Best Marble Cake Recipe from Scratch - House of Nash Eats (2024)

Swirls of homemade vanilla and chocolate cake batter are baked into soft, fluffy cake layers that are frosted with a rich chocolate buttercream frosting in this Homemade Marble Cake that is 1,000x better than any cake mix or canned frosting from the store!

Marble cake has been a family favorite ever since Paul and I got married. Back then we would buy a box cake mix and a can of chocolate frosting from the store to make for a special treat. But then I started baking cakes from scratch and never looked back! Homemade is just so much more flavorful and every bit as fluffy and moist as a box mix.

Making a marble cake is an easy way to impress your guests with delicious, home baked goods. The beauty of the marbled effect is achieved by alternating chocolate and vanilla batters and it makes this cake truly unique, both in terms of flavor and looks when you slice into it.

Whether you enjoy vanilla cake or chocolate cake, this marble cake recipe is the perfect middle-ground for bringing peace to the masses. We most often make it into a layer cake, as seen here, but the recipe works for cupcakes, a loaf cake, a bundt pan, or as a sheet cake baked in a 9x13-inch pan and there are bake times for each in the recipe notes below.

In this post, we will be covering how to make an easy marble cake recipe using just one cake batter, as well as tips and tricks to get the best results. So let's get baking!

What is a marble cake?

A marble cake is a cake made with a mixture of both chocolate and vanilla cake batter. Marble cake gets its name because the chocolate batter is swirled into the vanilla cake batter in a way that creates light streaking and globs which when baked, and cut, look like they were marbled together.

I love that each marble cake has its own personality and no two ever look just the same!

What You'll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

• All-purpose flour - For even lighter results you can use cake flour, but all-purpose flour works really well for this cake and most of us already have it on hand.
• Baking powder - This is what gives the cake lift and helps it be fluffy and light.
• Salt
• Butter & oil - A combination of butter softened to room temperature and vegetable oil gives the best of both worlds when it comes to moistness and flavor.
• Granulated sugar
• Large eggs at room temperature
• Vanilla extract
• Whole milk - You can sub buttermilk for the whole milk if you like for a little more tang.
• Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped

How to Make the Best Marble Cake

1. Prepare.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans or line the bottoms of each pan with parchment paper circles.
2. Combine wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, oil and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times during mixing. Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add dry ingredients. Add flour, baking powder, and salt alternately with the milk, about ⅓ of each at a time, mixing between additions just until combined. You don't want to overmix the cake batter at this point because that's what creates a more dry, dense cake.

4. Flavor. Remove 1 cup of batter to a medium bowl. In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate into the yellow cake batter, stirring to combine.

5. Swirl. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared round pans, then dollop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter on top, swirling the two batters together with a knife.

6. Bake. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.

7. Cool.Remove the cakes from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before running a sharp knife around the edges, then gently turning the cakes out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
8. Frost. Trim the tops of the completely cooled cakes so they are level if necessary, then frost them with chocolate buttercream and decorate with sprinkles.

Adjusting Bake Times for Different Size Cakes

These times will depend on your ovens, pans, and other factors, but in general, here are estimated baking times if you want to make this recipe in various pan sizes.

• 9-inch cake pans: Bake for 23-28 minutes.
• 9x13 pan: Bake for 33-36 minutes.
• Cupcakes: Bake for 18-21 minutes.
• Bundt cake pan: Bake for 55-65 minutes.

How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

In a large bowl, beat the butter and cocoa powder together until creamy and smooth.

Gradually add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, with 1 tablespoon of the milk or cream at a time, mixing between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add in the vanilla and the salt. Mix well and adjust the consistency by adding powdered sugar or milk as needed. I have a whole post on how to make chocolate frosting if you want more details or step-by-step images.

Recipe FAQ's

Does it matter if I use salted or unsalted butter for my Marble Cake?

I use salted butter in almost all my baking. If you are using unsalted butter, just add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt to the cake batter. That's the amount of salt in a typical stick of salted butter.

What makes a cake moist and fluffy?

So many things! A good moist cake recipe will have the proper ratios of flour to fat to sugar as well as a leavening agent like baking powder. Some people use sour cream or buttermilk to keep their cakes moist. This recipe uses the approach of combining both butter and oil to help cake the cake crumb nice and light and moist with great flavor.

Freezing Instructions

You can freeze the cake layers, a whole frosted cake, or do like we do and slice the cake, then wrap each slice in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer so you can enjoy a slice of cake whenever you like! Just let the cake thaw completely on the counter for a few hours before eating.

This marble cake recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months!

If you freeze unfrosted cake layers, wrap them well in plastic wrap, then store in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before assembling the next day.

If freezing the entire assembled cake, it will take at least 3-4 hours on the counter at room temperature for it to thaw. You might expect to see a little weeping from the frosting as it thaws, but the cake will still taste delicious and should still look pretty good.

More Cake Recipes

• Aunt Becky's Black Forest Cake
• Vintage Cherry Cake
• German Chocolate Cake
• Luscious Lemon Layer Cake
• Best Red Velvet Cake