Easy Marble Cake Recipe

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Funfetti Cake

Devil’s Food Cake

White Cake