This simple Chocolate Marble Cake is rich, fluffy, and extraordinarily beautiful. It is made with sour cream, which gives a moist, fluffy and light texture to the cake and also helps in boosting the flavour.
This Chocolate Marble Loaf is an excellent cake to enjoy for breakfast with a cup of coffee, afternoon tea or as a dessert.
Simple Marble Cake Recipe
This chocolate marble cake is moist and fluffy, with elegant swirls of vanilla and chocolate, and it has a texture of a rich pound cake. The recipe is straightforward, and it stores and freezes so well. The marble effect gives this cake a lovely look, and it will vary each time you make the cake. Just follow the exact instructions to get a perfect result every time.
What ingredients will you need to make this Moist Marble cake recipe?
- Sugar: This recipe uses caster sugar as it dissolves so quickly. However, you can replace it with granulated sugar if you like.
- Butter: Make sure to use unsalted & soft butter for this recipe.
- Eggs: Use eggs that are at room temperature.
- Plain flour: This recipe uses plain flour. It has less gluten and makes the loaf softer. You can also substitute it with a mix of all-purpose flour and corn starch.
- Vanilla extract: It adds a great flavour to the loaf. You may also use vanilla paste for this recipe.
- Soured cream: It adds a rich flavour to the loaf and also makes the loaf moist and fluffy.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Adding a mix of baking soda and the baking powder will help the loaf rise and make it fluffier.
- Cocoa powder: Make sure to use good quality cocoa powder.
- Light brown sugar: It adds the right amount of sweetness to the dark batter of the loaf.
How to Make This Simple Marble Cake Recipe?
- Grease a loaf tin with butter or line with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 170C.
- Add butter and caster sugar to a mixing bowl and mix using the electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mix.
- Mix in the vanilla soured cream, then stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; mix well until combiner.
- Pour 2 cups of the butter into a small bowl, add cocoa powder and light brown sugar, mix until combined (forming the darker cake batter).
- Add alternate spoonfuls of the light and chocolate batters until you use all the batters. Use a toothpick to decorate the top and bake for 50-55 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool down before serving.
How to create the marble effect in this loaf?
There are two methods of adding the batter into the loaf tin. You can choose the best method suited for you.
1- using a spoon or dough scoop: I used this method to add alternate spoonfuls of the light and chocolate batters until you use all the batters.
2- using piping bags: using this method, you will divide the batter into two piping bags then pip the batter into the loaf tin, alternating between the dark and light batter.
Now, the only thing you have to do is to make the swirls. To do so, use a toothpick to create swirls into the batter.
Topping Options
You can make this chocolate marble loaf cake sweeter by adding a frosting of your choice. Such as some of the suggestions below.
- Cream cheese frosting
- Chocolate ganache
- Salted caramel sauce
- Whipped cream
Top Tips
- Using parchment paper across the wide side of the tin makes it easier to pull the loaf when done.
- Make sure to use good quality butter and cocoa powder for this recipe.
- Remember to use the right amount of ingredients for baking this delicious chocolate marble loaf.
- You can substitute cocoa powder with baking chocolate for an extra chocolatey loaf.
Some Variations
- You can add orange zest for a fruity flavour. Add the zest right before adding the flour.
- You may also add some semi-sweet chocolate chips to make it a Chocolate chip loaf.
- You can top this marble cake with buttercream frosting, peanut butter or almond butter too.
- Use this batter to make marble cupcakes and change the baking time accordingly.
- You can use milk, buttermilk or Greek yoghurt for the recipe instead of sour cream.
Storage
To store: This marble swirl cake will stay soft and fresh for 2-3 days at room temperature and 5-7 days in the fridge; keep it in a well-sealed container.
To freeze: Put it in an airtight container and keep it in the freezer for 2-3 months; thaw at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, just replace the eggs with ¼ cup yoghurt or two small mashed bananas and follow the same recipe. The eggless marble loaf will still be soft and fluffy.
No, it is not. You can whisk the ingredients using your hand until they are well are combined.
You may not have used the right amount of ingredients for this recipe. The marble loaf may crack if there is too much flour, sour cream or eggs in the batter. This will result in your marble loaf cracking on the surface with a heavy, dense texture.
The loaf may be dry if there is too much flour and less butter. Finding the right balance between the wet and dry ingredients makes the best marble loaf.
You can replace butter with vegetable oil, use coconut milk or almond milk instead of sour cream, skip the eggs or use more almond milk instead and follow the recipe to make delicious vegan chocolate marble loaf.
It is best to use a lighter metal pan or a Pullman loaf pan, which would give you a taller loaf.
Recipes you may like
- Chocolate banana bread
- Peanut butter flapjacks
- Mini Kunafa with ricotta cheese
- Double chocolate flapjacks
Easy dessert recipes
Recipe Card
Simple Marble Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g caster sugar
- 125 g unsalted butter , soft
- 225 g plain flour
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 ml soured cream
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
Instructions
- Grease a loaf tin with butter or line with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 170C.
- Add butter and caster sugar to a mixing bowl and mix using the electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mix.
- Mix in the vanilla soured cream, then stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; mix well until combiner.
- Pour 2 cups of the butter into a small bowl, add cocoa powder and light brown sugar, mix until combined (forming the darker cake batter).
- Add alternate spoonfuls of the light and chocolate batters until you use all the batters. Use a toothpick to decorate the top and bake for 50-55 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool down before serving.
Notes
- Using parchment paper across the wide side of the tin makes it easier to pull the loaf when done.
- Make sure to use good quality butter and cocoa powder for this recipe.
- Remember to use the right amount of ingredients for baking this delicious chocolate marble loaf.
- You can substitute cocoa powder with baking chocolate for an extra chocolatey cake.
Some Variations
- You can add orange zest for a fruity flavour. Add the zest right before adding the flour.
- You may also add some semi-sweet chocolate chips to make it a Chocolate chip loaf.
- You can top this marble cake with buttercream frosting, peanut butter or almond butter too.
- Use this batter to make marble cupcakes and change the baking time accordingly.
- You can use milk, buttermilk or Greek yoghurt for the recipe instead of sour cream.
Nutrition
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Beth Morgan
This swirl cake looks gorgeous; also, it tastes wonderful.
Iris
All my family love this recipe. First, I didn't want to add brown sugar to the cocoa powder, but after I tasted it, let me say it is just perfect.
Mandolin
Economical cake recipe. I love it! Thanks for sharing it.
Lilly
The best loaf cake recipe ever, it is my favourite breakfast cake with a cup of coffee.