Marble cake brings the best of both worlds to the dessert table. Made with soft, pillowy chocolate and yellow cake swirled together in harmony and topped with rich fudgy frosting, there’s nothing better when you’re craving both!
Why this recipe works
Marble cake is a true classic. Decadent chocolate batter swirled together with vanilla, baked until soft and golden, then topped with our chocolate fudge frosting, all of which are made entirely from scratch in the easiest way possible!
The beauty of this cake is that the marble pattern is different every time you make it. Just be careful not to over-mix when you’re swirling the batters together.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CAKE – We’ve made a classic yellow cake using simple ingredients you likely have on hand already. For the chocolate batter, simply remove a cup of yellow batter and mix in melted semi-sweet chocolate. It’s best to use baking chocolate for this recipe over chocolate chips. If desired, you can remove an additional 1/2 cup or so of yellow cake batter for even more chocolate swirls, just be sure to add extra melted chocolate if doing so.
FROSTING – I highly recommend our chocolate fudge frosting for the most decadent, creamy frosting to complement this cake. However, you can certainly use any kind of frosting you’d like for this cake. Our cream cheese frosting or classic buttercream frosting are great options as well, or you can simply use store-bought frosting if desired.
How to Make Marble Cake
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2 9-inch cake pans. Place a piece of parchment paper that’s been trimmed to fit in the bottom of each buttered and floured pan. Lightly spray the parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Use a handheld electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the milk until they’re both fully added, being careful not to over-mix. The batter will be thick.
- Remove 1 cup of batter to a bowl, and stir in the melted chocolate.
- Divide the yellow batter evenly between the 2 prepared cake pans. Dollop the chocolate batter on top, and then gently swirl it in with a spatula.
- Bake until the cakes are golden along the outside and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 27 to 34 minutes.
- Cool the cakes for 15 minutes in the pans, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling, about 15 minutes. Peel off the parchment paper.
- Once the cakes are cooled, assemble the layer cake. Place 1 cake round onto a cake platter. Spread a layer of frosting on top. Place the second cake round on top of the frosting. Frost the top and sides of the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, you can freeze your individual layers of marble cake or even freeze the entire frosted cake for up to 3 months. Wrap the unfrosted cake layers in freezer wrap followed by a layer or two of aluminum foil. You can also prepare the frosting in advance and store it in an air-tight container kept in the freezer for 3-4 months or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes, you can use a 13×9 cake pan in place of the 2 9-inch cake pans if desired. Allow for a little extra time in the oven if you plan on doing so, using the toothpick method to check for doneness in the center of the cake.
To store marble cake, place inside a cake container, an air-tight container, or gently wrapped with cling-wrap (unfrosted) at room temperature for 3-4 days. It’s important to keep the cake covered to retain moisture when storing.
Serving Suggestions
Serve marble cake at room temperature. Feel free to top with fun cake toppers to match a theme or add sprinkles and designs with extra frosting.
What’s even better about this method is that you can use it to create cupcakes as well. Scoop and plop the batter in small amounts into a cupcake tin and swirl with a toothpick for beautiful marbled cupcakes. Enjoy!
More Cake Recipes
- Lemon Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Pineapple Cake
- Red Velvet Cake
- Chantilly Cake
- Easy Banana Cake
- Cracker Barrel Coca Cola Cake
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Marble Cake
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 â…“ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- â…” cup whole milk
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melted
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 16 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 1 â…“ cup heavy cream
- 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- You can also make this cake in a 9 by 13-inch dish instead of 2 9-inch cake pans. It will need to bake a little longer.
- If you’re using 2 different cake pans, make sure to test them both with a toothpick for doneness because cooking time can vary depending on the cake pan.
- It’s best to use baking chocolate for this recipe over chocolate chips. If desired, you can remove an additional 1/2 cup or so of yellow cake batter for even more chocolate swirls, just be sure to add extra melted chocolate if doing so.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2 9-inch cake pans. Place a piece of parchment paper that’s been trimmed to fit in the bottom of each buttered and floured pan. Lightly spray the parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Use a handheld electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the milk until they’re both fully added, being careful not to over-mix. The batter will be thick.
- Remove 1 cup of batter to a bowl, and stir in the melted chocolate.
- Divide the yellow batter evenly between the 2 prepared cake pans. Dollop the chocolate batter on top, and then gently swirl it in with a spatula.
- Bake until the cakes are golden along the outside and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 27 to 34 minutes.
- Cool the cakes for 15 minutes in the pans, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling, about 15 minutes. Peel off the parchment paper.
Making the Frosting
- In a small saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over low heat.
- Mix in cocoa powder, stirring until the mixture is nice and thick.
- Place chocolate mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer). Add ½ of the powdered sugar, mix until combined.
- Add half of the heavy cream, mix until combined. Continue with remaining powdered sugar and cream.
- Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes, until frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Once the cakes are cooled, assemble the layer cake. Place 1 cake round onto a cake platter. Spread a layer of frosting on top. Place the second cake round on top of the frosting. Frost the top and sides of the cake.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Stela says
Thank you, Amanda, it looks great.