Marble Cake with Rich Chocolate Frosting

Several weeks ago my lovely reader Georganne requested a recipe for a marble cake. While I was very interested in complying and creating a recipe that she would enjoy, I was concerned about the implications of working with two very different cake batters.  I had seen marble cakes that looked like the chocolate and vanilla cakes had very different textures. I wanted the chocolate and the vanilla to marry together in consistency but be stark in contrast of color and flavor. I wanted them to have a yin and yang relationship of harmony and distinction at the same time. So for a long time I pondered how best to approach this cake.

A-single-marble-web

Some marble cake recipes have you make two completely different batters and then swirl the two together.  To me this seemed like excessive work (you know I don’t like to do anything unnecessary!), but I worried that separating a portion of the batter and adding something chocolaty would not be enough.  And adding cocoa or chocolate could have profound effects on cake texture.

A-marble-cake-web

After much consideration, I decided to just dive in and give it a try.  You have to start somewhere, right? I decided to make a basic moist vanilla buttermilk cake and separate one-third of the batter to which I added a paste made of cocoa powder, unsweetened chocolate and water. Here were the ideas behind this though:

  • To achieve a batter that is very rich in chocolate flavor I would need to add cocoa powder for its hearty flavor presence with minimal textural implications.
  • Cocoa is a drying agent so I would need to add liquid as well as fat to keep the chocolate moist and consistent with the vanilla batter.
  • Adding unsweetened chocolate adds fat as well as depth of chocolate flavor.
  • Using hot water serves to melt the chocolate, bloom the cocoa flavor and moisten the starches.

A-marble-trio-web

Sometimes the cake gods take mercy on me and allow a cake to turn out beautifully and delicious on the first try. This was one of those times! This cake smelled so heavenly baking in the oven that I had really high hopes. When I frosted it with a silky Rich Chocolate Buttercream and took a bite, I was on cloud nine! This cake has really deep chocolate flavor balanced with lovely vanilla warmth. It’s sooo yummy that I was going to take a picture with a bite taken out but I forgot to stop and kept eating until most of my piece was gone. Ooops!

A-double-marble-webThe buttercream is really incredible too. It is sort of like a whipped ganache/chocolate frosting hybrid. It is smooth and full of chocolaty-ness. It is too soft to hold up under fondant in summer weather but it firms solid when chilled and would make a delectable filling with which you could pair a more temperature stable outer icing. I could eat it by the spoonful!

So thank you Georganne for nudging me to face my fears and take this cake on! I truly hope that you enjoy it.

And sincere thanks to all of my readers! I have reached a milestone of over 1,000 subscribers!!! Woo Hoo!  You bless me every day. You make turning on the computer and baking until the wee hours of the morning worth while. Thank you, thank you for sticking around and asking questions and leaving lovely comments. You are the best!

Happy baking!

Marble Cake with Rich Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce (30 grams) Dutch processed cocoa powder- 1/3 cup
  • 6 tablespoons (90 milliliters) very hot water
  • 1 ounce (30 grams) unsweetened chocolate
  • 16 tablespoons (8 ounces, or 230 grams) unsalted butter softened
  • 13 ounces (340 grams) granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoon (30 milliliters) vanilla extract
  • 12 ounces (340 grams) all-purpose flour- 2 ½ cups
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (330 milliliters) cold buttermilk
  • For the Rich Chocolate Buttercream:
  • 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup (120 milliliters) mascarpone, cream cheese, sour cream or more heavy whipping cream-(4 ounces by weight or 115 grams)
  • 1 ¾ ounce (50 grams) granulated sugar- ¼ cup*
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) corn syrup or glucose syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ ounces (45 grams) cocoa powder (natural or Dutch processed)
  • 14 ounces (400 grams) chocolate (dark, milk or true white chocolate), chopped, broken or chips
  • 12 ounces (340 grams) unsalted butter softened- 3 sticks
  • 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) vanilla extract
  • 6 ounces (170 grams) powdered/confectioner’s sugar- 2 1/2 cups

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with Baker’s Joy or grease and flour.
  2. Combine unsweetened chocolate and hot water in a medium microwave safe bowl. Let sit for one minute and then stir to melt and blend. If the chocolate is not all the way melted microwave the mixture in 15 second intervals until melted. Stir in the cocoa powder and set aside to cool while you prepare the batter.
  3. Beat the butter and sugar 1 ½ minutes on medium-high speed of mixer. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well combined. Stir in vanilla.
  4. Sprinkle in dry ingredients to distribute. Turn mixer on low and mix to moisten dry ingredients. Pour in buttermilk and beat on medium for one minute until well combines and smooth.
  5. Remove two-thirds of the batter and set aside. To the remaining one-third of the batter add the chocolate-cocoa paste and mix for 30 seconds until well blended.
  6. Spread a thin layer of the vanilla batter that was set aside in the bottom of the cake pans (use about 2/3 of the vanilla batter). Top each vanilla batter with one third of the chocolate batter. Distribute the remaining vanilla batter evenly into the three pans and swirl the batters together with a butter knife taking care not to overmix the two.
  7. Bake the cakes for about 25-30 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan and then turn out to a cooling rack. Cool completely if using immediately, or wrap in two layers of plastic wrap if using later. Frost the cooled cake with your buttercream of choice. Enjoy! Makes approximately 1 ½-inch tall layers.
  8. For the Rich Chocolate Buttercream:
  9. Heat the whipping cream, mascarpone, sugar, corn syrup and salt in an 4-cup microwave safe bowl and heat to just boiling. Add the chocolate; let sit for 1 minute and then stir to melt.
  10. Place mixture in a mixer bowl with the balloon whisk attachment. Add the cocoa powder and beat the mixture until smooth on medium speed. With the mixer going on medium-low add the butter ¼ stick at a time. Add the vanilla followed by the powdered sugar. Beat until light and smooth 1-2 minutes depending on desired lightness. Place in refrigerator or freezer to cool to desired consistency. Beat or stir to smooth and lighten before applying to your cake or cupcakes.
  11. *If you like a less sweet buttercream, skip the sugar in the first step and reduce the powdered sugar to desired taste.
  12. Inspired by the America’s Test Kitchen- Family Baking Book
https://www.cakepaperparty.com/2014/08/marble-cake-rich-chocolate-frosting/

 

 

 

 

 

130 thoughts on “Marble Cake with Rich Chocolate Frosting”

    1. Sure! I would triple the amount of chocolate paste ingredients and mix it into all of the batter at the end. 🙂

    2. YES you can make vanilla, chocolate or marble. Just leave out those mixing steps. I made this cake & was the best cake I’ve ever made!

  1. I am so trying this, it looks absolutely delicious! And, after the success of the GF cake, you are literally my baking Yoda!

  2. Looks lovely! To clarify, you cling wrap cakes to keep while still hot? I’m allowed to do that?! I thought they would sweat or something..?

    As a complete aside, I love that you experiment with the use of the microwave to make life easier. There is such a mix of snobbery and ignorance about how microwaves can be used effectively by cheffy types! I’m reading the letters of julia child right now, and it reminds me of how she explored the use of the (then new fangled) blender and electric mixer to make cooking more efficient when writing Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Thank you!

    1. Ah, for the love of Julia! I think if we never push the boundaries cakery will become stagnant and boring. I make lots of mistakes and things often don’t turn out, but every now and then something is wonderful and exciting. That is how baking should be in my opinion. 🙂

      Yes, you can wrap while warm. All of the steam will “absorb” or be held in the cake. I usually don’t do it when they are super hot because the plastic wrap will then shrink up and it seems a bit toxic. But you definitely don’t have to wait until they are totally cool. 🙂

  3. I’m very greatful for this recipe! Thank you, thank you. Today is my birthday and if I hadn’t already baked my cakes (they are wrapped in Saran and in the fridge) I would make this recipe today. However, one of the tiers will have the chocolate frosting as a filling. Thanks again and congratulations on 1,000 followers!

  4. Hi Summer! Thank you for the amazing recipes that you so generously share after “tirelessly” testing them before sharing – you are awesome! We don’t get unsweetened choc here in SA – can I use 70percent instead? Here’s to another 1000!!! Warm regards Kathy

    1. Thanks Kathy! Yes, you can use 70% cacao. This cake is not overly sweet so this bit of added sugar will not have a major affect on the sweetness. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

    1. Yes, it will do great in the freezer. Just be sure to fully thaw it before you try to rebeat it or it may want to “break”. When the fats are too cold they don’t like to play nice and group together in mutinous clumpy groups. 🙂

  5. Hi Summer…this marble cake looks and sounds like a real winner and a must bake for sure. Congrats on the 1,000+ subscribers, you totally rock and I feel like the one that’s blessed everytime you share your knowledge! Thanks

    1. Hi Jackie, It is light because it is whipped. I used part milk and part dark. It does go a little darker with semisweet or dark but if you whip it it is still fairly light. 🙂

  6. Hi Summer. First of all congrats on the 1000+ subscribers!! But as Cynthia said, we are the ones blessed with you sharing your knowledge.
    I have one request, if possible

    1. I think it would be possible. They may not have the perfect dome but if you let the batters sit for 15 minutes and stir them before you aliquot them into the tins it should be ok. You could also follow the Essential Vanilla Cupcake recipe and add the chocolate paste to 1/3 of that batter. Let me know how it goes!

  7. Thanks for this recipe! I used your chocolate paste with another cake batter and it worked perfectly. I did replace the hot water with hot coffee to enhance the chocolate a bit.

  8. Hi , Summer .i couldn’t resist to make this cake , made it yesterday is so good that my husband who doesn’t like chocolate love it . It was a little bit crumbly , can I add a extra eggwhite ? Also the buttercream is super , I find it similar taste to ganache love it . I have stopped reading Rose levy books since I find you 🙂 love her recipes too . Thank you and many blessings !

    1. Hi Claudia, So glad you guys loved the cake. I actually am not a huge chocolate cake fan either and really liked this cake. Yes, you can totally add an egg white. I would just add the whole egg; it will be fine. You could easily add two also if you want. Let me know how it goes if you try it! 🙂

  9. Hi Summer Many thanks to replies to my previous queries. Have another regarding heavy cream, we no longer get it here, not sure why? I understand the cream should be 35 – 40% butterfat? Was wondering what your thoughts are regarding Creme Fraiche (which is now called ‘cultured cream’….no idea why) , after seeing the fab looking Italian Cake you posted recently, plan to make soon. Could one sub the Mascarpone with CF? Many thanks Shower of Blessings Kathy

    1. I think you could substitute some crème fraiche for the mascarpone but you may want to reduce the volume. I would check the fat content on your crème fraiche. My only worry would be that you would have more water content which could lead to “breaking” in your emulsion. I would start by adding half and gradually increase. Cream cheese is always a safe substitute for mascarpone too if you have access to that. 🙂

  10. Hello, I made this cake yesterday for my daughter’s birthday. It was delicious. The cake part was moist and yummy. The frosting tasted great, but I couldn’t get it completely smooth. I used cream cheese, and it seemed like some of it lumped up into tiny, gummy little pieces. No one noticed but me, so it was fine. Any ideas on what I did wrong with the buttercream?

    1. Sometimes cream cheese can be persnickety in this way. I would soften it first and stir it until smooth and then add the sugar to it, followed by the cream. This should start you off in the right direction and give you a smooth creamy final product. I hope this helps! 🙂

  11. This cake sounds delicious! My son turns one next week and id like to use this for his cake. Just a couple of questions, as Im a home hobby baker, I dont have three tins which I can divide the batter up into at the one time. Is this batter ok to sit out whilst im baking one layer at a time? Just with the addition of the baking soda, I wasnt sure. Also, is it dense enough to cover with ganache and fondant? Thanks again for your help 🙂

    1. Hi Kate, This batter should be fine as long as you stick it in the refrigerator while the other layers are baking. The chill will slow down the leavening processes. You can also make 2/3 of the recipe and just make two layers (use 4 eggs). This recipe is definitely sturdy enough for ganache and fondant! Good luck; what a treat for your sweet boy. 🙂

      1. Thank you so much for your quick reply! Great, I cant wait to make this and making 2/3 is a great idea – thanks for the tip 🙂

        1. Hi Summer, I made the cake, the whole recipe, and it was delicious! I had white chocolate ganache as the filling and the cake certainly held up to the ganache and fondant layers. I did refrigerate the batter and it was fine. Id post a picture for you but dont seem able to 🙁
          Thanks again.

        2. Hi Kate, If we want to make just 2/3 is the amount of eggs the only thing we change? Making this for my husbands birthday tonight and only have two 8 inch rounds

          1. Hi Jessicalina, You would use 2/3 of all the ingredients, but use 4 egg to maintain a whole number. I hope your cake worked out well!

  12. Hiiii!!! I love your blog I was wondering why do you use “cold” buttermilk I thought everything has the be room temperature, is there a purpose for being cold?? Please reply!! I want to make this tomorrow, I made many of your recipes and love it but never had a chance to try it til now! Please reply!

    1. Hi Desmond, I use cold buttermilk to keep the batter thick and ensure you have a clear definition between the chocolate and vanilla. Also since you will double mix the batter when the chocolate portion is added it keeps the gluten formation lower since reactions go more slowly at colder temperatures. I hope this helps and you enjoy this cake! I love this one 🙂

  13. Yes you are so right!!!!! OMG!!! I made it earlier today and I followed with the cold buttermilk and it came out soooooo awesome!!!!!!!! So moist so delicious OMG! Your cake recipes are awesome!!! I will always use your recipes, thank you so much!!!! Im so grateful to find your blog!! Never using any other cake recipes besides yours!

    1. No, the water is not hot enough to burn the chocolate. When they come into contact they equilibrate each other; like when you make ganache by pouring boiling cream over chocolate. 🙂

  14. Hi! I would love to make this recipe and have to make a sheet cake (using Wilton “sheet” cake pan) can you double or triple this recipe? Any tips for turning this recipe to make a large sheet cake?

    1. This should work fine in a sheet pan. They have better wall support than rounds if they are not too big. You can check out the sizing up post if you want information on how many times to multiply. 🙂

  15. Hi…would like to try this and thank you for the recipe. I’m a little confused on the paste part of the instructions. Wouldn’t adding water to chocolate seize it? I thought water and chocolate didn’t mix.

    1. Chocolate is a funny beast. If you add a little water it causes the sugar to leak out of the chocolate and thicken the liquid and it seizes. But if you add enough water it overcomes the sugar thickening and blends beautifully into chocolate “liquid”. Give this a go and you will see. It works beautifully 🙂

      1. I will give it a try….thanks for your response! Also, I forgot to ask….approximately how many cups of batter does your recipe yield? Thank you.

  16. ¡Hi Summer!
    I am going to use a home made version of whipped cream, because is not easy to find where i live… So, should I consider something extra according to your experience?. My recipe is only cream, vanilla and sugar…thanks again for your support with my baking adventures 😉

  17. Hello, I have someone wanting me to do a sheet cake that is half white/half chocolate. Which recipes would you recommend and how do I increase the recipe to have enough for a sheet cake. Love your recipes, they always turn out amazing! Thank you!

  18. I love the way this cake tastes! Delicious!!! I have trouble getting the marbling right but it’s my own fault.. And usually gives it more chocolate flavor in the end so I don’t complain!! Best flavored marble recipe I’ve seen yet! Thank you

    1. Thank you Rachael! I am so glad you like this. Try just interspersing blobs and then give it a quick spiral around the pan. It takes very little mixing to give a nice effect. 🙂

  19. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Made it recently and it turned out great. I frosted it with ganache this time but will definitely try the recipe for the frosting too next time. I have loved every one of your recipes that I have tried so far. Every time I make a new one I am confident that it will be delicious. Thank you for your generosity.

  20. Hi, I’ll be trying your cake recipe today and was hoping you could tell me if you think it’d hold up as a triple stacked cake with layers of chocolate mousse in between, and a ganache top/around. I’m guessing I should add an extra egg (as mentioned in above comments) so it doesn’t crumble. Is the cake light enough to withstand the weight? Thanks in advance for any advice.

  21. Thank you for posting this recipe. My daughter requested a marble cake for her birthday party this Saturday, and it seems all I could find were heavy pound cake/Bundt versions. This looks perfect, and reviews are encouraging. I tend to bake more sheet cakes and cookies, so the three tiers intimidate me a bit, but I’ll give it a whirl – it looks so pretty!

  22. Hi. The frosting looks delicious. Just wandering if this frosting would keep at room temperature? I am planning to make it on Saturday night. Leave it in the fridge till Sunday afternoon. Will be carrying with me in the car for about an hour. Will the frosting melt?

    1. This frosting gets soft fast at room temperature. To be safe for transport I would use chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. It will be safer. Best wishes 🙂

  23. I am trying to convert this recipe to a 9 inch pan. With the butter milk you have got 330 mls. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons. That would mean 2 table spoons are 45 ml. Which should I use?

    1. Go with the 330 mls. 1 tablespoon won’t make a big difference but I was generally opt up with liquids since it will add more moisture. I hope that helps and answers your question!

  24. This is an excellent marble cake! The chocolate flavor is very pronounced and does not get lost in the vanilla. Does this cake freeze well? I only need to hold it for a week.

    1. I use a measurement of 5 ounces (in weight, not volume) of all-purpose flour per cup. So 2 1/2 cups would be 12 1/2 ounces. Since I was working from ounces to cups, and I used 12 ounces, I rounded to 2 1/2 cups for ease of measurement. 🙂

  25. This looks wonderful, I can’t wait to try it out!
    Did you notice if the cakes domed quite a lot and if it did, do you have any recommendations for preventing it slightly? It drives me absolutely nuts when I have to cut off so much cake!
    Thank you in advance!

  26. Hi Summer, I am going to make this recipe using a silicone shaped pan- the front half of a purse- twice. So… can I store the remainder of the batter in the fridge while the 1st pan bakes? Or am I in trouble. Thanks

  27. Hi,

    I love the pictures of your cake!!!! I am planning to make your cake for my daughter’s birthday and had a quick question, how many cups of granulated sugar do you need for this recipe? ( it is mentioned in grams in the recipe and I don’t want to do my conversion and mess it up). Will this recipe be sufficient to make a 2 layer 9inch cake?

    Thank you

    Bindiya

  28. Hi Summer! I have been searching and searching for a marble cake to try. I am quite intimidated by it, but encouraged by the comments. I only have two 9″ cake pans. Do I still go ahead and use the measurements for the recipe as is and just divide evenly between the two pans, or do I have to adjust the measurement of each ingredient? I’d like to make this tonight so I would greatly appreciate your prompt reply and other other helpful tips as I am nervous to give this a try!

  29. Summer, I have tried many of your recipes (ok, three) and have found nothing but success. Not only are the recipes well written and descriptive, but a quick look at the comments have provided me with such inspiration for new flavor combos! I am sort of obsessed with cupcake making and have been looking for a marble cupcake I can trust and I think I found with the help of you and other commenters advice… So what I did for these marble cupcakes, after reading your advice, I halved the essential cupcake recipe, (I only needed a dozen) using two eggs instead of one. Then I prepared a half quantity of the chocolate paste. I continued making my vanilla batter and separated 6, 1/4 c ice cream scoop-fulls of the batter out of the mixer. I added the chocolate paste to the remaining mixer batter and beat for about 45 more seconds. Then I began scooping. I used a small cookie scoop (maybe 1″ in diameter) and alternated choc and vanilla scoops until I had three scoops of each in each cavity. (I’m a perfectionist like that) I then took a toothpick and swirled through each one about three times. They baked up perfectly! I only wish that I could post a picture with my comment so I can share my excitement with the world!!!
    Thank you very much 🙂

  30. My husband requested a marble cake for his birthday this weekend and since I’d never made one before I began researching different ‘from scratch’ recipes and came across yours. I followed your cake recipe to a tee but used two 8″ pans and filled 9 cupcake cups with batter instead of a 3rd cake pan. ~ Hubby thinks a 3 layer cake is too much, how crazy is he?!
    My kids and I couldn’t wait for this weekend (or for the icing) so we helped ourselves to a cupcake each and even without the icing they were absolutely DELICIOUS!! Not too dense and your ‘paste’ makes the chocolate cake super-flavourful without being too overpowering.
    My husband wants a special cream cheese icing for his cake but I am definitely bookmarking this recipe for future use and next time I’ll try out your yummy-looking icing too.
    Thank you for sharing!

    1. Thank you! Yesterday I baked a peanut butter-chocolate swirl wedding cake with the same paste and it worked beautifully, so it translates to other recipes too. I hope his birthday cake was all he hoped for! 🙂

  31. HI Summer, Why did my frosting become runny? Or is it going to be more stiffer in the freeze? if not, how can I fix it?

    1. Hi Emira, if the buttercream is runny you probably need to whip it more, longer and/or faster. This buttercream is on the soft side but it should still hold its own quite well and stiffen in the fridge considerably. Let me know if you need more help troubleshooting to get it to work!

  32. For the frosting, should I wait until the chocolate mixture is cooled before adding it to the mixing bowl or atleast before adding in the butter ? I’m scared my butter will melt !!!

    1. Hi Abigail,
      I have found that the chocolate mixture is cool enough to add if you mix the chocolate portion first and let it sit while you put together the other ingedients. If it is hot in the kitchen you could stick the chocolate mix in the refrigerator while you mix the rest of the cake. Just be sure to stir it to equalize the temperature before you add it. 🙂

  33. Hi Summer – Thanks in advance for your patience… My son is turning 5 and requested a marble cake for his birthday. I’m excited to try this cake, but we will have > 45 people, so I’d like to do a 12″ x 18″ sheet cake.

    After reading the sizing up post, I think that means I should multiply everything by 4 – is that right?
    And would that make one 12″ x 18″ layer or two layers?

    In my head I’m thinking we’ll need two layers to feed all those people, but I’ve actually never made a cake that big before. If anyone has done this and has advice, I’m eager for suggestions!

    1. Hi Meghan! Multiplying this recipe by four will make three good sized layers. If you want two layers you can multiply by three and it should work well. I hope your son has a great birthday!

  34. Hi. I generally have two types of all purpose flours on hand. King Arthur unbleached which is very high protein content and White Lily which is very low. Which do you recommend for this cake? Also I typically bake in small pans. Any advice if I want to scale this down for 3 4×2 pans? I think I should reduce baking powder slightly.

  35. Hi Summer!!!! This is my favorite recipe so far, always perfect!! I have a question though. If I want to leave it just as a vanilla cake do I still need to add the baking soda? Thank youuuu!!

  36. Just wondering if I should adjust the time for cupcakes or not ? We love marble but I hated making 2 different batters this is such am amazing idea !

    1. Hi Julianna!
      It is slightly over 1 3/4 cups (1 1/2 tablespoons more to be exact). If you don’t want to deal with that exactitude you could go up to 2 cups easily, or if you like for cakes a little less sweet drop it down to 1 3/4 cup.

  37. Hi Summer,
    Could you please tell me if this cake would hold up ok layered with chocolate ganache and covered on fondant?

    1. I think it would be fine with ganache and fondant. It has a crumb that is not too light or fragile. I hope this works out well for you!

    1. I always err on the side of more eggs, so I would go with 3. A little extra egg has little effect on the overall cake texture. 🙂

    1. Yes! You can replace the butter with oil in equal volume. For more on how this will affect the cake, see this post Fat Chance I wrote which shows a side by side comparison of fats. 🙂

    1. Hi! Most of the cup measurements show up at the end of the ingredient description. The sugar is scant 2 cups (2 cups of sugar weighs 14 ounces as opposed to the 13 ounces used in this recipe). I left it off since it wasn’t exact. If you need any other specifics for ingredients I missed, please let me know!

  38. Hi there,

    Can you explain how 1 cup and 2 tbsp of buttermilk is equal to 330ml. I have a cup being 250ml and a tbsp is 15ml. Shouldn’t the total be 280ml?

      1. Thank you for the reply, I actually had the batter made and went back to double check I hadn’t missed anything when I caught the buttermilk measurements. The cake was beautifully moist but it shrank back quite a bit so I’ll remake it with the correct amount because the flavour was lovely!

  39. I made this cake and loved it. Best marble cake I’ve tried. I’m wondering if this would bake well in a 9×13 pan. Would it be too much batter? I loved how moist and flavourful the cake was when baked in the 8 inch pans and don’t want to compromise that.

    1. I’m glad you are happy with the cake! I think this cake would bake well in a 9×13 inch pan and you should be fine on batter volume. You may get some doming but you can always press it down gently with a paper towel or clean dish towel when it comes out of the oven if a little some is undesirable. 🙂

  40. I just made this cake as cupcakes yesterday. The flavor is outstanding. When I started, I found out I didn’t have enough butter on hand and had to replace one stick with 4 oz of vegetable oil, and everything still came out just great. I love the flavor of the chocolate part – not super sweet and a good balance to the vanilla part. I baked my cupcakes for 14 minutes. Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I’ll be making this again!

    1. Hi Hannah! Yes, you can use a different chocolate. Go for the highest cocoa content you have. It may be a little less chocolatey but still very delicious.

  41. Hey summer ! So I have a really strange request. I want to have a really nice marble cake BUT I alsO want it to have orangey flavor so chocolate orange .
    This recipe for marble looks so perfect but anyway I can tweak it to bring in the orange ? Apart from adding zest itself to the vanilla batter I’m wondering if I can maybe reduce some
    Of the buttermilk for orange juice perhaps ? I know you have a orange creamsicle cake recipe which is so so tempting but I really also want chocolate would really love to know your take on this thanks !

    1. Hi Ninu! You could definitely flavor the vanilla portion orange. You could go with half orange juice and half plain milk in place of buttermilk. I would still add a tablespoon or more orange zest and if you really want to kick it up, a teaspoon of orange oil as well. Sounds delicious!

    1. Hi Kemi, It may have been overbaked a bit or the cocoa that was used may have been too lean. The cocoa that I use is minimally defatted, so it carries some moisturizing fat with it. You could add a couple of tablespoons of butter or liquid to the cake add moisture and prevent crumbling. Adding low-fat liquid is the best way to add moisture to a cake without disrupting the structure of a cake.

      1. Thank you Summer. What type of cocoa do you use?
        Will you be adding some new recipe soon? Or a digital file we can pay for for your other recipes?

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