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Marble Cake Recipe Step by Step

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Marble cake recipe – a simple cake with no frosting needed, perfect for kids and adults alike.

I grew up eating marble cake. It’s almost a comfort food for me – warm, spongy marble cake fresh out of the oven served with cold milk or “Boost” when I get back from school. Ah, bliss. While a good chocolate cake is always on top of my favourite cakes list, marble cake was a very close second as a child.

marble cake recipePin

Amma baked pretty often when I was a kid so I don’t remember us buying this from outside during the early years of my childhood. When baking a cake was in the plans, she would take out her cream pot and churn it make soft cloudy butter. I don’t think we ever bought butter during those days. Any butter that was in the fridge for a few days was made into golden ghee.

When I started college, a family friend opened up a bakery called Johns and Pauls. They sold the best marble cake in Kottayam at the time. Since they opened shop, I don’t think we’ve made this cake at home.

marble cake recipePin

For other fabulous tried and tested cake recipes check out apple streusel cake, chocolate cake in microwave (in 7 minutes), tutti frutti cake, and also this pressure cooker cake recipe.

marble cake recipePin

Marble Cake Recipe

nags
A simple butter cake with vanilla and chocolate batter swirled together to create a marbled look. A favourite for kids, this cake needs no frosting, just good quality butter to make it taste amazing!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Cake
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • A pinch of salt omit if using salted butter
  • 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 100 gm unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180C / 350F
  • Grease a cake tin of choice with some butter. I used my silicone bundt pan which needs no greasing.
  • Place the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla essence and milk in a bowl.
  • Beat slowly with a whisk to moisten, then beat with an electric mixer (or vigorously by hand) at medium speed for about two minutes until the batter is smooth.
  • Reserve three-fourth cup batter and pour the remainder into the cake pan.
  • Stir cocoa into the three-fourth cup reserved batter. You can add cocoa to more of the batter depending on which flavour you want dominating.
  • Drop the chocolate batter by the spoonfuls on top of the white batter.
  • Using a knife, swirl the cocoa batter into the white batter to give it a marbled effect.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven. Check with a skewer to see if the cake is done.
  • Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  • Marble cake is delicious without any frosting but a light dusting of icing sugar won’t hurt.

Notes

I have tried this marble cake recipe with salted butter and unsalted butter. Both taste fine (add a fat pinch of salt if using unsalted butter) and I would recommend using the best quality butter you can get your hands on
The batter is meant to be a bit thick and this is perfect. 
When swirling the cake batter, don't over do it or the batters will mix together and turn beige
The crust needs to turn a golden brown so bake as long as a skewer inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs
Keyword marble cake

Few images of baking marble cake

Drop white and chocolate batters into the cake pan by the spoonfuls, alternating as you go

marble cake batter swirlingPin

Swirl gently with a pointed knife or skewer

how to swirl batter for marble cakePin

Bake until the crust is golden brown

marble cake slicesPin

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hi Nags tried ur marble cake yestwerday and came out edible. though it could ve been mcokked a bit more..
    may be am a first time baker thats the reason it could be!!!
    I baked in my samsung convection MW baked for 30mts 180 degree and then 200 degree for another 1 minutes so the top layer got cooked more crisp.
    i beleive i should ve done the other way
    anyways am hooked on to edible garden and gonna try othrer simple recipes as well,
    pls suggest me some basic ones nags
    but ur recipe made me beleive that marble cakes can be baked so easily.
    loved it !!!
    thank u so much

    Reply

  3. hey Nags am a first time baker . like neenu said , I too searched the net on marble cake recipes. honestly ur blog is the one which captivated my desire to bake this same marble cake.. am gonna bake this evening and would update u tomorow.

    Reply

  5. Hello Nags

    I am a beginner with respect to baking and marble cake is my all time favorite cake.You dont belive when I decided to bake my first Marble cake I did a proper research on all availble recipies on net and trust me the photo of your marble cake was so appealing that I got the trust in your recipe and my mind was saying that try this out its gonna be really tasty and I did it 🙂 ..and it came out so well both in appearance and taste…now onwards I am gonna be a true follower of Edible Garden..Best wishes for all your forthcoming recipies…

    Regards
    Neenu

    Reply

  9. I am the one who left the anonymous comment on about the copied post on Shine ! Good to see you are taking steps, hope it resolves soon. I have been a silent reader on your blog for sometime now. I actually recognized you from the comments on the Shine post. Hope to try this cake soon, it looks delicious.

    Reply

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