looks like it has a lot of crumbs that could cause an issue, and you could certainly do a thin layer first and then frost it fully.
Hi Lindsay!
Do you add the melted chocolate to the batter while it is still hot or wait until it is cool? I’m not sure when to melt it; before I start making the cake or right when I need to add it. Someone posted that the chocolate hardened while baking. I’m a little afraid/confused with this step. Please help. I am about to make it this morning. Thank you for all your great recipes!
I melted the chocolate and then added it right to the batter (step 9). I didn’t have any issues. You could let it cool off just a bit though, if you’re concerned. Unless your chocolate is super hot, or your batter is quite cold, the chocolate shouldn’t harden upon contact with the batter.
Thank you so much for the reply. I went ahead and did it exactly how it’s written and I didn’t have a problem either. I guess I misunderstood the person who said the chocolate had hardened. I thought she meant after it came out of the oven, the chocolate part was hard. I took the pans out of the oven and they looked great. I’m about to make the frosting! This is the third cake I make with your recipes. They are easy to follow and very delicious! Thank you again for your wonderful recipes!
Hi Lindsay,
I’m looking to try this recipe out for a co-worker’s retirement and will need to use a vanilla buttercream for frosting and I just wanted to make sure that I’m following your note at the end of the recipe. This note pertains to the frosting portion of the recipe only correct? I usually use your ‘easy vanilla buttercream’ for whenever I want white frosting, do you think this same recipe will work here? I am also needing to do this in a sheet cake, any recommendations? Do you know if I doubled the recipe if that would affect the denseness of cake? I always seem to struggle with vanilla cake being too dense and not moist enough.
thanks!!
In case anyone is like me and wondering if these make good cupcakes, let me assure you they do!!! I used the ghirardelli 60% cocoa chips and they worked perfectly. Delicious, with distinct vanilla and chocolate vanilla flavors. Thanks for this great recipe!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I don’t see the actual recipe anywhere. Very frustrating!!!
I’m so sorry for the trouble! There was an issue today that affected thousands of sites – mine included. It looks like it’s been resolved, so you should be able to access it here now. Sorry about that!
Hi Lindsay
Great recipe….turns out yum everyone !!
I generally make 2- 7inch pans.just want to know can I half the ingredients and make a simple pan….wud it work??
I haven’t made a cake that size, so I’m not sure. Glad you enjoyed it!
Hello Lindsey, I am excited to try this cake! I am going to today. Thx!
Julina, 11 years old
I hope you enjoy it!
Could cocoa powder be substituted for the cake? If so what would you recommend?
No, it actually doesn’t work well.
Thanks. I made the cake and it was delish. I did use chocolate but found the chocolate cake was more dense.
The taste of the vegetable oil does not cook out whilst baking, and leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth which remains even after eating. The smell also lingers, similar to something that has been deep fried. Maybe it is an American thing, as I don’t really see oil included in any British/Australian cake recipes. It is a nice recipe apart from this, maybe some people have different tastes.
Would the measurements change if this was converted into a quarter of a sheet cake (9×13)?If so, by how much? Your recipes are always the best, but I would like to try this 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.
Teisha – Did you try it as a sheet cake? How did it work out? I’m thinking of doing the same thing and just wondered how it worked for you.
My son and I made this as written for his birthday – it is delicious! Frosting makes A TON – I think if I’d have halved the frosting recipe it would have been enough.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!