marble layer cake

This marble cake recipe uses one batter to make both the vanilla and chocolate batter, which are swirled with a fudge ripple! It is simply delicious!!

Easy Marble Cake Recipe

all-purpose flour (390 grams)

sugar (600 grams)

tsp baking powder (10 grams)

salt (5 grams)

unsalted butter, room temperature (226 grams) – 2 sticks

vanilla extract (9 grams)

buttermilk, room temperature (360 grams)

vegetable oil (28 grams)

*additional ingredients for the chocolate cake are listed below

baking cocoa (33 grams)

sugar (50 grams)

buttermilk (45 grams)

tsp baking powder (2 grams)

salt (1 gram)

chocolate chips (150 grams)

unsalted butter, room temperature (56 grams)

heavy cream, room temperature (60 grams)

unsalted butter, room temperature (650 grams)

sugar (1375 grams)

salt (6 grams)

heavy cream (or whipping cream) (60 grams)

Tbsp vanilla extract

baking cocoa (85 grams)

dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled (175 grams)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line four 8-inch round...

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line four 8-inch round cake pans with parchment rounds, and grease with non-stick baking spray.

Begin by making the vanilla cake batter. Mix together...

Begin by making the vanilla cake batter. Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.

Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the...

Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.

Pour in egg whites, and mix on low...

Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two installments, on a low speed. Add in vanilla and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.

Pour half of the batter into a separate...

Pour half of the batter into a separate bowl (roughly 950 grams), and set aside.

Next, convert the vanilla batter into chocolate cake batter....

Next, convert the vanilla batter into chocolate cake batter. Mix the additional 1/3 cup baking cocoa, 1/4 sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp baking powder into the remaining batter.

Add the additional 1/4 cup egg whites, and...

Add the additional 1/4 cup egg whites, and 1/4 cup buttermilk, and mix on a low speed until smooth.

If desired, make the chocolate fudge swirl. Combine the...

If desired, make the chocolate fudge swirl. Combine the chocolate chips, butter, and heavy cream into a heatproof bowl. Heat in two 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Allow the mixture to sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth and set aside to cool.

Alternate spoonfuls of chocolate and vanilla cake batter...

Alternate spoonfuls of chocolate and vanilla cake batter into the prepared cake pans, filling them roughly one inch high with batter (I like to use a digital kitchen scale to make sure each pan has the same amount of batter).

Add small drops (about one inch in diameter)...

Add small drops (about one inch in diameter) of the chocolate swirl on top of the cake batter, then drag a small offset spatula or butter knife through the batter in horizontal and vertical lines to create a marbled pattern.

Bake for 33-35 minutes (or until a skewer...

Bake for 33-35 minutes (or until a skewer comes out clean). Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.

If desired, level the cakes with a serrated...

If desired, level the cakes with a serrated knife once they're fully cooled.

Beat the butter on a medium speed for...

Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth.

Mix in the vanilla extract and salt on...

Mix in the vanilla extract and salt on a low speed.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup...

Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with small splashes of cream.

Mix on low for a couple minutes until...

Mix on low for a couple minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. 

If the frosting is too thick, add in...

If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

Place half of the buttercream into a seperate...

Place half of the buttercream into a seperate bowl. Mix in 1/2 cup of baking cocoa, and the melted chocolate chips. This will be used to fill the cake, and will be the darkest buttercream of the squiggles. Place in a large piping bag.

With the remaining vanilla buttercream, place half of...

With the remaining vanilla buttercream, place half of the into another large piping bag.

Color the rest of the frosting with the...

Color the rest of the frosting with the other 1/2 cup of baking cocoa, to create a light brown colored frosting. Place in a large piping bag.

Once all the different components of this cake...

Once all the different components of this cake are ready, begin to assemble the cake!

Stack the cake layers on a greaseproof cardboard cake...

Stack the cake layers on a greaseproof cardboard cake round.

Spread a thin dab of buttercream on the...

Spread a thin dab of buttercream on the center of the board, to help your cake layer stay in place.

Next, center the first cake layer the cake...

Next, center the first cake layer the cake board.

Spread an even layer of the dark chocolate...

Spread an even layer of the dark chocolate buttercream onto the cake layer with a large offset spatula. Repeat with remaining cake layers.

Place the top cake layer upside down.

Cover the cake in a thin layer of...

Cover the cake in a thin layer of frosting, and smooth using a bench scraper.

Chill the cake in the freezer for about...

Chill the cake in the freezer for about 5 minutes, until the frosting is firm to the touch.

Pipe squiggly lines of buttercream around the cake,...

Pipe squiggly lines of buttercream around the cake, alternating between the vanilla, chocolate, and dark chocolate buttercream.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/ws4p1h4b17bmcolmk2xz.mp4

Easy Marble Layer Cake Tutorial

Marble Cake Recipe

all-purpose flour (360 grams)

egg egg

buttermilk, room temperature (360 milliliters)

Tbsp vegetable or canola oil (30 milliliters)

tsp vanilla extract (8 milliliters)

baking cocoa (28 grams)

buttermilk (60 milliliters)

salt (1 grams)

chocolate chips (160 grams)

heavy cream, room temperature (60 milliliters)

unsalted butter, room temp (452 grams)

vanilla extract

tsp salt (3 grams)

sugar (875 grams)

heavy cream

cocoa powder (40 grams)

Preheat oven to 350°F / 175 C. Grease...

Preheat oven to 350°F / 175 C. Grease and line four 8" cake pans and set aside.

Begin by making the vanilla cake batter. Mix together the dry ingredients (3 cups flour, 3 cups sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.

Mix 1 cup of room-temperature butter into the...

Mix 1 cup of room-temperature butter into the dry ingredients on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture looks like moist sand.

Pour in 1 cup of egg whites and...

Pour in 1 cup of egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated, then mix in 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil and 2 tsp vanilla extract. on a low speed.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with...

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. This helps give the layers a lighter texture.

Pour 2/3 of the batter into a separate...

Pour 2/3 of the batter into a separate bowl (roughly 1200 grams) and set aside.

In the other bowl, transform the vanilla cake...

In the other bowl, transform the vanilla cake batter into chocolate cake batter. Mix in the additional 1/3 cup baking cocoa, 1/4 sugar, 1/4 cup egg whites, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt on a low speed until combined and set aside.

If desired, make the chocolate fudge swirl. Combine 1...

If desired, make the chocolate fudge swirl. Combine 1 cup of chocolate chips, 1/4 cup of room temperature butter, and 1/4 cup heavy cream into a heatproof bowl. Heat in two 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Allow the mixture to sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth.

Alternate spoonfuls of chocolate and vanilla cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Fill them roughly 1-inch high with batter. I like to use a digital kitchen scale to make sure each pan has the same amount of batter.

Add small drops (about 1-inch in diameter) of...

Add small drops (about 1-inch in diameter) of the chocolate swirl on top of the cake batter, then drag a small offset spatula or butter knife through the batter in horizontal and vertical lines to create a marbled pattern. Save the leftover chocolate mixture to decorate the cake layer. It can sit out at room temperature for up to 8 hours.

Bake for 32-35 minutes or until a toothpick...

Bake for 32-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Once the cake layers are out of the...

Once the cake layers are out of the oven, run a small offset spatula around the edge of the pans to help separate the cake layer from the pan.

Allow the layers to cool in the pan...

Allow the layers to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then flip them onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Once the cake layers have finished cooling use...

Once the cake layers have finished cooling use a serrated knife to level the tops and set the cake layers aside.

If you're making these cake layers in advance,...

If you're making these cake layers in advance, wrap and freeze them like this. When you're ready to assemble the cake, unwrap the frozen layers and allow them to thaw for about 30 minutes before you plan to frost the cake.

While the cake layers bake and cool, make...

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the vanilla buttercream frosting.

Beat 2 cups of unsalted butter on a...

Beat 2 cups of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.

Mix in 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract and...

Mix in 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt on a low speed.

Slowly add in 7 cups of powdered sugar...

Slowly add in 7 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream halfway through to make the frosting easier to mix.

Continue to mix on low speed for a...

Continue to mix on low speed for a few minutes, until the desired consistency is reached. 

Place 1 cup of vanilla buttercream into a...

Place 1 cup of vanilla buttercream into a separate bowl and set aside.

Mix in 1/2 cup of baking cocoa, 1...

Mix in 1/2 cup of baking cocoa, 1 cup of melted chocolate chips and an additional 1/4 cup of heavy cream in to the remaining frosting.

Cover both the vanilla and the chocolate buttercream...

Cover both the vanilla and the chocolate buttercream  with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and set aside.

Spread a tablespoon of buttercream on the center...

Spread a tablespoon of buttercream on the center of the board to help your cake layer stay in place.

Center the first cake layer on the cake...

Center the first cake layer on the cake board. Spread an even layer of the dark chocolate buttercream onto the cake layer with a large offset spatula. Repeat with remaining cake layers. Place the top cake layer upside down.

Cover the cake in a thin layer of frosting and smooth using a bench scraper.

Chill the cake in the freezer for 10...

Chill the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes or fridge for 30 minutes until the frosting is firm to the touch.

Swirl together the vanilla and chocolate buttercream around...

Swirl together the vanilla and chocolate buttercream around the cake using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Heat up the remaining chocolate fudge swirl mixture for 15-30 seconds, or until it's thin enough to easily spread into the frosting on the cake.  Swirl the chocolate mixture into the frosting to create a marbled look, then enjoy!

<p>This marble cake recipe uses one batter to make both the vanilla and chocolate batter, which are swirled with a fudge ripple! It is simply delicious!!</p>

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Easy Marble Cake Recipe

Marble Cake Recipe

Top 2 marble layer cake recipes from across the web

The most viewed marble layer cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Easy Marble Cake Recipe

Marble Cake Recipe

The most viewed marble layer cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine