This cake is the perfect combination of moist and flavorful vanilla pound cake swirled with chocolate cake. Made in a loaf pan, this cake has that beautiful marble effect made by adding alternating dollops of vanilla and chocolate batter into a pan then swirling with a butter knife.
This marble pound cake recipe is made using one batter; simply remove a portion of the vanilla cake batter, add melted butter and cocoa powder to make the chocolate cake batter. I like to top the cake with a simple sprinkle of powdered sugar to let the flavors of the cake shine through!
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If you love this recipe, you'll definitely want to try Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread the next time you have a bunch overripe bananas sitting on your counter!
Ingredients needed to make chocolate marble loaf cake
This easy marble loaf cake uses simple ingredients. Instead of preparing two separate cake batters, the vanilla batter is made first then a portion of that batter is used to mix with cocoa powder and butter to make the chocolate batter.
A note on room temperature ingredients: all refrigerated items such as butter and eggs should be at room temperature before mixing the batter so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Cold ingredients tend to not incorporate well into other ingredients.
Here's what you will need to make vanilla chocolate marble pound cake:
- All-purpose flour: otherwise known as plain flour. I would not recommend substituting with cake flour, as it is not sturdy enough for this moist, heavy cake.
- Baking powder: be sure to check the expiration date on your baking powder to ensure it has not expired, as this may affect the rise and crumb of the baked cake.
- Salt: Adjust the amount of salt to your taste. If you're using salted butter, it is okay to omit the salt altogether.
- Heavy cream: For best results, I recommend using heavy cream or whipping cream in this recipe. Whole milk, lower fat milk, or non dairy milks work in a pinch, however, the texture of the baked cake may differ. I don’t recommend replacing the cream with buttermilk or sour cream in this recipe as it will behave differently than cream in the batter and when baked.
- Vanilla extract: you will need one tablespoon of vanilla for this recipe. Yes, one tablespoon, not teaspoon! We want the vanilla flavor to shine through and this is the best way to do that. Use high quality vanilla extract versus imitiation vanilla, if possible. Due to the high amount of vanilla in this recipe, the imitation flavor of imitiation vanilla may come through in the flavor of the baked cake. We want to avoid this, if possible.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature for this recipe. I like to remove my butter from the fridge the night before I know I'm going to bake. If you live in a very warm climate or your kitchen tends to be very warm, instead remove the butter from the fridge instead at least 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Granulated sugar: Regular white sugar works best in this cake to give it structure. Brown sugar, while moist and flavorful, does not have the ability to hold this cake up well enough since it's heavy.
- Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. Remove the eggs from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Vegetable oil: The addition of a small amount of oil to this cake gives it the perfect amount of moisture. Substitute with any neutral flavored oil such as sunflower oil or avocado oil. Do not use olive oil as the taste is too strong and will affect the flavor of the baked cake.
- Cocoa powder: Look for unsweetened cocoa powder. Either natural or dutch-process cocoa powder will work well in this recipe.
- Espresso powder, optional: Espresso powder will not make the cake taste like coffee. Instead, it deepens the chocolate flavor. It’s optional, but for the best taste, I highly recommend it. You can use the same amount of instant coffee powder (not granules) instead of espresso powder if desired.
- Melted butter: Use unsalted butter here, if possible.
- Powdered sugar: for dusting on top of the cake before serving. I like to keep this cake simple and dust with a simple sprinkling of powdered or confectioners sugar. Feel free to top with your favorite chocolate ganache or chocolate glaze if preferred!
Instructions to make this marble cake recipe
To get the right consistency and moisture, it's important to follow the instructions so the proper amount of air is incorporated into the butter and sugar mixture.
The flour and heavy cream are added, alternately, a little at a time; this allows the flour to absorb the wet ingredients a little at a time instead of overwhelming the flour, leaving dry spots throughout the cake. This will yield a much better texture while retaining moisture.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. A 9x5 inch loaf pan will also work; the cake will be a bit wider and shorter in stature.
I like to spray the loaf pan first with nonstick cooking spray then trim a long strip of parchment paper to the width of the loaf pan.
Lay the parchment length-wise in the pan and press down gently so the parchment paper sticks to nonstick spray. Spray the parchment paper in the pan then lay the leftover piece of parchment across the pan.
There should be overhang on the sides of the pan, allowing you to easily lift the baked marble pound cake out of the pan later on. Set aside the prepared loaf pan.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3
In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Step 4
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and beat for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Then add the sugar, slowly, continuing to beat 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
TIP: Part of the rise from this cake will come from how much air you are able to incorporate into the butter mixture so beating together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy is important. Stop the mixer to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is mixed evenly.
Step 5
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture should be very light, fluffy, and airy after beating for a few minutes after incorporating the third egg. Stop the mixer to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is mixed evenly.
TIP: While many vanilla chocolate loaf cake recipes use only 2 eggs, adding an additional egg benefits this recipe by making it lighter and fluffier, while maintaining a rich, buttery flavor.
Step 6
In this step, we will add the dry ingredients in 3 parts alternating with the milk and vanilla, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
This process is important because it allows the flour to absorb the butter and cream mixtures a little at a time. If you add all the flour at once, only some of the flour will hydrate (aka, absorb the moisture from the butter and cream mixtures), leaving dry spots of flour in the batter, which will leave dry spots of flour in your baked loaf.
With the mixer running on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix for a few seconds. Keep the mixer running and add ½ of the heavy cream/vanilla mixture.
Next, add ⅓ of the flour mixture then the remainder of the heavy cream mixture. Lastly, add the remaining ⅓ of the flour and stir just until there are no dry flour spots. Do not overmix as this will lead to a tough cake versus one with a tender crumb.
Step 7
Stir in the vegetable oil, making sure not to overmix the batter. Set the batter aside for a moment.
Step 8
To a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter with the cocoa powder and espresso powder, if using, until smooth.
Step 9
Transfer 1 cup of the cake batter to the cocoa powder butter mixture and stir to combine. This is your chocolate batter.
Step 10
Place the two batters next to each other with your prepared loaf pan nearby. With an ice cream scoop or a spoon, scoop a small amount of the plain batter into the bottom of the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth it out.
Next, spoon dollops of the chocolate batter on top, leaving space between dollops for the vanilla batter so it forms an alternating pattern of vanilla and chocolate.
Repeat the process of alternating dollops of both batters until there’s no batter remaining. Don't worry about making it into a perfect checkerboard pattern. You'll get a beautiful, unique marble effect each time you make this cake by alternating dollops in the loaf pan.
Gently shake the loaf pan back and forth to smooth the batter out and allow it to fill in any gaps.
Step 11
Using a butter knife, gently swirl the top of the batter horizontally across the pan then vertically up and down lengthwise. Refrain from swirling too much otherwise the batters will get all mixed together and muddled, losing the marbled effect.
Step 12
Bake the pound cake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325° and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cover loosely with aluminum foil at anytime during baking if you see the top is getting too browned.
TIP: This slightly lower oven temperature helps make the bake all the way through without overbaking the top and sides before the middle has baked all the way.
Step 13
Let the pound cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Using the parchment overhang, lift the cake out of the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. While still warm, dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.
How to store vanilla chocolate marble pound cake
To retain moisture, wrap the cake in plastic wrap or foil while still slightly warm, if possible. Store the cake at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To freeze, wrap the whole cake or leftover portion of cake tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving. I would not recommend freezing individual slices of this cake, as they will dry out in the freezer.
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To make this vanilla chocolate marble pound cake into a bundt cake, double the recipe and pour into a well greased or buttered and floured bundt pan. The bake time will increase because of the volume of batter in the pan. Keep an eye on the cake while it's baking and adjust the baking time accordingly.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy cream or whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder natural or dutch-process
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. A 9x5 inch loaf pan will also work.I like to spray the loaf pan first with nonstick cooking spray then trim a long strip of parchment paper to the width of the loaf pan. Lay the parchment length-wise in the pan and press down gently so the parchment paper sticks to nonstick spray. Spray the parchment paper in the pan then lay the leftover piece of parchment across the pan. There should be overhang on the sides of the pan, allowing you to easily lift the baked marble pound cake out of the pan later on. Set aside the prepared loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Set aside.½ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and beat for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Then add the sugar, slowly, continuing to beat on medium to medium-high speed 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.TIP: Part of the rise from this cake will come from how much air you are able to incorporate into the butter mixture so beating together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy is important. Stop the mixer to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is mixed evenly.1 ½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture should be very light, fluffy and airy after beating for a few minutes after incorporating the third egg. TIP: While many pound cake recipes use only 2 eggs, adding the additional egg benefits this recipe by making it lighter and fluffier, while still maintaining a rich, buttery flavor. Stop the mixer to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is mixed evenly.3 large eggs
- In this step, we will add the flour mixture in 3 parts alternating with the milk and vanilla, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. This process is important because it allows the flour to absorb the butter and milk mixtures a little at a time. If you add all the flour at once, only some of the flour will hydrate (aka, absorb the moisture from the butter and milk mixtures), leaving dry spots of flour in the batter, which will leave dry spots of flour in your baked loaf. With the mixer running on low, add ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix for a few seconds. Keep the mixer running and add ½ of the milk/vanilla mixture. Next, add ⅓ of the flour mixture then the remainder of the milk mixture. Lastly, add the remaining ⅓ of the flour and stir just until there are no dry flour spots.
- Stir in the vegetable oil, making sure not to overmix the batter. Set the batter aside for a moment.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- To a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter with the cocoa and espresso powder, if using, until smooth.2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon espresso powder, 3 tablespoons melted butter
- Transfer 1 cup of the batter to the cocoa powder butter mixture and stir to combine. This is your chocolate batter.
- Place the two batters next to each other with your prepared loaf pan nearby. With an ice cream scoop or a spoon, scoop a small amount of the plain batter into the bottom of the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth it out. Next, spoon dollops of the chocolate batter on top, leaving space between dollops for the vanilla batter so it forms an alternating pattern of vanilla and chocolate. Repeat the process of alternating dollops of both batters until there’s no batter remaining. Gently shake the loaf pan back and forth to smooth the batter out and allow it to fill in any gaps.
- Using a butter knife, gently swirl the top of the batter horizontally across the pan then vertically up and down lengthwise. Refrain from swirling too much otherwise the batters will get all mixed together and muddled, losing the marbled effect.
- Bake the pound cake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325° and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cover loosely with aluminum foil at anytime during baking if you see the top is getting too browned.
- Let the pound cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Using the parchment overhang, lift the cake out of the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. While still warm, dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.powdered sugar
Notes
- Storing: To retain moisture, wrap the cake in plastic wrap or foil while still slightly warm, if possible. Store cake at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezing Instructions: Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Recipe inspired by and adapted from Sally's Bake Blog and the comments made by other bakers on that recipe and other similar recipes across the internet.
Comments
jul
worth the extra effort! i just used a hand mixer so it took a little extra time but the result was amazing! love the texture and the flavor so much. espresso powder in anything chocolate is bound to make the flavor stand out more. thank you!
Kimberlee Ho
Amazing! Thanks for baking and sharing your feedback, it's so helpful for other bakers.
Nat
Lovely recipe 🫶
Kimberlee Ho
So thrilled you loved it!