Marble cake sliced on a white cutting board
Cakes

Marble Cake

36 comments
Jump to Recipe

How can you go wrong with moist vanilla and chocolate cake in one? The short answer you can’t! I absolutely love this marble cake recipe.

Seriously if you love cake recipes you need to try this! Not only does it taste amazing, but it also looks extremely cool on the inside. The different colors of the cake come together in a marble texture. Hence the name of the cake.

Traditionally it is made with vanilla and chocolate cake, but you can achieve the same results with any two different colored cakes or a vanilla cake that has food coloring added to half of the batter. Have fun with it! Marble cake is really easy to make, if I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get baking!

Step 1: Gather the ingredients and tools

marble cake ingredients on a wooden table in glass bowls.

In order to make this yummy marble cake you will need the following ingredients and tools:

  • Flour – Cake flour works really well but you can use all-purpose/plain flour as well. If you use cake flour you will wind up with a softer cake.
  • Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix – The pudding mix is going to help create a delicious soft moist cake.
  • Baking powder – That main leavening agent in the cake.
  • Salt – The salt will help balance out the sweetness of the cake.
  • Butter – I generally use unsalted, but salted butter will work as well.
  • Sugar – The white granulated sugar will be the main sweet component of the cake.
  • Eggs – The eggs will act as a binder as well as add moisture and structure to the cake.
  • Vanilla Extract – The vanilla will add flavor as well as enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
  • Milk – I normally like to use whole milk when baking, but other milk will work fine as well. The milk will help soften the texture.
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder – The cocoa powder will be used to make the chocolate portion of the marble cake.
  • Hot Water – The hot water will bloom the cocoa powder releasing a rich chocolate flavor as well as provide some moisture for the cake.

Tools

  • Hand mixer
  • Buttered and floured 9×5 bread loaf pan or use shortening
  • Bowls
  • Spatula
  • Sifter
  • Whisk

Step 2: How to make marble cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and vanilla pudding mix in a sifter or sieve and sift the ingredients into a bowl. Alternatively just use a whisk and whisk the ingredients together.

Step 3: Crack those eggs

In a large bowl add the eggs and vanilla extract. Use a mixer and whisk the eggs for a minute. Then add the softened butter and sugar to the eggs. Mix again until well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed throughout this cake batter making process.

Step 4: Complete the vanilla cake batter

vanilla cake batter in a large bowl being mixed with a hand mixer

Now add in half of the milk and half of the flour then mix. Then repeat until all of the milk and all of the flour has been incorporated. This will complete the main vanilla cake batter.

Step 5: Cocoa powder and water

Now, in a small bowl add the hot water and the cocoa powder. Mix them until well combined using a fork or whisk. This process is called “blooming” the cocoa powder. It will help release flavor particles and produce a richer chocolate flavor.

Step 6: Separation of the batter

Vanilla cake batter being mixed in with the cocoa powder water

Now, create the chocolate cake portion of the marble cake. Add a little less than half of the vanilla cake batter to the bowl of cocoa powder and water, mix well until you are left with a nice smooth chocolate cake batter.

Step 7: Alternating cake batters

Marble cake batter in a pan ready to be baked sitting on a wooden table

Now it is time to create the marble pattern for the cake. Take a 9×5 inch bread pan and grease it with butter or shortening. Then add a bit of flour in it and tilt and tap the flour all around the pan. Now spoon in some vanilla cake batter. Then Spoon in some chocolate cake batter on top of that. Next spoon in some vanilla cake batter, etc. Do this until you are done with both batters.

Take a wooden skewer or use a butter knife and insert it into the cake batter and draw an S pattern creating a swirl in the batter. And then place the cake pan in the middle rack location of the oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Step 8: Let the marble cake cool and then serve

Freshly baked marble cake on a wire rack on a wooden table

Once the cake comes out of the oven allow it to cool for fifteen minutes in the pan. Then use a cake spatula or butter knife and run it along the edges of the pan to help release the cake. Take the cake out of the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Hand holding a marble cake that has been sliced.

Slice into that beautiful cake and serve it. Enjoy!

How long will marble cake last?

Store the cake in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for a few days. Or you can store it in the fridge where it will last up to 5 to 7 days.

Marble cake sliced on a white cutting board
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
5 from 11 votes

Marble Cake

This chocolate and vanilla marble cake is so moist and delicious! It is really easy to make too. Impress your friends and family with this amazing cake.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Cooling time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Cakes, Dessert
Cuisine: American, German
Keyword: airy, delicious, light, moist
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 224kcal
Author: Matt Taylor

Equipment

  • Hand mixer
  • Buttered and floured 9×5 bread loaf pan or use shortening
  • Bowls
  • Spatula
  • Sifter
  • Whisk

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour or you can use all-purpose/plain (140g)
  • 1/2 cup vanilla instant pudding mix usually 1 small package 3.4 3.5 ounce box, here in the States (100g)
  • 2 tsp. of baking powder 8g
  • 1/2 tsp. of salt 2g
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temp (jf you use salted, reduce the other salt to 1/4 tsp.) (113g)
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar 200g
  • 3 large eggs room temp
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract 5ml
  • 3/4 cup of milk whole, 2%, 1%, room temp (175ml)
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 32g
  • 1/3 cup hot water 78ml

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F/176 C. In a medium bowl sift or whisk together the flour, salt, dry instant vanilla pudding mix, and baking powder.
  • In a separate large bowl add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat the eggs with a mixer. Then add the softened room temperature butter and sugar. Cream those ingredients together with the mixer. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Now add half of the milk and half of the flour mixture in with the batter. Mix those in. Then add the rest of the milk and the rest of the flour and mix completing the batter.
  • In a medium bowl add the hot water and cocoa powdered. Mix those together until the cocoa powder is dissolved. Then add a little less than half of the vanilla cake mix to this bowl. Mix to combine, creating the chocolate cake portion of the marble cake.
  • Grease a 9×5 inch bread pan with butter or shortening and then dust it with flour. Next spoon in some vanilla cake batter, then some chocolate cake batter on top of that. Now do another layer of vanilla and then chocolate, etc. Alternate between layers until all the cake batter is gone. Use a knife or wooden skewer and draw an s pattern in the cake. This will help create that cool marble look.
  • Bake the cake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake too cool for 15 minutes once out of the oven. Then remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack completely. Cut into it and enjoy it! Store it in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temp or in the fridge.

Video

How to Make a Marble Cake | Easy Homemade Moist Marble Cake Recipe

Notes

Nutritional facts for marble cake
Tried this recipe?Mention @WPRecipeMaker or tag #wprecipemaker!

Nutrition

Calories: 224kcal

Do you like this recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it.  If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.

Here are a few more recipes you may like:

Cookies and Cream Fudge

Homemade Peanut Butter

Spiderman Cake

German Pancakes

Marble cake pin for Pinterest
(Pin it!)

36 Comments

  1. I tried this recipe…Cake turned out very well. Tqvm for sharing.
    look like this

    https://marmeladlimetbex.blogspot.com/2012/10/marble-patterned-cake-recipe.html

  2. 5 stars
    Hi,
    Can I skip vanilla pudding mix?If yes, then What will be ratio of other ingredients,
    Thanks
    Regards
    Samia khan

  3. Elizabeth O

    5 stars
    This marble cake looks really delicious. I need to try this for our snack tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe.

  4. Billy Sandoval

    5 stars
    Oh, I really need to try this delightful marble cake. Thanks for sharing this easy recipe and procedure.

  5. 5 stars
    Quarantine is making me bored thus making lots of recipes I found online. I’ve never tried making a marble cake before but that looks quite delicious!

  6. Natalia Vorche

    Wow, Looks so yummy and I bet my family would love this too, Thanks for the recipe

  7. 5 stars
    I want to bake your marble cake. It seems nice and I hope it’s a hit with the kids!

  8. 5 stars
    It’s a mouthwatering recipe. I am not much into baking but I should give myself a try.

  9. that looks gorgeous. i love a marble cake because it’s not too rich with chocolate and means the vanilla doesn’t need frosting.

  10. 5 stars
    I havent tried marble cake yet, but it looks delicious. The ingredients are also simple. I might try this recipe out soon. 🙂

  11. oh my this cake looks not only super easy to do , but very effective and soo yummy , will be making it today

  12. This cake looks simple — I think I can make this with what I have in the house during quarantine! Can I freeze it? I don’t need to eat the entire cake right now LOL

  13. I haven’t had a good marble cake in years. I can’t wait to make this one!

  14. 5 stars
    This look so delicious and so fun to make during quarantine. I love Marvel cakes.

  15. Can I use round cake pan(s) instead of a loaf pan?

  16. 5 stars
    This was so delicious! My kids added on a smear of chocolate frosting but either way, it was a total win!

  17. Rachael Yerkes

    5 stars
    this cake is addicting! it’s great for gifting too

  18. 5 stars
    Beautiful! That marbling is perfect and the crumb so moist and tender!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.