The idea of marbling two different colored batters into a cake originated in nineteenth century Germany. Marble cakes made their way to America with German immigrants before the Civil War. Originally the cakes were marbled with molasses and spices. One of the first recorded recipes for marble cake appears in an American cookbook called Aunt Babette’s Cook Book: Foreign and Domestic Receipts for the Household, published in 1889. This recipe replaced the traditional molasses and spice batter by marbling melted chocolate into the cake, a reflection of a new American obsession with chocolate. The cake remained popular throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. According to the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food by Gil Marks, “Many Jewish bakeries in the New York area in the 1950’s through the 1970’s would distinctively add a small amount of almond extract to the chocolate marble cake, creating a version sometimes referred to as a ‘German Marble Cake’ that had a characteristic almond aroma.”
What do you need to make marble cake?
This is my recipe for marble cake, which has become a family favorite over the past few years. I flavor my marble cake with almond extract as a nod to the classic German Jewish recipes. It’s a fairly simple recipe. All you need for this traditional version is vanilla cake batter, chocolate cake batter, a mixing bowl (no need for separate bowls – I have a trick for avoiding extra dishes), and a loaf pan!
How do you make a marble cake from scratch moist?
In a slightly modern twist, I add dry instant vanilla pudding mix to my batter. This little trick is a fantastic way to add moisture and flavor to your cakes; it also helps to thicken the batter, which provides the perfect texture for marbling. Be sure to use instant pudding mix, not cook-and-serve; just sift the dry mix in with the dry ingredients. It creates a wonderful texture and locks in moisture so the cake doesn’t dry out as quickly. It also gives a lovely vanilla essence to the batter, which blends nicely with the almond extract. They certainly weren’t doing it this way in Germany 150 years ago, but sometimes it’s fun to improve on tradition. Try it!
For instructions on how to marble a cake, click here.
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Marble Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1/2 cup dry instant vanilla pudding mix (about one small 3.4 oz package)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 3/4 cup milk, room temperature
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup very hot water
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, vanilla pudding mix (in dry powdered form), baking powder, and salt.
- In a larger mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whip together the butter, sugar, eggs and almond extract for a few minutes till the mixture turns light yellow.
- Beat in half of the milk and half of the sifted flour mixture, then beat in the remaining milk and flour mixture. Whip until the batter is smooth and creamy and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Rinse and dry the medium mixing bowl that you used for the sifted flour; you’ll need it again soon. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and 1/3 cup of very hot water till smooth.
- Pour a little less than half of the cake batter into the medium mixing bowl that you rinsed out. Whisk in the cocoa powder/water mixture till fully combined and smooth. This is your chocolate marbling batter.Reserve the rest of the batter—this is your light cake marbling batter.
- Generously grease your loaf pan using butter or cooking spray. Pour the light and dark cake batters into your loaf pan and marble them. If you don't know how, check out this post with printable instructions: How to Marble a Cake
- Bake the marble cake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on the rack.This cake will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days; wrap in plastic wrap or foil to seal in the moisture.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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Irma C says
Hello!!!! I will try this recipe, is there any suggested frosting for this cake? May I use a 8×8 baking pan?
Thank you…
ICC says
Hello!!! I will try this recipe, is there any suggested frosting for this cake? Thank you…
Julia says
Tori-
your recipe looks delicious! Can I put it in a bundt cake form?
If yes- Do I need to double the ingredients?
Thank you!
Tori Avey says
Julia, another reader did it as a Bundt by doubling the recipe and it worked well. I suppose it depends on the size of your Bundt pan, but doubling should work for most standard Bundt pans. Enjoy!
Loretta says
Has anyone tried this with 2 9″ round cake pans? I see several wanted to but haven’t seen posts of how they turned out. Would love to make for my granddaughter’s bday cake –
Susan Rose says
Looks scrumptious!
Suzanne Berla Sadek says
Just made this. Doesn’t look as pretty as yours but it is yummy!!
Lisa Isaacson Prell says
I made this! Thank you so much. I doubled it and made a beautiful bundt cake!
Kathleen Pagan says
Brings back memories of my childhood on Miami Beach when there were bakeries on every corner!! I can smell it baking!!! <3
Helen Mamrosh says
Looks so good .
Barbara Spear Prather says
MMMMM, looks yummy
Tatyana Fanshteyn says
Wow that picture looks so yummy. This reminded me of my childhood living in Boro Park Brooklyn very popular item in the bakery 🙂 always wanted to try making it. Thanks for the recipe
Miki Lanese says
Yummy
Morleen Cohen Berlin says
My Nana always made this!
Vicki Holmes says
always learn something new on this site. Cake Flour….didn’t know it made a difference until now. Making this real soon.
Tori Avey says
Vicki you’ll be amazed, it really does make a difference in texture– a much more tender crumb. Very nice in many cake preparations!
Grace Tuccillo Sollitto says
Oh yes…that also…..do you mean a yellow cake mix?
Tori Avey says
Cake flour (not yellow cake mix) can be found in the baking section of pretty much any grocery store. Swans Down is a popular brand. It is more finely milled than regular all purpose flour and has less protein, which results in a softer more tender crumb and a finer texture.
Grace Tuccillo Sollitto says
Thanks again Tori…..I’ve just been enlightened…..I will give it a go.
Ann Domjan says
Oh! Bring it to me!
Anna Ash Yarow says
Oy between this and the coffee cake cupcakes/muffins
Tori Avey says
Another one of my faves Anna!
Anna Ash Yarow says
Going to store today to buy instant pudding.
Meredith Schneider says
Yes please!!
Lee Gasparro says
Looks yummy.
Coco says
Hi Tori-the cake looks amazing. I just wondered if it is safe to double the recipe? I am making a birthday cake in a 9×13 inch cake pan. How do you suggest I proceed?
Tiffany says
This recipe is just what I’m looking for and seems fabulous for my husbands upcoming birthday. He loves marble cake would you suggest that I double all the ingredients to make a two layer 9in round cake. Thank you so much for posting this recipe I cannot wait to try this.
Tori Avey says
Hi Tiffany! I have never doubled this recipe. In theory it should work, but I haven’t tested it and sometimes doubling baked recipes can be troublesome, so I hesitate to give you a definite answer. If you try it, make sure to buy the ingredients and follow the instructions exactly as written for the best chances of a positive result!