This is a quick and easy recipe for a soft, spongy yet moist Marble cake.
I like to think of this as my 'emergency' or 'last minute' cake. Why? Well, the ingredients are simple enough that I always have them available at home, so that when, at short notice, guests are expected for tea/coffee or we have to attend a birthday party at the last minute, I always have an easy but elegant cake at hand.
I learned the technique to make a nicer marbling from my mother-in-law. I do not swirl the batter with a knife or fork, I just tap it on the counter every time I add a layer and this technique; I found, makes better and cleaner swirls.
You may want to make your marble cake prettier and more presentable and, of course, yummier by adding chocolate glaze like I did. I used chocolate ganache as a base and a bit of white chocolate ganache for contrast. Check my previous post for the recipe.
Printable Recipe
German Marble Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon (or 1oz) cocoa powder
Instructions
- Grease and line a 9x5inch (22x13cm) loaf pan or grease and flour a 20cm bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Combine together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and set aside.
- In the bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add and beat eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Add vanilla extract. Add half of the flour mixture then the buttermilk and then the other half of flour mixture. Mix well. Set aside ⅓ of the batter.
- In a smaller bowl, mix cocoa and ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water until smooth. Add the reserved ⅓ batter to the cocoa mixture and mix well.
- Spoon vanilla batter into the prepared pan to form the first layer then alternate with a thin layer of chocolate batter. Lightly tap the pan on the counter surface 2-3 times every after addition of a layer. Repeat this process until all batter are used up. This will create a cleaner marble effect than swirling a knife through the batter.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Transfer pan to a rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn out the cake from pan and cool completely on the rack.
Notes
Nutrition
If Buttermilk is not available, alternative for buttermilk can be used.
Diane says
Please tell me what you used to glaze or frost the finished cake.
Bebs says
It is chocolate ganache and white chocolate ganache. The link is given in the post.
Diane says
Hi Deb
What is the frosting you have on the finished cake?
Bebs says
It is chocolate ganache a the white is a simple powdered sugar dissolved in some cream.
Amy Ganyer says
Just wondering if I could use a 13x9 pan? I misplaced my bundt pan during a recent move. Thanks.
Bebs says
Hi Amy, 13x9-inch pan would be too big for this recipe and it might not create the marble effect if it is too low or flat. You can use a loaf pan instead.
Paula says
Hi! So I might making this cake right now and it's cooling, however mine sank in the center, any thoughts on how that happened? All of my ingredients were dry minus the eggs and water and vanilla extract. I read it might be too many rising agents. Could it be the cake flour vs all purpose flour?
Bebs says
Hi Paula, there could be a lot of reasons for your cake to sunk after or even during baking.
Here are some of the possible cause: If the batter was overbeaten. I also avoid using high speed since it created more and bigger bubbles that tend to deflate while baking.
After the final mixing of the batter, it was not baked immediately.
The oven was opened before the cake has set or the cake was removed before it was completely baked.
Of course, too much rising agent can also be the culprit but since I've used the same recipe several times and never had this problem I am guessing that is not it. Unless you used self-rising flour instead of all-purpose flour. I would also not suggest cake flour as this cake is on the denser side, unlike chiffon or angel food cake that is lighter in texture.
Claire says
Hi. Good day 2 u. Would you have a video for this? Seems abit complicated. Thank you
Bebs says
I haven't made one yet. Will try to make one soon. It is not as complicated as it sounds. You only pour the vanilla and chocolate batter in several alternating manner.
Claire says
Hi Bebs. Mine is now baking in the oven. However, i am quite sure it may not turn out right. At the beginning when i mix the butter and sugar, in a stand mixer for 5 min it didnt turned out fluffy. And then i started adding beaten eggs one by obe and the vanilla. When i added half of the dry mixture, think it was a bit watery, the i add buttermilk and the half dry ing. At this point should i mix it for too long? How will i know when to stop. The batter ended up watery. Both my batter with choco mix and vanilla batter are watery that i cant scoop them in the tray. I just pour them alternatively in the pan. What do you think i did wrong. I got all the ingredients measured exactly. Appreciate your advise. Thanks
Claire says
Hi debs.. the cake turned out to be great. It may not have looked very nice because i wasnt able to manage the batter but it tasted moist and yummy. I really dont like cake that is too sweet so this one is really a 2 thumbs up when it comes to tastte. I have actually sliced and gave some to my officemates, they all complimented me. Thank you for your recipe.
Bebs says
Hi Claire, make sure your butter is soft but not melted, if it is then it will not cream at all and could make your batter watery. You should be able to cut through the butter with a knife but it should still hold its shape. Between using cold butter or melted butter, I would rather err using a cold butter because it will still soften while beating unlike if you use melted butter which is difficult to repair.
The consistency of your batter should be that of melted ice cream or pancake. When you say scoop, it seems to me you are expecting a firmer consistency which it is not. Hope that helps. 😉
Elyse Favreau says
I made this over the weekend for my great aunt's 94th birthday! She loved it! Thank you for the delicious recipe!!
Bebs says
Glad to hear it Elyse! ?
Maria says
Hi Bebs. Thanks for sharing. I'm trying your recipe right now. What about the topping????
Bebs says
Hi Maria, it is chocolate ganache. You can check my previous post for the recipe. Thanks!
Chona Lawrence says
How about sa pagmix mo sa vanilla batter ,stand mixer ba ginamit mo using the whisk ? Thanks.ill try to find baking soda dito,baking powder lng kc ang nakita ko nun hehe.sana may baking soda din.
Abt sa buttermilk gaano kadami ung lemon in terms of ml ung ilalagay
Chona Lawrence says
Hi bebs,paano gawin ang toppings nito.chocolate ganache ba un at chaka white chocolate? Hehe
I wanted to try this very soon