Ultimate Marble Cake

Name: Ultimate Marble Cake
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 290 g Butter or baking spread; 290 g Caster sugar; 5 Eggs (large); 290 g Self raising flour; 2 tsp Vanilla extract; 290 g Butter or baking spread; 290 g Caster sugar; 5 Eggs (large); 250 g Self raising flour; 40 g Cocoa powder; 1 tbsp Milk; 250 g Butter or baking spread; 440 g Icing sugar; 60 g Cocoa powder; 1 tbsp Milk; 250 g Butter or baking spread; 500 g Icing sugar; 2 tsp Vanilla extract; Triple chocolate curls

13/04/2018 by thebakingexplorer 45 Comments

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Marble cake is usually a fairly simple loaf cake made with chocolate and vanilla sponge that has been swirled together. I wanted to elevate the cake and make it into a special celebration cake. This could easily be a birthday or celebration cake as it's such a showstopper! This Ultimate Marble Cake is made up of three layers, all of which are marbled chocolate and vanilla sponges. The striped buttercream is simpler than you might think to do, providing you have the right tools, and I think the effect is so striking!

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cake and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
You can use any cocoa powder for this cake, of course the better quality it is, the better flavour it will have. Also do make sure you are using cocoa powder and not a hot chocolate powder.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Ultimate Marble Cake

Make the vanilla sponge and chocolate sponge in separate bowls.

Add the sponges in alternate spoonfuls to three greased and lined cake tins. Continue until all of the batter is used up. The batter will spread out and fill the tin as you add it, but you can give the tins a little shake to encourage it.

Bake them for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Make the chocolate buttercream and vanilla buttercream in separate bowls.

Level off the cakes if they have domed at all, then start to stack them. Put chocolate buttercream on the first sponge and vanilla buttercream on the second sponge. Cover the whole cake in a thin layer of vanilla buttercream as the crumb coat, and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes. To create the striped effect, pipe lines of alternating chocolate and vanilla buttercream all around the cake. Use a buttercream scraper to smooth the sides, making sure to wipe of excess buttercream from the scraper as you go. To finish, add buttercream to the top and smoothed it out. Then pipe alternating rosettes of chocolate and vanilla buttercream and fill the centre with chocolate curl sprinkles.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Can this cake be made in different sized tins?

Yes! If you would like to make this cake in different size tins, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the recipe.

How should the cake be stored and can it be frozen?

The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3 days in a cool place. You can freeze the sponges either alone, or decorated. Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. You can freeze the buttercream on it’s own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container. Or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don’t it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.

Can you make the cake with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can this cake be made gluten free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additonal baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 4 additional teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add xanthan gum for better texture. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cake if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Can this cake be made dairy free?

For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for both the cake and buttercream. I recommend Flora Plant or the Stork Baking Block for the buttercream, as they give the best texture. You will also need to decorate the cake with dairy free chocolate. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cake if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cake will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. The buttercream will also be smoother. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!

More tips for making the Ultimate Marble Cake:

You can also create the striped buttercream effect using a special buttercream scraper tool that has notches in it
This cake would be an amazing showstopper cake for a celebration or a birthday
You could adapt the cake to have a different flavour sponge or different coloured buttercream stripes

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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