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Classic Marble Cake Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 3.9 from 32 reviews
  • Author: Mary
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 1 nine-inch cake (8-10 servings)
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Classic Marble Cake recipe combines rich vanilla and chocolate batters swirled together to create a beautifully marbled effect. Moist and tender, this cake is perfect for any occasion and simple to prepare with basic pantry ingredients.


Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan to ensure the cake doesn’t stick.
  2. Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, place the all-purpose flour, sugar, milk, eggs, softened butter, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt.
  3. Mix Batter: Mix the ingredients slowly just to moisten them, then beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the batter is smooth and well combined.
  4. Separate Batter: Reserve ¾ cup of the batter in a separate bowl, and pour the remaining batter into the prepared cake pan.
  5. Add Cocoa: Stir the unsweetened cocoa powder into the reserved batter until the mixture is evenly colored and chocolatey.
  6. Create Marble Effect: Drop large spoonfuls of the chocolate batter on top of the vanilla batter in the pan. Using a knife, swirl the two batters together carefully to create a marbled pattern without overmixing.
  7. Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes.
  8. Cool: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool briefly on a wire rack. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate or another cooling rack and let it cool completely before serving.

Notes

  • Use room temperature butter and eggs for better batter consistency.
  • Be careful not to over-swirl the batter to maintain the distinct marble design.
  • You can substitute milk with buttermilk for a tangier flavor and more tender crumb.
  • If you don’t have a 9-inch pan, adjust baking time accordingly for other pan sizes.
  • Check doneness with a toothpick around 30 minutes to avoid overbaking.