The ultimate people pleaser, this soft, fluffy, moist Marble Cake is a swirled masterpiece of vanilla and chocolate. This cake is shockingly easy to make and tastes as good as it looks! Recipe includes a how-to video.
Marble Cake (AKA: The People Pleaser)
Some people like chocolate cake, some people like vanilla cake–but everyone loves this marble cake!
It’s a beautiful, swirled combination that’s perfectly chocolatey with just the right amount of vanilla. If you’ve tried and enjoyed my zebra cake, you’ll love this richer, more elegant take, minus the whipped egg whites and special ingredients. It’s simple, gorgeous, and designed to please!
This recipe is a close cousin to my popular vanilla cake; it’s wonderfully soft, moist, and so flavorful. When developing this recipe, I originally toyed with the idea of making two separate batters, but ultimately decided it was too much of a hassle. That technique produced many more dishes and a much larger mess, and the cakes didn’t bake as evenly together as I would’ve liked. After a dozen more rounds of testing, I finally figured out a way to keep things simple with one batter for both flavors.
You’ll love my recipe because it’s:
- Perfect for parties–everyone is happy!
- Soft, fluffy, and moist.
- Simple to make with just one batter.
- Cloaked with a thick and fudgy chocolate frosting (just one of many options–more below!)
What You Need
This marble cake uses basic ingredients you’ll already have on hand. Let’s go over a few of the key players:
- Butter and oil. Butter adds flavor that you would miss from using just oil, and oil adds moisture that you would miss if you only used butter.
- Flour. I use all-purpose, but cake flour may be substituted; see the notes below the recipe card.
- Baking powder. A tablespoon may seem like a lot. It’s not a typo, trust me on this one 😉.
- Buttermilk. Yes, even though we aren’t using baking soda (which is often used alongside buttermilk, if you recall my buttermilk substitute post), we are still using buttermilk. It adds flavor and moisture to the marble cake.
- Chocolate. Adding cocoa powder didn’t give me the deep, distinct chocolate flavor that I was looking for (largely because we aren’t adding any hot water to bloom it, like in my chocolate cake recipe), but adding melted semisweet chocolate did the trick. You can use semisweet or dark chocolate here depending on your preference.
SAM’S TIP: If you only have salted butter on hand, you can reduce the salt in the recipe to ½ teaspoon.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Marble Cake
- Heat your chopped chocolate in the microwave until it’s smooth and melted, then set aside.
- Cream the butter, oil, and sugar until fluffy, then stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then alternate adding this mixture and the buttermilk to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Portion ⅓-½ of the batter into a separate bowl and add stir in the melted chocolate until uniform.
- Alternate adding the vanilla and chocolate batter into your pans, then swirl them with a knife for a marbled appearance.
- Bake your cakes for 30 minutes, let them cool in their pans for 15 minutes, then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
SAM’S TIP: You can also reverse-cream this marble cake (the technique I used in my caramel cake) for a plush, dense crumb. If you often accidentally over-mix your cakes, it’s almost impossible to do so with the reverse-creaming method.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like using my favorite chocolate frosting (though in the video I used my chocolate buttercream; either will work!). If you’re looking for a vanilla option, my classic buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, or German buttercream would work well.
There are a few causes for a dry cake, but the main reasons are over-measuring your flour, overmixing, or overbaking.
I use a kitchen scale to measure my ingredients to avoid over-measuring my flour, as this is a very common mistake. I suggest you do the same! Once you begin combining the dry and wet ingredients, you want to be very careful to mix until just combined–and don’t use a mixer. Finally, you want to bake your marble cake until a toothpick comes out clean, or preferably, with a few moist crumbs; many ovens run hot though, so you’ll want to start checking your cake a few minutes before it should be done.
Follow these tips and your marble cake should turn out perfectly moist every time!
Store your marble cake in an airtight container. I recommend keeping it at room temperature, where it will keep for 2-3 days (so long as it isn’t a particularly humid environment). This cake may be refrigerated (again, in an airtight container) and will keep for about 5-7 days in the fridge–BUT, keep in mind that the refrigerator will dry out your cake, even in a container.
It’s always exciting to see the beautiful swirls when you cut into a marble cake!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Marble Cake
Ingredients
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate bar finely chopped
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (120 ml) avocado, vegetable, or canola oil
- 1 ¾ cup (350 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup (300 ml) buttermilk room temperature preferred
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (see post for more frosting options)
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (320 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and generously grease and flour two 8" round cake pans (you may instead use 9" pans, just keep in mind you will need to bake the cake for about 5 minutes less than indicated). Set aside.
- Place chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well, and then return to microwave and heat in 15-second increments, stirring well in between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside.4 oz semisweet chocolate bar
- Using an electric or stand mixer, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy (about 30 seconds on high speed).½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (120 ml) avocado, vegetable, or canola oil, 1 ¾ cup (350 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pause as needed to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.4 large eggs
- Stir in vanilla extract.2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Using a spatula and gently hand-mixing, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter/oil batter, starting and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix!1 ¼ cup (300 ml) buttermilk
- Pour ⅓-½ of the batter into a separate bowl and add chocolate mixture. Stir until completely combined and batter is evenly chocolate.
- Alternate adding vanilla and chocolate batter to each pan, evenly distributing batter into each pan. Use a knife to swirl for marbled appearance.
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean but with a few moist crumbs (do not over-bake or the cake will be dry, you want there to be a few crumbs).
- Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes before carefully inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Frosting¹
- In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips at 15 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until chips are completely melted. Set aside and allow to cool slightly (about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally).1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Cream room temperature butter with an electric mixer. Stir in slightly cooled chocolate and beat well.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- Gradually add sugar, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl occasionally.2 cups (320 g) powdered sugar
- Sprinkle in salt and vanilla extract, stir well.½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Gradually add heavy cream, increase speed to high and beat for 1 minute.2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- Spread a thick layer of frosting over the top of one cake round and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Top with second cake round and evenly frost cake. Slice and serve.
Notes
Cake Flour
Cake flour may be substituted. If using weights, use the same weight indicated in the recipe. If using cups you will need to use 3 cups + 6 Tablespoons of cake flour (cake flour is lighter than all purpose, which is why the weight is the same but the volume is different).Storing
Store cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep in mind the refrigerator tends to dry out cakes and make them a bit dry!Troubleshooting
A cake that turns out dense, dry, or crumbly (or tasting like cornbread) was most likely over-mixed, the flour was over-measured, or the cake was over-baked. When mixing wet and dry ingredients together, do not use an electric mixer, use a spatula and a gentle hand to stir ingredients together until combined. If you are not using a scale for this recipe, please see my tutorial on how to measure flour. When baking, always bake in the center rack. Make sure that your oven is not running hot, as many ovens run much hotter or cooler than indicated. Keep an oven thermometer near the center of your oven to monitor the temperature, as an oven that runs hot will cook a cake too fast and dry it out. Use the toothpick test to test if your cake is done. Ideally a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out with a few moist crumbs (but not wet batter). If the toothpick comes out completely clean, the cake is definitely done baking and may be bordering on being over-baked.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Mackenzie
Tried many of your recipes and they all are wonderful
I am planning on trying this gluten free-made with 4 cups of oat flour and extra baking powder
Do you think this will come out alright?
Sam
Hi Mackenzie! I would recommend trying a 1 for 1 gluten free flour. I’m not sure how the oat flour with extra baking powder will work. 🙂
Robin
Has anyone had pans overflow with this recipe? I used two 8” pans and the cakes both overflowed into the oven. It did not seem like too much batter when they went into the oven…
Sam
Hi Robin! I’m so sorry to hear this! Did you make any substitutions? Did you accidentally use baking soda instead of baking powder? I’ve never had it overflow. 🙁
Lissa
Do you know how long would you bake the Marble cake for in a 9×13?
Sam
Hi Lissa! I have not personally tried it in a 9 x 13, but I have had other readers suggest it takes an additional 10-15 minutes to bake. I would be sure to keep an eye on it. 🙂
Erica
Hi, would you include directions for high altutude locations? I live in NM, and am making this for my husband’s birthday so want to make sure it comes out right!
Sam
Hi Erica! Unfortunately I am not familiar with high altitude baking so I can’t make any suggestions on anything that would need to be changed. Hopefully someone else can chime in with some tips. 🙂
Haley Cliburn
Hi! LOVE your recipes! I haven’t tried this one yet but I’m interested to know.. would it work well with making marbled cupcakes? If so, how long would you recommend baking them? Thanks in advance!
Sam
Hi Haley! It should work for cupcakes. I think they would need to bake for about 17 minutes. 🙂
Nancy
Can cake flour be used instead of AP flour?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes, just make sure to substitute it properly. Enjoy, Nancy!
Bernadette
Hi!, Sam,
I have a question instead of the chocolate marble – can i just keep the cake batter white and then divide the batter and color one of them pink with strawberry ess and make a strawberry marble instead?
Sam
Hi Bernadette! That will work fine. 🙂
Cassandra
I am a huge fan of this recipe. I’ve eaten marble cake before but none as good as this one. Thank you for sharing.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you like it so much, Cassandra! ❤️
Valerie Rubalcaba-Williams
Can you use chocolate chips melted in the cake instead of a bar? My kids have allergies and i need to use specific chocolate that doesn’t come in bar form. Ty!
Sam
Hi Valerie! Chocolate chips will work here. 🙂
Michelle Gordon
Awesome cake… One of the best cakes I’ve made… Seven grandkids raced at it’s greatness… Really no jokes aside great cake… Thank you!
Kiara Perez
It tasted amazing and my whole family loved it!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Thanks for trying our recipe, Kiara!
Pat Ellis
So happy to find your recipe! This was first success making a marble cake. All my others were dry, but this came out moist and delicious. Your video was a great help to prevent over mixing. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy our recipe was such a success for you, Pat! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment. Enjoy 😊
LAQUITA SIMMONS
This eas my first time making a homemade cake from scratch and It turned out perfect and delicious. Thank you.
Amina
Do you think I could make this recipe in a sheet cake (9×13 pan)?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes! The bake time will be different though. Enjoy, Amina 😊
Melissa
I’m doing this right now. Guessing at the baking time since she answered you but didn’t really answer you. lol
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Melissa! Without having baked it this way ourselves, we can’t advise on a time. We’d love to hear how long it took to bake for you though 🙂
Jules
Hi 🙂 How long did it take in the 9 x 13 pan? Thanks
Alicja
looks great I will bake it tomorrow too, thank you for the inspiration
Emily
Looking to make a 3 or 4 layer 6” cake should I double the recipe ? Or is it fine the way it is ?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Emily! It should work for three 6″ pans without any changes. You might have a little batter leftover, but it won’t be enough to fill a fourth pan 😊
Carz
Similar question – looking at making a tiered cake this weekend. 8” 6” and 4” rounds. I can never seem to get the right recipe adjustment on amounts – suggestions or math to help me?
Sam
Honestly for this recipe to make those 3 (8″, 6″, & 4″)layers I would just make the recipe as is and discard any excess. You shouldn’t have a lot left over so it would probably be pretty difficult to adjust it. I’m not sure on a bake time for the smaller pans though. 🙂