Marble Cake Recipe

With a perfect blend of chocolate and vanilla this Marble Cake Recipe is the perfect cake for any and all occasions that will feed a crowd.

Course Baked Good, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Marble Cake, Marble Cake Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 27

Total Time 47

Servings servings

Calories 690kcal

Author Dana DeVolk

Ingredients

2 & ¾ cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar packed
4 large eggs room temp
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 & ¼ cups buttermilk room temp
4 ounces semi-sweet baking bar chopped fine

For the frosting:

1 & ½ cups unsalted butter softened
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6-7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Chocolate curls for garnish optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven 350°F. Lightly spray 2 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Place parchment paper in the bottom of the pan. Spray the top of the paper with baking spray. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
2 & ¾ cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar for 3 minutes.
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup light brown sugar
Add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed in. Stir in the vanilla.
4 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Add half of the dry ingredients and stir it in until combined.
Next, add half of the buttermilk, stir until combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, scraping down the sides as needed.
1 & ¼ cups buttermilk
In a medium-sized microwave safe bowl add the chopped chocolate. Microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between until the chocolate is melted.
4 ounces semi-sweet baking bar
Add 1 & ½ cups of the cake batter to the chocolate and stir until combined with no streaks.
Divide the yellow cake batter among the cake pans. Add dollops of the chocolate batter on top, make sure to put the same amount in each pan. Take a toothpick or butter knife and gently swirl the two colors together.
Take a spatula and smooth out the top, this will ensure the cakes bake evenly.
Bake for 22-27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan.
While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting. In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer add the butter and whip until smooth.
1 & ½ cups unsalted butter
Add the cocoa powder and carefully mix it in until combined. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing the first batch in completely before adding more. The mixture will be thick.
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 6 cups powdered sugar
Add the salt, vanilla, and 6 tablespoons of the heavy cream. Mix until smooth. If it appears too thick add an additional 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Once mixed in, turn the speed up to medium-high and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides as needed.
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 6-7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
To assemble the cake, take the cakes out of the pan and discard the parchment paper.
Trim the tops of the cake if there is any doming so they are even and flat.
Place one of the cakes bottom side down onto your serving dish or cake plate. Add 1 cup of the frosting and smooth it out to the sides.
Place the other cake, top side down, on to the frosting.
Take about another cup of frosting and lightly frost the entire cake, making a crumb coat. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to overnight to set.
Take the remaining frosting and frost the outside of the cake. Add chocolate curls around the outside edge if desired. Cut and serve.
Chocolate curls for garnish

Notes

This cake is best enjoyed at room temperature. Very moist and flavorful with a knockout chocolate buttercream that is very rich, smooth, and fluffy.
The frosting makes just enough to generously frost the cake but with none left over to make any piping decorations. If you want more for piping I suggest making 1.5 the recipe of the frosting.
You can use other frostings, see my suggestions above.
This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
We like to use baking strips to have the cakes bake evenly, see above on which ones we use.
You have to work quickly with this batter. As soon as you are done making the base batter, melt that chocolate and get that part mixed in. Add the batter to the pans, swirl, smooth out the top, and pop it in the oven. If the chocolate mixture sits for too long it will begin to seize up and harden making it too dense to cook properly.

Nutrition