Marble Cake Recipe

Marble Cake Recipe is an old fashioned cake recipe from scratch, made moist and delicious with butter, corn syrup and chocolate and topped with luscious Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.


This Marble Cake Recipe makes the perfect birthday cake for those who prefer a chocolate cake.

It's a great size for children's birthday parties.

Since it is rectangular shaped, it has ample room for children's small toys and other creatives to decorate the cake plus add candles.

Old Fashioned Marble Cake
Recipe From Scratch

• 2 1/2 cups sifted self-rising flour
  
  
• 1 1/2 stick butter (3/4 cup)
  
  
• 2 tablespoons white corn syrup
  
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
  
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  
  
• 3 medium eggs
  
  
• 1/2 cup whole milk
  
  
• 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
  
  

Remove butter, eggs and milk from refrigerator and let come to room temperature before beginning to mix.

Sift flour, measure and set aside.

Melt chocolate in top of  double boiler or in a microwave oven at 30 minute intervals until chocolate is melted. (Do not over beat).

Set aside.

Note: I melt chocolate in a stainless steel measuring cup directly on the burner on "warm" setting of my stove.

When the chocolate has almost completely melted remove it from the burner and stir it with a metal spoon until the rest of the chocolate has melted.

This is a quick way to melt it and not overheat it.

However, you have to continually watch it to make sure that it doesn't overheat or burn.

Chocolate can scorch easily if not attended.

Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and set aside to cool while you mix your batter.

Cream butter on medium speed a few seconds.

Stir in flavoring and corn syrup.

Add sugar a little at a time, mixing after each addition.

Turn speed to high and  mix until light and fluffy.

Takes about 1 minute.

Scrape down sides and bottom of mixing bowl.

Add eggs, one at a time beating after each addition until well mixed.

Takes about 30 seconds each.

Scrape down sides and bottom of mixing bowl again.

Add flour and milk alternately, starting and ending with the flour.

Mix lightly (about 30 seconds) after each addition.

Mix thoroughly but DO NOT over beat after adding the flour so your cake will be as tender as possible.

Over beating activates the gluten which is higher in all-purpose flour than cake flour which causes it to be a little less tender.

If not over beaten, I find that a good quality winter wheat all-purpose flour makes very little difference in the finished cake.

Scrape down sides and bottom once again and divide batter by removing about 3/4 of batter into another bowl.

Add the melted chocolate to the batter remaining in the stand mixer and mix on medium speed 30 seconds.

Make sure the chocolate is mixed in well.

Scrape down sides and bottom of the chocolate mix.

Prepare a 11" x 8" glass or metal baking dish or pan by greasing the bottom and sides with shortening or cooking spray.

I like to use cold butter.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit bottom of baking pan.

Place it in baking dish and grease top side of paper or spray with cooking spray.

Dust sides and top of parchment paper lightly with flour.

The pan can be prepared before starting to mix your batter.

Spoon batters, using a large spoon, into baking pan alternating colors like a checker board.

You will be using a smaller spoonful for the chocolate part since you have less of that batter.

Make large swirls or zigzag lines through cake batter to form your marble design making sure not to scrape the bottom.

Marble Cake Recipe Swirls

In the image above, using this Marble Cake Recipe, I swirled around the edges and left the center as a checkerboard design to show you how yours might look, swirled or not swirled.

If you scrape the bottom you may find you have mixed the sprinkled flour on the bottom in with the batter and your cake is sticking to the bottom of pan when done.

Do not get your lines or swirls too close together.

The batters will spread out some from just baking your cake and if the lines and swirls are too close together the two batters will mix and you will have a chocolate cake instead of a marbled cake.

That is partially because the chocolate batter is slightly thinner than the yellow batter.


A little practice at this and you will be marbling like a pro.

Be patient!

Place cake in a preheated oven 350F. and bake about 35-40 minutes or until cake tests done.

Start checking your cake at about 35 minutes.

It will be done when the sides of the cake start to shrink from the sides of the baking pan, and the center of the cake bounces back when lightly touched in the center or a tooth pick comes out clean when probed in the center of the cake.

Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan 10 minutes.

Carefully run a thin knife around the edges of the cake to make sure the sides are loosened.

Invert cake onto a  clean linen cloth sprinkled generously with sifted powdered sugar and placed on a cooling rack.


This is to take up any excess moisture from the cake which can cause it to stick to the cooling rack.

This is a great tip not only to use in this Marble Cake Recipe, but any cake that is moist and tender.

Or a little sticky on top. My friend who owned a bakery shared this tip with me.

Cool cake completely before frosting.

Marble Cake Recipe
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 1 1/2 stick butter (3/4 cup)
  
  
• 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
  
  
• 3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
  
  
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  

Melt chocolate per cake instructions above. Set aside to cool.

Cream butter lightly on low speed in a stand mixing bowl Stir in vanilla flavoring.

Add powdered sugar, cooled melted chocolate and whipping cream, alternating to the mixing bowl a little at a time. 

Mix on low speed after each addition until the sugar has incorporated and not blowing sugar dust. 

When all is mixed in, turn mixer to medium speed and mix 1 minute.

If a creamy, bubble-free frosting is desired continue mixing on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until frosting is smooth and silky.

If a fluffy, light texture and color is desired turn mixer to high speed and mix 2-3 minutes or until consistency you desire is reached.

If at any time during the process your frosting is too stiff add a little more cream, a tablespoonful at a time.

If your frosting is too runny. add a little more powered sugar until the consistency you desire is reached.

You want your frosting to be soft enough to be yummy and stiff enough that it will stay on your cake where you put it.

Tip: Do not over beat your frosting thinking you will continue to extend it's volume 

The reverse can happen if you over mix it.

The frosting can start to loose air bubbles and deflate if over beaten.

Using a pastry brush very lightly, brush the crumbs off your cake.

Frost top of cake first and then the sides.

Make swirls in frosting or using a long cake knife smooth the frosting over.

Or decorate as you desire.

If you prefer a light crust to the frosting let the cake sit in the air uncovered for a few hours.

Related Pages

Blue Ribbon German Chocolate Cake Recipe

Quick and Easy One Layer, Cocoa Cake Recipe

Return to Old Fashioned Cake Recipes


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