Best Marble Cake {Extra Moist and Tender!}
A chocolate vanilla marble cake that always turns out! This recipe is super easy, simple and time-tested. You’ll love how soft, tender, and moist this marble cake is, and perfect for any time of day.
If you haven’t yet pinned marble cakes on your list of must-bake treats, it’s time to re-think that list! Because marble cakes aren’t just good, they are deliriously delicious!
I’ve baked this three times this week alone. Each loaf hardly ever getting past the second day, with hubs and I reaching out for second helpings every time we’ve pinched off morsels for quick bites.
And you know what, this cake is so good, it just can’t be enjoyed in little portions. You’ll want to have the whole loaf!
I have to say, I feel like I’ve re-kindled a whole new love and respect for chocolate vanilla marble cakes.
Oddly, not too long ago, I used to think that there was nothing special about them. I don’t know why but marble cakes seemed uninteresting to me.
It’s almost as if it couldn’t be decided if the cake should have been more a buttery vanilla confection, with a chocolatey compromise. Perhaps to appeal to chocolate lovers?
Or maybe, it was meant to be more a chocolate lover’s cake with buttery vanilla to sweeten things up a little.
And then I realised that it doesn’t really matter. Because either way, it makes for a perfect union of flavours.
Seriously, how wrong can you get with the classic combination of chocolate and vanilla?
And these cakes are fantastically easy and simple to prepare. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be trumpeting about it.
Though marble cakes are more of an everyday tea cake, these can become amazingly decadent desserts.
When drizzled over with a rich, smooth chocolate glaze, golden caramel sauce, or even light buttercream topping, this humble cake transforms into an indulgent treat. In a snap!
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Origin of marble cake
Marble cakes have a long history, originating in Germany during the 19th century and are known as marmokuchen in German.
It is said that marble cakes made its way to America before the Civil War through German immigrants.
Now, originally, the earliest versions of marble cake were made by marbling molasses and spices.
The first appearance in an American cookbook titled Aunt Babette’s Cook Book: Foreign and Domestic Receipts for the Household published in 1889 was a Jewish recipe for marble cake.
The American adaptation by replacing the molasses with chocolate came about as a result of the growing popularity and obsession with chocolate in 1895.
This was a significant time because chocolate was becoming more affordable to American home bakers, due to the introduction of modern mass production capabilities.
What is marble cake?
Ultimately, marble cakes are butter cakes at heart. So you can expect nothing short of a soft, moist, tender-textured cake, with a light, pure, buttery flavour.
Now, it’s usual to think that these cakes are always made with chocolate and vanilla flavoured batters.
But by definition, they are typically batter cakes made with any mix and number of different coloured batters.
A marble cake is visually beautiful because it involves marbling a light-coloured batter with a darker-coloured one for contrast.
The batters can be flavoured with different kinds of fruit or fruit pastes, or blended with cocoa, coffee and even flavoured liquors.
About this chocolate vanilla marble cake
This recipe by Singapore’s Executive Chef Judy Koh, was taught to baking students at her baking institute, Creative Culinaire.
It was part of a first-level cake foundation course which I attended several years ago.
In the years since, I’ve tried several marble cake recipes. But truth be told, I still find this particular one as invaluable as when I first had a go at it as a baking novice.
It’s also an excellent recipe if you’re looking to make a basic butter cake. Simply omit the steps for the cocoa batter, and bake as is.
Well, it’s just too good to swap for any other. I do hope you’ll give it a go, and tell me what you think!
More recipes to inspire your next bake:
- Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze
- Moist Chocolate Cake
- Marble Mini Bundt Cakes
- Marble Chiffon Cake with Cocoa and Vanilla Swirls
- Vanilla Pound Cake
- The Ultimate Red Velvet Cake
- Very Rich Butter Cake
Soft & Moist Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake
Ingredients
- 150 g cake flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 130 g butter softened at room temperature
- 100 g caster sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 50 g milk
- 40 g dairy cream (or heavy whipping cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To make cocoa paste:
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 190 deg C (375 deg F). Place oven rack in the centre of the oven. Lightly grease the base and sides of an oval loaf pan (9 in x 4 in x 2 1/4 in).
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, combine whole eggs and egg yolks, and stir with a fork to mix well. In another bowl, combine the milk, cream, and vanilla extract. Lastly, in a separate bowl, combine the cocoa paste ingredients and stir until smooth.
- Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed (speed 3 on my Kitchen Aid mixer) until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
- Keeping the mixer speed on low to medium, add the eggs, little by little, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk-cream mixture, in 1/4 portions each time, beating well until you get a smooth batter. Do not over-beat during this stage.
- Weigh out 100 g of the cake batter. Gently fold in the cocoa paste until well combined. In the prepared loaf pan, pour enough plain batter to cover the base. Next, alternate dollops of chocolate batter with plain batter, ending with some chocolate batter on the top. Using a toothpick or bamboo skewer, create a swirled or marbled effect.
- Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a metal or bamboo skewer inserted into the centre of the cake, emerges free of batter. When cake is done, remove from oven, and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove cake from the pan, and cool completely on a cooling rack. Slice, and serve as desired.
I had never eaten marble cake that taste so good. My family and friends love it.
Will, try moist butter cake next time.
Hi Jane, I’m so happy you loved it! Thank you so much for sharing and leaving the 5-star review. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Hello Celia, would it be possible to bake this in an 8-inch round cake tin? Also, could you please let me know the required baking time and temperature in Celsius? Thank you.
Hi Janice, I’d bake 1.5x the recipe amount to fit an 8-inch round pan to get a cake with a good height. Here are the recipe adjustments:
225 g cake flour; 2¼ tsp baking powder; ¼ + ⅛ tsp salt; 195 g butter; 150 g caster sugar; 3 whole eggs; 3 egg yolks; 75 g milk; 60 g dairy cream (or heavy whipping cream); 1½ tsp vanilla extract. Bake at 185 deg C for 45 – 50 minutes, give or take. The baking time is a guide as ovens have hot spots, so it would be best to check for doneness with a metal/bamboo skewer.
Would love to know if these amounts fit your pan nicely! Happy baking!
Hi Celia,
this is really the best marble cake recipe I’ve ever tried for the last 20 years. LOL.
The cake is buttery just right, the texture is perfect and the fact that this cake is most makes me fall in love. Great thanks, love it !
Wow, that’s awesome, Anastasia! So glad to hear it and for trying out this recipe, it’d be so helpful if you could give it a star rating you think it deserves. Thank you so much for sharing. Have a great week ahead!
Hi..I tried the recipe n its perfect.. I jus want to ow many days can we store it? Coz 4th day itself it got spoiled..
Hi Prad, I’m glad to hear this recipe worked perfectly for you. If you live in the tropics like I do, I would move it into the chiller within 3 days if you still have cake leftover. To get it as fresh as when baked, microwave on medium for 15 seconds (more or less time depends on how warm you like to eat your cake). I’ll make a note to include storing tips and info when I next update this post. Take care!
Hi Celia,
Can I substitute all purpose flour for cake flour? If so, what will be the measurement?
Thanks,
Sajna.
Celia, I doubled the recipe cos I don’t have a small pan, and didn’t want the cake to look short.
May I know how much longer should I bake please?
Thks for the recipe?
Hi Juliana, not sure if you got my reply cos my site crashed for a while. But just in case it didn’t get delivered, the baking time will depend on the surface area of the cake pan used, the depth of the cake batter when poured into the pan, and your oven as well. Generally, for double this recipe, you’ll want to bake for as long as 45 to 50 mins. I would start checking around 45 minutes, then every 5 mins, until it’s done. Because a skewer test could be false, I would look to see if the surface of the cake looks set. It should feels firm and springy when pressed lightly. Also, another sign would be when the cake has shrunk a bit from the sides of the pan. Hope this helps!
Hi Cecilia, refer to instead of whipping cream, can I use yoghurt or sour cream.
Tks
Hi Irene, I say go for it! Of the two, I would choose sour cream (though yoghurt would work as well) because it is another great ingredient for adding moisture to cakes. Hope this helps!
Success ! ✌?
only unfortunate thing is my pan size. no smaller pans at home. overall cake is moist and good.
Thank you for sharing.
meanwhile, stay safe and stay healthy! ?
Hi Celia, thanks for sharing this recipe! I followed all the steps diligently and baked the cake at 190C but it turned out quite dry. The cake however tasted good though. Not sure what could have went wrong here? My guess is that the temperature settings differ from oven to oven and I overcooked it? Should I lower the temp next time? Or could I have over mixed my batter? Really appreciate some advice! Thank you!
Hi Cherie, thank you for writing in, and for giving this recipe a try. I’m sorry to hear it turned out dry, which is unusual as it’s a really, really moist cake. I don’t think it was how you mixed the batter, even if you did overmix a bit, it would only result in a denser texture but not dry. Sounds like the oven temp might have been too hot. Having an oven thermometer really helps eliminate this uncertainty. The other possible cause could be that the cake pan might have been too close to the top element. Preferably, try placing in the lower half of the oven. Also, you’re right that ovens can vary quite a bit so the suggested baking timing is a guideline, and you may want to check for doneness 10 mins before the end of the stated time. Also, if yours is a convection oven, you’ll need to bake at lower temperature than in convention ovens, sometimes 5 deg C or 25 deg F lower. Hopefully, this helps you assess what the cause could be. I hope you’ll give it another try, because it’s really delicious and moist!
Hi Celia.. can you recommend to me what butter do you use?
Because i think great butter makes a really delicious cake.
Hi Celia.. can you recommend to me what butter do you use?
Because i think great butter makes a reall delicious cake.
Hi Areeya, you’re absolutely right! I like the European brands, especially Danish butter. Lurpak is my favourite and preferably, try to use unsalted. I think New Zealand brand, Anchor, is pretty good too!?
Thanks a million again to Celia. I made this marble cake and it was moist and delicious.
Hi Doris, thank you so much for sharing! I’m always thrilled to hear from you and am glad these recipes you’re baking and cooking have turned out to your satisfaction!?
Super awesome cake! Loved it. Think it’s one of the best marble cake I’ve tasted which is homemade. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Shubs! Thank you so much for writing in and sharing your feedback!? I’m so thrilled you loved it, thank you for giving it a go. I hope you can give this recipe the star rating you feel it deserves, it would be so much appreciated. Have a smooth and safe week ahead!
Hi Celia. I baked the marble choc cake today and it was easy to do
I used a very good cocoa powder from Lindt and the cake tasted heavenly. Thanks for another great recipe.
Hi Doris, I’m so glad you liked this! I shall have to try the cocoa powder you used, sounds so good! Thank you for always generously sharing! And I hope you can give it your star rating too!?❤
Hi Celia, can i use self-raising flour? If yes Please advice. Tq
Hi Janice, I’m sorry I took a while to reply. Yes, you can use self-raising flour and omit the baking powder, but the texture will be a little different. Perhaps not as fine and tender-crumbed as when you use low-protein cake flour, but still moist and delicious. Hope you’ll share how it turns out!
Perfect recipe, made it and is so easy to make! Love it
Hi Sandy, so thrilled you loved this! Thank you for taking the time to leave your comments here, and I hope you can give the recipe the star rating you think it deserves!
hi can i add more butter? am afraid there wont be enough butter fragrance to the cake
Hi Rachel, I don’t think you’ll need to add more butter, this cake tastes very buttery and does have a nice butter fragrance in my humble opinion ?.
I never usually leave reviews but this is the best marble cake recipe I have tried, all the others left me with a really dry tasting cake but this is just so delicious and moist! Thank you for sharing your recipe, I’m going to try more of your bakes for sure!
Thank you so much for leaving your comments here, and for the 5-star rating! I’m so thrilled you loved how this cake turned out!
Can I just add the 2 egg without the 2 yolk or can I add 3 eggs instead .
Hi Omna, you can try with 2 whole eggs, without the additional egg yolks, but the moistness and flavour may not be as originally intended. Egg yolks add fat (moistness) and colour, so the cake looks ‘buttery’.
Hi Celia, would you recommend doubling the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Marnie, sure you could certainly do so! Happy baking!
Hi can I wrap the cream for milk instead? Love all your recipes, the cakes have turned out wonderful!
Yes, you can use milk instead, though cream would give it a richer flavour. Thank you so much for your kind feedback, do keep your comments coming!
Hi Celia, I found your blog by accident last night and made your marble cake with my 6- and 4- year olds today. It was a hit! I previously had trouble with butter cakes being too greasy but this was just right. I did use soured cream instead of whipping cream as my delivery man was late (!) but this didn’t cause any problems. Delicious! Thank you.
Hello! Thank you so much for writing in and sharing your story! I’m so glad you enjoyed baking this with your kids, that’s just awesome! I think sour cream is always a welcome addition to any butter cake recipe, and I’d love to try that myself. Enjoy, and keep your comments coming! Have a wonderful weekend ahead!
For whip cream can I use non diary whip topping cream?
Hi Sharon, yes, you can!? Thanks for asking!
Thank you Celia for the recipe.
I tried both your very rich butter cake and marble cake. I followed your recipe to the T. They turned out beautifully. My family really loved them. I made financier cake from the extra egg white so it wasn’t wasted.
Hello Dahlia, thank you so much for sharing! Really appreciate the wonderful feedback on these recipes! Have a great week ahead! Great tip on using the extra egg whites too, thank you!
Hi Celia, I tried out this recipe and baked it at 190 deg C but found the oven too hot, resulting in a ‘cake quake.’ However, it made for an interesting shot (LOL), especially the part where the cake peaked! I snapped a side profile of one slice. On my 2nd attempt, I lowered the heat to 170 deg C and it turned out well! I gather that oven temperatures vary from brand to brand. Also, it’s getting to know my own oven. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Evonne, thanks so much for the feedback!?? I think the ‘cake quake’ (loved how you came up with this!?) is expected, everytime I’ve baked this, it’s peaked at the top too, but it settles down quite a bit after cooling. Also I like to invert it onto a cooling rack once out of the oven while cake is still in the pan, so that I get a more even top… ha ha!? Might now try instead, lowering the temp as you did!? Thanks so much for trying this!
Can i order the marble cakes from you. .? Pld reply. Thks
Hi Chris, I’m honoured, thank you so much! This (baking, cooking, and blogging) is all just a hobby and personal passion for me, so unfortunately, I can’t manage orders at this moment. 🙂 Regards, Celia