A delicious and easy Marble Cake, perfect for any occasion. Step-by-step recipe for a moist marble cake, which looks spectacular baked in a bundt pan and topped with a chocolate glaze.
Marble Cake
A traditional marble cake, baked in a loaf tin, is something which my husband’s great-aunt frequently makes whenever we visit her in France. But I thought I would give my own spin on a gâteau marbré by baking it in one of my many bundt pans and adding a decadent chocolate glaze.
A marble cake, as you might already know, is simply a cake which is part vanilla and part chocolate, typically swirled together to create a marble-like effect inside the cake.
I tend to think of it as a compromise cake; a proper chocolate cake can feel a bit indulgent sometimes, but a marble cake is only half as sinful.
Marble Cake Recipe
My son’s birthday is coming up soon and I’m thinking of baking this marble cake for him to take to kindergarten.
In previous years, I was never quite comfortable with the idea of serving a chocolate cake to a room full of tiny tots for afternoon tea, especially if they all went crazy afterwards on the inevitable sugar high – the poor teachers! I used to make a plain vanilla cake but would cover it with a chocolate frosting, until I discovered that the children were mostly only licking off the icing and eating nothing else.
So I recently resigned to making my go-to chocolate cake for their little birthday parties at school and daycare; it’s just one day a year and, if the children eat healthily most of the time, I think they should be allowed to indulge now and then, especially on their birthday 🙂
But I’m thinking that this marble cake recipe will be a sweet-toothed compromise …
Marble Bundt Cake
Bundt pans can instantly transform any plain cake into something spectacular, and that is why I love baking with them so much.
What’s great about baking this Marble Bundt Cake is that you don’t have to do anything artsy with toothpicks or skewers to get a nice marble pattern inside the cake.
A soft tap on the kitchen counter is all that is required to gently swirl the layers of batter together.
The glaze is entirely optional, but it makes the cake look more celebratory and comforting. I toyed with the idea of sprinkling the cake with chocolate chips … maybe next time!
How to Make Marble Cake
Step 1
Whenever you are using a bundt pan, it is always a good idea to spray it generously first with some non-stick baking spray, followed by a light sprinkle of flour. Invert the bundt pan over the kitchen sink and tap out the excess flour.
This process will help to ensure that your cake will not stick to the bundt pan later. Trust me, there is nothing worse!
Step 2
Measure the dry ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Step 3
To make the batter, cream the butter with the sugar until it is light and fluffy.
This will take 3 to 5 minutes using an electric stand-mixer or electric beaters.
Step 4
Then add the eggs, one at a time, together with one to two tablespoons of the dry ingredients to stop the batter from curdling.
Once all of the eggs have been added, add the remaining ingredients to the batter.
Step 5
Remove slightly more than half of the batter to a large bowl, and this will be used as the vanilla batter for the marble cake.
Step 6
To the remaining batter in the mixing bowl, add the cocoa powder and beat until it is well incorporated.
This will be used as the chocolate batter for the marble cake.
Step 7
To assemble the marble cake, dollop about half of the vanilla batter into the bottom of the bundt pan.
Step 8
Next, layer on top all of the chocolate batter.
At this stage, don’t worry about levelling out the batter.
Step 9
Then top with the remaining vanilla batter. Use a small spatula to level the cake batter.
Use both of your hands to lift up the bundt pan and then give it a gentle tap on the bench, about once or twice, to let the batter settle into the grooves of the bundt pan, and also to allow the layers of batter to gently “marble”.
Step 10
Bake the cake (without oven fan) for about 35 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. The baking time will vary depending on the size of your cake pan and your oven.
It is important to let the cake cool in the bundt pan for about 10 to 15 minutes so that it can settle, before carefully inverting the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Bundt Cake Recipes
If you love bundt cakes, here are some more bundt cake recipes which you might enjoy:
Marble Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8-12
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: French
A delicious and easy Marble Bundt Cake, perfect for any occasion. Recipe for a moist marble cake, which looks spectacular baked in a bundt pan and topped with a chocolate glaze.
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RateIngredients
For the cake
- 250 g (1 2/3 cup) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch of fine salt
- 250 g (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 200 g (1 cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 5 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 35 g (1/4 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
For the chocolate glaze
- 125 g (1 cup) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (without fan).
- Grease and flour a large bundt pan with approximately 2 litres (8 cups) capacity. (See Kitchen Notes below)
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
- Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy. This should take about 3-5 minutes on medium-high speed.
- On low-medium speed, add one egg, followed by a tablespoon of the flour mixture. This helps to prevent the mixture from curdling. Beat until the egg has been incorporated. Repeat until all of the eggs have been added.
- Add the vanilla extract and milk.
- Add the remaining flour mixture and beat lightly until all of the ingredients have been incorporated.
- Remove slightly more than half of the batter to another bowl. This portion will form the vanilla batter for the marble cake.
- Add the cocoa powder to the bowl with slightly less than half the batter, and mix it through. This portion will form the chocolate batter for the marble cake.
- Dollop half of the vanilla batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Next, pour in all of the chocolate batter. At this stage, don’t worry about spreading the cake batter evenly.
- Dollop the remaining vanilla batter onto the chocolate layer, and use a small palette knife to smooth out the layer.
- Tap the bundt pan gently on the kitchen surface once or twice to make sure that the batter settles into all of the grooves of the bundt pan. This tapping motion also helps to gently mix the batter to form a marbled pattern inside the cake.
- Place the cake pan into the oven and bake (without oven fan) for 35-50 minutes, or until a cake skewer inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. The baking time will vary depending on the size of your cake pan and your oven.
- Once the cake is cooked, let it rest in the cake pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
- Carefully turn the cake out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.
- To make the chocolate glaze, whisk together the icing sugar (powdered sugar), cocoa powder, milk and vanilla extract. Depending on how thick you want the glaze to be, you may not need all of the milk. If the glaze is too runny, simply thicken it with some more icing sugar (powdered sugar).
- Once the cake has cooled completely, drizzle the glaze over the cake.
- Leave it for at least 30 minutes to set before serving.
Kitchen Notes
PREPARING THE BUNDT PAN
I’m always a little nervous when using bundt pans, even when they are non-stick. To prepare the bundt pan before using, I always spray them with a non-stick baking spray, followed by a light dusting of flour. Tap the bundt pan over a sink to remove the excess flour.
OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 333
- Sugar: 25.6g
- Sodium: 232.7mg
- Fat: 19.9g
- Carbohydrates: 36.4g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: 4.6g
- Cholesterol: 123.1mg
#eatlittlebird
#eatlittlebird
#eatlittlebird
Update
This recipe was originally published on 11 October 2017. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.
You just brought my childhood back to me….I loved making marble cakes. Yours is gorgeous!
Thanks, Dorothy!
This is an absolutely gorgeous cake — and you did get a great swirl pattern — mine never come out like that. My niece loves marble cake and always requests them for her birthday. I know which recipe I’ll use next time!
That’s so sweet that she asks for a marble cake! My son totally loves this cake too 🙂
What a beautiful and tasty looking cake! I love marble cakes!
Thank you!
I’ve had the craving to bake a new treat soon, and I think this will be it! What a delicious and beautiful looking cake! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks, Sarah! Hope you will enjoy the recipe 🙂
There is just nothing better than a moist and chocolatey Bundt cake. This looks really good!
★★★★★
Thanks, Patty!
Thanks a lot. You’ve just added to my list of must do’s tomorrow. Haha. Can’t wait to try it at dinner Saturday night. Thank you…really.
Hope you will enjoy the recipe!
What a delicious and nice compiled recipe you have shared via this blog. I think you have got the expertise in this. I really like your fodiee behaviors.
Thank you!
I made this and it looked beautiful and tasted great! Thanks.
Hi Richelle,
That’s wonderful to hear! So happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Best cake ever , really delicious and absolutely best recipe:)today I’ll make it again for my son.. Merci from Paris;) good luck xo
Hi Lana,
Thank you so much for your lovely words! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and I hope your son will love it too! Merci beaucoup! xx
WOW…how deliciously does this look! Beautiful presentation. Yum!
★★★★★
Cake was way over baked at 50 minutes. If I make it again I’ll check it at 35 minutes. Came out very dry.
Hi Scott,
Sorry to hear that your cake didn’t turn out. What type/size cake tin did you use? That can sometimes affect the baking time, as well as the oven itself. It is, however, always worth checking 5-10 minutes before the time stated in the recipe, just because ovens can vary and the like. If you get a chance to make this again, please let me know how it turns out.
I made this cake for my daughters birthday, it was delicious and the kids really loved it. But I have to agree 50 mins was way too long. I took mine out after 35 mins and if i made it again I would probably check it after 30 mins. My oven is a fan oven so i might also try a lower temp.
Hi Catherine,
Many thanks for your feedback! If you are using a fan oven, then you would definitely need to bake for less time and/or lower temperature.
My recipe is for without fan – I’ll update it now to mention that! I rarely use the oven with the fan on, unless it happens to be really full and I need the heat to circulate better. But thanks for letting me know about your timings for this recipe 🙂
Baked this!!! and kids love it.. Love from Malaysia
★★★★★
That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for your lovely comment 🙂
Such a beautiful cake! What lovely flavors ?
★★★★★
Thank you!
Hey Thanh – I gave up on ‘marble cake’ years ago because it was dry & there was no difference in taste between the vanilla & chocolate BUT your recipe solved that… the chocolate is chocolatey & I removed mine after 35 mins in the oven (as every oven varies) – thank you for sharing this GREAT recipe
Love from north Kent, UK
★★★★★
Hey Thanh – I gave up on ‘marble cake’ years ago because it was dry & there was no difference in taste between the vanilla & chocolate BUT your recipe solved that… the chocolate is chocolatey & I removed mine after 35 mins in the oven (as every oven varies) – thank you for sharing this GREAT recipe
Love from north Kent, UK
★★★★★
Hi Jane,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! I made it again recently for the children and they absolutely loved it 🙂
Loved it take time to incorporate each egg and the flour it makes a very lovely batter
★★★★★
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Lovely cake
★★★★★
It’s a no fail cake! Will want to try more and more recipes of yours! Yummy bakes!
★★★★★
Hi Josiane,
I’m so glad you enjoyed this marble cake recipe! 🙂
I loooooved the recipe! I baked it around 45 minutes at 180 C aprox. I opened the oven at 30 but it needed more time. One thing is that next time I’m going to use a little more sugar, maybe 50gr extra, or 70gr. Thanks for sharing! I used the tip to only pat a couple of times to create the marble effect and it worked perfectly.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed this marble cake recipe! You can definitely add more sugar to your liking 🙂
It was my first time to bake a bundt cake and chose this recipe for the simplicity and ease of making. Thanks to the step-by-step instructions with photos! It did help.. a lot!
As my oven has a built-in fan, I shortened the time to 35 minutes and lowered the temperature from 180C to 160C 20 minutes into the baking time. Made for a delicious and moist cake.
★★★★★
So great to hear that you enjoyed this marble cake recipe! Thanks also for your baking notes – great to know that you can bake this cake with a fan-oven for about 35 mins. My son has asked me to bake this cake again soon 🙂
What type of coca powder do you use? Natural or Dutch processed? Thank you
Currently, I use natural cocoa powder because that is commonly available where I live. However, until just a few years ago, I used to use Bensdorp Dutch-processed cocoa powder which I would buy on my trips to the US. There was even a period when I used both interchangeably, depending on the chocolate intensity I was after.
I’m aware that each type of cocoa powder is different and reacts differently in batters but, honestly, I use them interchangeably in my recipes and don’t really notice a difference.
This was so dry. I’m not a novice in the kitchen so I know I didn’t over mix or anything like that. I didn’t have sour cream on hand which is what I normally put in my bundts so I was looking for a recipe that didn’t use it. Won’t be making again
★
My mom always baked marble cakes..Brings back sweet memories..Thanks for sharing! I’m going to give it my best to bake as well..
I hope you will enjoy this recipe!
Love the cake ❤️
★★★★★
Thank you! It’s one of my favourite recipes too!
East recipe but the vanilla batter tasted too eggy. Besides that, it was a nice textured cake and not too sweet
Thanks for your feedback!
I made this and it came out really squat and low. I was worried about the small amount of batter when I initially poured it in as well. I’m guessing maybe my Bundt pan was too big? The flavor was good, just wish the Bundt pan size requirement would have been clearer in the recipe.
Hi Julie,
The recipe mentions at the beginning that your bundt pan should be approximately 2 litres or 8 cups capacity. If you are using a larger bundt pan, you won’t have enough batter to produce a nice, tall cake. I guess it also depends on the shape of your bundt pan – if it is a wide pan, you may also not have a tall cake. I recommend using a bundt pan similar to what I have used or what I have suggested below the recipe. Hope this helps!
What can I add to make it moister.
If I need to make this in one loaf pan, do I need to halve the recipe?
I baked this tonight as a treat and it was fantastic! As a baker/pastry chef ill be adding this to my baking file!
Hi, I would really like to make this cake but knowing the proper size bundt pan is essential. You state to use a bundt pan that holds either 2 L or 4 cups. However, 1 litre is equivalent to 4 cups. Are you suggesting the use of a 4 cup pan or 8 cup pan?
Hi Sue,
Thank you for pointing out the error! I use a 2 litre bundt pan, which is equivalent to 8 cups 🙂 Hope you will enjoy the recipe!
This should have 5 stars all over!It makes an amazing Bundt cake or as we call it in Czech Republic Babovka,i have it in my personal recipe book as The Best Ever Babovka!Thank you so much for sharing!
★★★★★
That’s so wonderful to hear that you enjoyed this marble bundt cake recipe! My children ask for it regularly 🙂
Utterly Delicious, simple and a huge success. I omitted the milk (in error) but it was faultless. I added some zigzags of melted milk and white chocolate and filled the cavity with Maltesers for extra festive touch.
★★★★★
Hi Claire,
Thank you for your lovely feedback! I love the addition of Maltesers – my favourite!
I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday and had such high hopes for this recipe given the many positive reviews. Sadly I was very disappointed. The glaze was delicious but the cake was very dry. I’m an experienced baker so I don’t know what went wrong. With 5 eggs it seems like the recipe should have called for sour cream or yogurt or more liquid. I won’t be making it again.
★
Hi Sherry,
I’m sorry this cake didn’t work out for you. Do you use the oven with the fan? If so, that could be one reason why your cake was dry, as the recipe above is for an oven without fan. Otherwise, as you might appreciate, there are so many variables when it comes to baking.
I don’t have fine granulated sugar, can I use powdered sugar instead? If yes, then how much?
Hi Aprajita,
No, I would not use powdered sugar in place of the caster sugar in the cake itself. If you don’t have caster sugar, normal granulated sugar is fine, but you will might have to cream the butter and sugar for a bit longer to make sure the sugar has fully dissolved. Hope this helps.
Thank you for taking the time out to clear my doubt. What quantity of normal granulated sugar be used?
And I don’t have a Bundt Pan either, hope the recipe will work just fine in a loaf pan too.
I would use the same quantity of normal granulated sugar. This recipe should also work in a loaf pan, but just make sure it has the same volume (2 litres/8 cups), or adjust the recipe accordingly. Hope you will enjoy this recipe!
My batter is completely curdled! I added one egg and one TBS of flour. I don’t know if this is no good now or continue?? Doing it right now. It looks a mess like I do!
The batter can curdle if the eggs and milk are fridge-cold and not at room temperature. When making cake batters, I often add a tablespoon of the flour with each egg to prevent the batter from curdling. But it is normal for the batter to sometimes curdle – just keep beating on high speed, with the flour, until the batter comes together again. If the batter is still curdled at the end, it should still be fine to bake. However, the cake will not be as light.
Tried this receipe and it turned out great! Thanks so much 🙂
Hi Sonal,
So glad that you liked this marble cake recipe 🙂
Hello! So glad I tried out your recipe. It’s so nice to get a tall and thick piece of bundt cake that is less work than a layered one. I had fun tapping the pan on the counter too! My family and I enjoyed this bundt cake for three days. We were sad when it was all gone. I am itching to get a fancier bundt cake pan so it’ll be in a prettier shape.
★★★★
Hi Stefanie,
So glad you all enjoyed this recipe!
CAKe not moist enough for me!! 5 eggs and 21/2 sticks of butter.. will not make this again!
Driest cake I have ever made a complete waste of 5 of my lovely chickens eggs. Really don’t bother.
★
Hi Julia,
Sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t work out for you. If your cake was too dry, it was possible that you baked the cake for too long or that your oven temperature was too high. Ovens vary differently (and wildly), and even the shape of your bundt pan might mean that you have to bake the cake for shorter or longer than stated in the recipe. Also, my recipes use temperatures without a fan; if your oven has a fan, you will need to reduce the temperature slightly.
The best marble cake I have ever tasted! My cake didn’t have lovely swirls like yours but it was moist, soft and delicious. My son has asked me to make it for his birthday next month 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Irena,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe and that your son would like to have it as his birthday cake! The ultimate compliment 🙂
I’ve made this marble cake several times now and it has been a huge success each time. It definitely looks more impressive in a bundt pan but you can also use a round cake pan or a plain ring pan.
★★★★★
My cake turned out very delicious and moist. A great recipe, thank you.
★★★★★
Can I ask how you line your Bundt tin?
Mine stuck and so the top came off 😩
★★★★
Hi Megan,
Sorry to hear about your cake. Did you grease and flour the Bundt tin as per the recipe? For a Bundt tin, I think it is important to do both (i.e. not just grease the tin), even if it is a non-stick tin. Whether you are using a non-stick baking spray or butter, you need to make sure the whole tin is covered, including all the nooks and cranny. A non-stick baking spray generally gets into all of the crevices quickly and easily. To flour the tin, I use a flour shaker to dust flour all over the greased tin. Then I invert the tin over the kitchen sink to tap out the excess flour. This method of preparing a Bundt tin works for me everytime. Good luck next time!
Very lovely cake which I made for Mother’s Day today. My bundt cake didn’t have the lovely marble pattern inside but I think I got a bit enthusiastic about the tapping! It tasted very delicious though and was very tender and moist. Everyone loved it!
★★★★★
Beautiful cake for Mother’s Day! Everyone loved the cake, and my mother loved that it was not too sweet, even with the chocolate glaze. She has asked that I bake this cake for her birthday now, ha ha!
★★★★★
Wonderful recipe! I brought this cake to work today to celebrate a colleague’s birthday and it was simply delicious. It’s also a great cake to make for many people.
★★★★★
Simply stunning and delicious cake! I’ve made it twice- once with the glaze and once without. Both have been delicious.
★★★★★
I’ve made this marble cake many times and it is perfect each time. My husband has asked for this cake for his birthday next week 🙂
★★★★★