Marble Cake
My gorgeous marble cake is the delicious hybrid of vanilla and chocolate cake—layered, swirled, and baked into one glorious dessert. It’s a cinch to make when you want the best of both worlds without playing favorites—elegant enough for company but easy enough for a casual Tuesday.
If budget-friendly and simple pantry staples are your groove, this recipe is a sweet win-win. I remember watching my grandma whip up her version of this cake—no fancy mixers, just a bowl and a wooden spoon. The magic happened when she marbled the batter with a butter knife like a culinary artist. It felt like dessert and showtime rolled into one.
Now, I’ve given her humble classic a little remix with a hint of coffee that takes it over the top. This isn’t your average bake-sale marble cake—it’s moist, buttery, and balanced with just enough chocolate to keep things interesting. It’s perfect for brunches, potlucks, or just a treat-yourself moment.
Why Make a Marble Cake
I was looking for a fun and easy cake to make that would ooh and aah my guests. Plus, I really wanted to make a cake that didn’t require a lot of time and effort, because I had other time-consuming recipes to make. Marble cake (sometimes called a swirl cake) is a delightful blend of two different flavors and colors of cake batters. It fit the bill, and my guests were super happy.
How to Make Marble Cake
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl for 3-4 minutes, until light, fluffy, and pale. This step makes the cake soft and tender. (Photo 1)
- Mix in the sour cream until thoroughly combined. Then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. (Photos 2-3)
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Gently combine the dry ingredients with the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. (Photo 4)
- Whisk the cocoa powder, hot water, and instant coffee in a small bowl until smooth. (Photo 5)
- Divide the cake batter into two parts, with the soon-to-be chocolate batter about one-third of the batter. Stir in the chocolate mixture. You should have more vanilla than chocolate batter. (Photo 6)
- Spread a layer of the vanilla batter evenly in the greased and floured pan. Then add a layer of chocolate batter and spread gently. Continue alternating the two until all the batter has been used. You’ll usually end up with about three layers of each.
- Swirl through the batter in gentle figure-eight motions with a skewer or knife. Don’t overdo it, just enough to create pretty ribbons. (Photo 7)
- Bake for 50-60 minutes for a bundt pan or 55-65 minutes for a loaf pan, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Photo 8)
- Serve – Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate ganache before serving.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- For a citrusy marble cake, add the zest and juice of one orange and ¼ teaspoon of orange extract for a fresh twist.
- For a nutty marble cake, stir crushed hazelnuts or walnuts into the chocolate batter and add a teaspoon of almond extract.
- Make it in a loaf pan for easy slicing and snacking. Besides, a loaf cake is easier to take to picnics.
- Let it cool completely before slicing to keep it from crumbling.
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder delivers the best flavor, but don’t feel bad using whatever unsweetened cocoa powder you have.
- Some people like adding 2-3 tablespoons of sugar to the chocolate batter to offset the chocolate’s bitterness. Personally, I like it without.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
This cake keeps like a dream! Wrap it in plastic wrap or foil and store it at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Would you prefer freezing it? Wrap the whole cake or individual slices and freeze them for 2-3 months. Thaw what you want to eat at the moment in the microwave for a fast fix.
What Goes With Marble Cake
Marble cake plays well with others. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla or espresso ice cream or fresh berries and whipped cream.
You can also drizzle it with chocolate, caramel, or rum sauce. Or, pair it with my personal favorites: a strong cup of coffee and a binge-worthy show on Netflix.
More Deliciously Elegant Cake Recipes
- Strawberry Pound Cake
- Cuatro Leches Cake
- Banana Bundt Cake
- Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake
- Red Velvet Cake
By Imma
This blog post was originally published in February 2013 and has been updated with additional tips and gorgeous new photos.
Marble Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (340g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup (120g) sour cream at room temperature
- ¾ cup (180ml) milk at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract
- 2½ cups (300-315g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- ⅓ cup (30-35g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) hot water (enough to make a smooth paste with the cocoa powder)
- 1-2 teaspoons (2-4g) instant coffee powder (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan or a deep 9×5-inch loaf pan. A deep pan works best because the batter rises beautifully and can overflow in a shallow one.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes, until light, fluffy, and pale. This step makes the cake soft and tender.
- Mix in the sour cream until fully combined for a moist and rich cake.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then stir in the vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix gently after each addition, just until the batter is smooth without overmixing.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, hot water, and instant coffee until smooth. Divide the main batter roughly in half, then take a little more than one-third of the batter and mix it with the chocolate mixture. You should have more vanilla batter than chocolate batter.
- Start with a layer of vanilla batter and spread it evenly in the pan. Then add a layer of chocolate batter and spread gently. Continue alternating the two until all the batter has been used. You'll usually end up with about three layers of each. Use a skewer or knife to swirl through the batter in gentle figure-eight motions. Don't overdo it, just enough to create pretty ribbons.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes for a bundt pan or 55-65 minutes for a loaf pan, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate ganache before serving.
Tips & Notes:
- Use room-temperature ingredients for a smoother, even batter.
- Add a teaspoon of almond extract with the vanilla for more flavor.
- Don’t overmix once the flour goes in because you want a tender crumb, not tough.
- Using a toothpick to swirl will give you a more delicate marbling.
- A deep pan works best because the batter rises beautifully and can overflow in a shallow one.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the ingredients used.
I’ve updated the recipe with an even easier method. If your heart is broken about the changes, here is the original recipe. Love, Imma
1 cup (225g) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups (400g) sugar
2 extra-large eggs
3 extra-large egg yolks
1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (15ml) almond flavor
1½ cups (360g) sour cream
3 cups (360g) cake flour
2¼ teaspoon (9g) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (2g) baking soda
½ teaspoon (3g) salt
3 tablespoons (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon (2g) instant coffee granules
3 tablespoons (45ml) hot water
Preheat oven to 325℉ (160℃). Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan, and set it aside.
Mix the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar using a mixer for about 2 minutes, then add the sour cream and beat until light and fluffy. It will take 4-5 minutes altogether.
Beat the eggs and egg yolk in a separate bowl, and then add the flour mixture and the egg mixture, alternating between both of them, beginning and ending with the flour to the butter mixture.
Stir in the vanilla and the almond extracts, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as you mix.
In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder, coffee, and hot water together to make a smooth chocolate paste.
Fold in the chocolate paste into about ⅓ of the cake batter. Mix well until fully incorporated. Then, pour the batters into the prepared cake pan, alternating with the vanilla and chocolate to simulate a checkerboard.
With a large spoon, cut and twist through batters to obtain a marbled effect. Tap the pan firmly to remove air pockets.
Bake cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Hello Imma, thanks for your wonderful and precise recipes. I tried the blueberry lemon cake and it was heavenly. I intend to make the marble cake this weekend, but what is 1 cup of butter in grams? Thanks
Thank you for wanting to try the recipe, Mercy! Enjoy.
Let me know how it turns out 🙂 Based from Google, 1 cup of butter is 227 grams.
This is my 1st attempt at baking marble cake and it came out soooo nice. Thank you so much Imma for the recipe. Keep them coming
Thank you so much, Ronke! Will make sure to post more recipe. 😀
Your recipes are amazing Imma.. i Am
Going to try this marble cake recipe.. can i
Use yogurt instead of sour cream? Sour cream is not easily available here.
Love
Swati jha
Thank you, Swati jha :)!
Yes, yogurt will work for this recipe. Do let me know how it turns out for you!
Hello Imma
How are you? The marble cake turned out to be yummm.. my family loved it. I just have one question, the amount was too big for my mould so i had a bit of a difficulty there, can u please suggest me how can i reduce the batter into half, considering odd number/ amounts of some ingredients..
thanks
Hi Swati jha! I am so glad this cake came out great for you. 🙂
In order to half this recipe, feel free to just divide every single ingredient in half. The cake will turn out just as delicious.
Hi
Can I use espresso powder instead of coffee. Also, I don’t buy extra large eggs, so how many large eggs can I use in this recipe. Thanks
Absolutely! It will be great.
hello. I tried the condensed milk cake and it was delightful. I am looking forward for this receipt. But i have a question is there a different between the all purpose flour and the cake flour? And also do you use sweetened or unsweetened cacao powder?
Thank you
The difference is that cake flour yields soft cake layers- really light. You can easily make yours at home- really inexpensive ; 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch makes 2 cups cake flour.
Oh thank you for the recipe. And what about the cacao powder you use. Is it sweetened or unsweetened cacao powder?
Unsweetened is best, but sweetened will work if you reduce the sugar by a tablespoon.
tanks for d recipes jst saw it now am going to bake dis following ur instruction tanks
Hi Jessica, let me know how it works for you. Thanks
Hi Imma,
This looks yummy…what quantity of coffee did you use? It is not listed under the ingredients.. you are an inspiration….
Thank You.
BJ
It is the last ingredient- 1-teaspoon granulated coffee. Thanks B.J for the such a sweet comment. Let me know how you like it.