Chocolate Glazed Marble Cake
With only 15 minutes of prep time, this marble cake recipe is so easy to make! It is made with a lot of ingredients that you probably already have at home, which makes this a delicious dessert to whip up for any occasion.
I actually made this recipe a few months ago and of course a couple of times since then. I discovered this Marble Cake from the BBC Good Food site. What sold me on it was that I could whip it up in my food processor! Yup, that’s right, if you don’t have one, no problem beaters work too.
With only 15 minutes of prep time, this marble cake is so easy to make! It is made with a lot of ingredients that you probably already have at home, which makes this a delicious dessert to whip up for any occasion.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – unsalted soft
- Sugar – granulated sure or fine sugar
- Flour – all purpose, cake/pastry or self rising flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Eggs – large room temperature
- Milk – whole or 2% room temperature milk
- Vanilla
- Cocoa – unsweetened dutch processed
Chocolate Glaze
- Chocolate – I don’t like to use chocolate chips as they don’t melt as well as bar chocolate.
- Cream – any type of cream
- Butter – softened
How to Make Cake Flour
For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.
What is self rising flour?
It’s all purpose flour with baking powder and salt already added. So if you make this recipe with self rising don’t add baking powder or salt. To make your own, whisk together 1 cup of flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
How to make a Marble Cake
In a food processor add the flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla. Pulse for approximately 2 minutes until combined.
Separate into 2 bowls, one bowl add the cocoa and combine well.
Alternately spoon the vanilla and chocolate batter into the prepared cake pan, even the top with a spatula and with the tip of a knife swirl it in the batter to make a marble effect.
Bake for approximately 50 minutes, let cool 20 minutes in the pan then remove the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
If you do not have a food processor then in a mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar together until creamy, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, beat in the milk and vanilla. Fold in the flour and combine until smooth.
Chocolate Glaze
In a small pan heat butter and cream until hot but not boiling, remove from heat and add the chocolate stir until smooth, let cool to lukewarm and it has thickened then drizzle or pour over the completely cool cake.
What makes a cake fall?
- There are a lot of reasons a cake may fall, but the most common ones are, your oven temperature is off, you can always check it with an oven thermometer to check this. You open the oven door too early.
- Once the batter is mixed it should be baked, letting a cake batter sit too long can cause it to fall. The baking powder or baking soda usually start acting immediately and will only last for a very short period of time, therefore if the cake batter is left to stand before baking then there is always a risk that the baking powder or soda will have expired by the time that the cake goes into the oven.
- Your baking powder or soda has expired and is no longer active.
- The pan size might not be the correct size, sometimes using a bundt pan will help.
How to store the Marble Cake
The cake unglazed can be kept covered at room temperature up to 2 days. The cake wrapped tightly in plastic can keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.
The cake should be stored in an airtight container or a covered cake dish. It will keep at room temperature for approximately 1 day if glazed.
How to freeze the cake
The cake can also be frozen. Wrap the completely cooled cake tightly in plastic and foil, then place in a freezer safe bag or container. It will keep for up to three months in the freezer. I recommend freezing the cake without the glaze.
Defrost in the refrigerator and then allow to rest at room temperature before adding the ganache. I do not recommend adding any ganache until just before serving for best results.
FAQs
It is made using a combination of plain batter and batter with cocoa in it. The 2 batters are gently swirled before baking to make a marble effect.
It is a combination of plain vanilla cake and chocolate cake, but with the ganache added, you will have more chocolate flavor with this recipe.
You add 2 different flavors of batter to your pan and gently take a knife through the batter to create a marble effect.
Ganache will thicken as it cools. If it is placed in the refrigerator, it will thicken up even more.
Frosting is thicker and fluffier, meant to be piped and spread across cakes with a spatula. Chocolate ganache is thinner, creamier, and can be drizzled over the cake.
Simple and perfect with either a dusting of Powdered Sugar or a drizzle of Chocolate Ganache. One of those cakes I remember my Mom serving on Sunday or when we had company and she would ask “would you like coffee and Dessert”? Enjoy!
More Easy Cake Recipes
Easy Marble Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
MARBLE CAKE
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour or cake flour or self rising flour*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (unsalted softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (fine or fruit sugar if possible)
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons milk (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened dutch processed cocoa
*If you use self rising flour then leave out the baking powder and salt.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 2¾ ounces semi sweet chocolate
- ¼ cup cream (whole, heavy or whipping cream with at least 30% fat)
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
MARBLE CAKE
- Pre- heat oven to 350° F (180°C) Grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan (20cm)
- In a food processor add the flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, yolk, milk and vanilla. Process for approximately 2 minutes until combined. Separate the batter evenly into 2 bowls, one bowl add the cocoa and combine well.
- If you do not have a food processor then in a mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar together until creamy, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, beat in the milk and vanilla. Fold in the flour and combine until smooth.
- Alternately spoon the vanilla and chocolate batter into the prepared cake pan, even the top with a spatula and with the tip of a knife swirl it in the batter to make a marble effect. Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes, test with a toothpick for doneness. Let cool 20 minutes in the pan then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- In a small pan heat the butter and cream until hot but not boiling, remove from the heat and add the chocolate stir until smooth, let cool to lukewarm and it has thickened, drizzle or pour over the completely cooled cake.
The suggested amount of time for this cake is WAAAAY too much. Should be more like 25-30 min. Mine came out too dry.
Hi Adam, all ovens are different, your oven temperature could be off. 🙂
I can not wait to make. I always loved a marble cake when mom made them with lots of her secret chocolate icing! Your cake looks amazing-I will think of this as the Picasso of marble! Thank you for so many great recipes that my family enjoys. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Hi Sherry, thanks so much, so glad you enjoy the recipes, I hope your family enjoys it. And Merry Christmas to you and your family also. Take care!
Hello – I’m utterly confused.
The butter, sugar and flour all say 225 grams and yet there are different cup amounts for each.
How can that be? And what the heck is 1.8 Cups? nearly two?
Thank you
Hi Nancy, 200 grams of butter will be less than 200 grams of sugar (cup wise) because it weighs more. So therefore there is going to be a difference in cup measurement. For the flour use 1 3/4 cups. I changed that thanks. Hope that helps.
Could the sugar be replaced with something else?
Hi Trish I have only made this with regular sugar so I can’t really say, maybe use stevia?
I’ve never made a marble cake. I’ll definitely being trying this recipe. Thanks for another great recipe. Happy Easter to you and your family.
Hi Ann, it’s really easy and so good. And happy Easter to you and your family also. Have a great week.
Hi is this not baked in a bundt pan
Hi Sandra, yes it is, but it can also be baked in a simple cake pan. I just decided to fancy it up a bit.