Marble Layer Cake Recipes

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by buttering (or spraying) and then adding a piece of parchment to the bottom of the pan.
• Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment cream together butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes.
• Lower speed to medium and add in egg yolks, one at a time, whisking after each addition.
• With the mixer on low, add in milk and vanilla and fully incorporate. (usually about 1 minute)
• Remove bowl from mixer and fold flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
• In a small bowl add the melted butter and cocoa and mix until combined.
• Add 3/4 cup of the yellow cake batter into the cocoa/butter mixture and fold together.
• Now add 3/4 cup of yellow cake batter to each cake pan and smooth out.
• Divide the chocolate batter evenly between the two pans by dropping spoonfuls in a circle over the yellow batter.
• Divide the remaining yellow cake batter between the pans and smooth out as much as possible without mixing.
• Take a clean table knife and make a swirling pattern throughout the cake to gently achieve the marble effect.
• Bake for 20-30* minutes or until an inserted toothpick is removed clean.
• Start checking the cake at 20 minutes. In the winter I can get away with a 22 minute bake time but in the summer it increases to 28 minutes. Just keep a close eye on it.
• Cool for about 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack.
• In a bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment whisk butter and sugar on medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy or about five minutes.
• Be sure to stop at least once and scrape the bowl.
• With the mixer off, add in cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt.
• Turn mixer on low and blend for about 30 seconds.
• One tablespoon at a time, add in heavy cream.
• Once all cream has been added and the mixture is mostly combined, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Now turn the mixer onto medium-high to high and whisk for 3-5 minutes or until mixture is lighter and fluffier. The frosting will be shiny and seem to have many large air bubbles throughout and this is exactly what we are going for. (You can smooth those out on the cake if so desired.)

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, lightly mist 3 6-inch diameter cake pans** with non-stick spray, and line them with circles cut from parchment.
• Place the cake flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
• Add the softened butter, and mix on medium-low speed until the mixture resembles damp sand (about 1 minute).
• Add the eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
• Stir in the sour cream until smooth.
• Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, and stir in the milk and vanilla.
• Beat the batter on medium speed for about a minute to a minute and a half, to aerate the cake batter and build the cake's structure.
• Stir the cocoa and hot water together in a smaller bowl, then fold about half the cake batter into the cocoa mixture until blended.
• Divide the batters equally between the 3 prepared pans, using the tip of a sharp knife to swirl the chocolate and vanilla cake batters together.
• Bake the cake layers for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of a cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting with Easy Chocolate Frosting.

MOIST AND FLUFFY MARBLE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare three 8″x2″ cake pans with cake goop or another preferred pan spray. Preheat your oven to 335ºF (168ºC).
• Bring your butter, milk, and eggs to room temperature. It's really important when making a cake for the ingredients to all be slightly warm so they create an emulsion.
• Heat the water until it's simmering and then combine it with your cocoa powder.
• Stir it until the cocoa powder is moistened. It will look lumpy, but that is normal.
• Set it aside and let it cool while you prepare the cake batter.
• In a separate container, combine 3/4 cup of the milk and the oil together and set it aside.
• In a separate container, combine the remaining milk, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract together. Whisk it to break up the eggs, and then set it aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with the paddle attachment. Mix for 10 seconds to combine everything.
• Add your softened butter to the flour mixture and mix on low until the mixture resembles coarse sand (this takes about 30 seconds). This style of mixing is called the reverse creaming method, and it will result in a very velvety, moist cake. A lot of my other cake recipes like brown butter cake and white velvet buttermilk cake use this method.
• Add in your milk/oil mixture and mix it on low until the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Increase the speed to medium (setting 2 on my Bosch Mixer, setting 4 on a KitchenAid) and let it mix for 2 minutes to develop the cake's structure. If you don't let your cake mix on this step, your cake could collapse.
• Scrape your bowl and then reduce the speed to low.
• Add in your egg mixture in three batches, letting the batter mix for 15 seconds between additions.
• Scrape down the sides again to make sure everything has incorporated.
• Take out 1/3 of your batter and combine it with the cooled chocolate mixture and fold it gently until it's combined.
• Layer your batter into your pans, starting with vanilla, then chocolate, and ending with vanilla.
• Use a butter knife to swirl them together gently. Do not over-mix or your cake will not have a marbled interior.
• Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes at 335ºF (168ºC) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly (but the cake has not begun to shrink yet from the sides of the pan). IMMEDIATELY TAP THE PAN FIRMLY on the countertop once to release the steam from the cake. This stops the cake from shrinking.
• Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes inside of the pan before flipping them out. The cake will shrink a bit and that is normal.
• Flip the cake onto a cooling rack and let it cool completely. I chill my cakes before handling them, or you can wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them to trap moisture in the cake.
• Thaw the cake on the countertop while it's still wrapped before frosting.
• Place your chocolate into a heatproof bowl.
• Heat your cream until it just begins to simmer. Do not boil it or your ganache will be grainy.
• Pour the hot cream over your chocolate.
• Let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Add in your vanilla and salt to the chocolate mixture and whisk it until it's smooth and creamy.
• Pour your ganache into a shallow pan and let it cool to peanut butter consistency. Mine takes about 20 minutes to thicken up.
• Frost your cake with the ganache and then place it into the fridge for 20 minutes. This cake also pairs well with easy buttercream or chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.
• Dust it with cocoa powder using a soft (new) makeup brush to make the velvet texture.
• Heat the cream until it's just steaming, and then pour it over chocolate.
• Let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Whisk it until it's smooth.
• Let it cool until it's slightly warm to the touch before piping it onto your CHILLED cake.

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F and generously grease and flour two 8" round cake pans (you may instead use 9" pans, just keep in mind you will need to bake the cake for about 5 minutes less than indicated). Set aside.
• Place chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well, and then return to microwave and heat in 15-second increments, stirring well in between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside.
• Using an electric or stand mixer, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy (about 30 seconds on high speed).
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pause as needed to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
• Stir in vanilla extract.
• In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Using a spatula and gently hand-mixing, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter/oil batter, starting and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix!
• Pour ⅓-½ of the batter into a separate bowl and add chocolate mixture. Stir until completely combined and batter is evenly chocolate.
• Alternate adding vanilla and chocolate batter to each pan, evenly distributing batter into each pan. Use a knife to swirl for marbled appearance.
• Bake on 350F (175C) for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean but with a few moist crumbs (do not over-bake or the cake will be dry, you want there to be a few crumbs).
• Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes before carefully inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

ULTIMATE MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and grease and line three 8" cake tins that are at least 2" deep
• Make the vanilla sponge by mixing the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, ideally using an electric mixer
• Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and whisk until fully incorporated
• Add the self raising flour and whisk in gently until you can't see any flour anymore
• Make the chocolate sponge by mixing the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, ideally using an electric mixer
• Add the eggs and milk, and whisk until fully incorporated
• Add the self raising flour and cocoa powder and whisk in gently until you can't see any flour anymore
• Add the batter to the cake tins in alternate spoonfuls, place each spoonful on top of the previous one. 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 them a little shake if needed to encourage it
• Bake them for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave them to fully cool either in the tins or on cooling racks
• To make the chocolate buttercream mix the butter, cocoa powder and icing sugar together. Once it starts to come together add the milk and mix until smooth. You can add more milk if the buttercream is too stiff. Use an electric hand whisk or stand mixer for best results
• To make the vanilla buttercream mix the butter and icing sugar together. Once it starts to come together add the vanilla extract and mix until smooth. You can add more milk if the buttercream is too stiff. Use an electric hand whisk or stand mixer for best results
• If the cakes have domed on top, level them off with a cake leveller or knife
• Put one of the sponges on a decorating turntable and spread a layer of chocolate buttercream over it
• Add the second sponge on top and spread a layer of vanilla buttercream over it
• Add the third sponge and then cover the whole cake in a thin layer of vanilla buttercream as the crumb coat, then put it in the fridge for 30 minutes
• To create the striped effect, pipe lines of alternating chocolate and vanilla buttercream all around the sides of the cake. Use a buttercream scraper to smooth the sides and create the stripey effect, making sure to wipe off excess buttercream from the scraper as you go
• Once the sides are smoothed to your liking, add more buttercream to the top of the cake and smooth it out using a palette knife
• Then pipe alternating rosettes of chocolate and vanilla buttercream on top of the cake round the edge, and fill the centre with triple chocolate curl sprinkles - or any sprinkles of your choice
• Move the cake onto a serving plate or cake stand and dig in! Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for 2-3 days

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour. Set aside 1/3 of the batter.
• In a bowl, mix cocoa and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add the cocoa mixture to the reserved cake batter; stir until well combined.
• Spoon batters into the prepared pan in 2 layers, alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate to simulate a checkerboard. To create marbling, run a table knife (or wooden skewer) through the batters in a swirling motion.
• Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn out cake from pan and cool completely on the rack. Cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

MARBLE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease two 9-inch-round cake pans then dust with flour, tapping out excess flour. Line bottoms of both pans with parchment paper.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl , until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes.) Use fork to fold in eggs one at a time, add vanilla and stir until well incorporated, taking care not to over-mix. Stir in the flour mixture in 3 batches, using a fork or low-speed mixer. Alternate adding the milk and stir just until smooth.
• Evenly divide the badder into two bowls. Into one bowl, stir in the cocoa powder. Next, divide the white batter by pouring half in one pan and the remaining half in the other pan. Spread evenly.
• Use a large scoop or small measuring cup and dole the chocolate batter as shown in the pictures. Next, take a toothpick and gently swirl to incorporate the two batters in each pan, creating a marbled effect.
• Bake the cakes for about 30 minutes or until lightly golden and set on top Insert a toothpick in center and it should come out clean when done. Carefully remove cakes from oven and place on cooling rack for 15 minues and then use a small thin knife to loosen edges of cake around the pans. Invert cakes onto wire cooling rack, remove parchment paper, and allow to completely cool for about 30 minutes. Plate and frost as desired.

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray or lightly butter two 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.
• Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated and brown sugars and beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes until creamed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs then the egg yolks one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. Use a whisk to rid any large lumps, if needed. The batter will be slightly thick.
• Remove 1 cup of yellow batter and pour into a medium bowl. Melt 4 ounces of chocolate in the microwave, stopping and stirring every 20 seconds until completely smooth. Pour chocolate into the 1 cup of yellow batter you set aside and stir until combined.
• Pour an even layer of the yellow batter into each cake pan. Spoon chocolate batter on top, as shown in the photo above. Pour remaining yellow batter on top of the chocolate. Using a knife, swirl the two batters together. Don't worry if it's not perfect.
• Bake the layers for 22-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one cake comes out clean. Mine usually take 24 minutes. During bake time, loosely cover the cakes with aluminum foil if you find the tops are browning too quickly. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and cream with the mixer running on low. Once added, increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add 1-2 more Tablespoons confectioners' sugar if frosting is too thin or 1-2 more Tablespoons of cream if frosting is too thick. Taste the frosting and add a pinch more salt if it's too sweet.
• If needed, level cakes to create a flat surface (I usually use a knife, be careful doing this!). Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or large serving plate. Evenly spread about 3/4 cup frosting on top. Top with 2nd cake and spread the remaining frosting all over the sides and top. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Slice and serve.
• Cover any leftover cake and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

MARVELOUS MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• In top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over barely simmering water, melt chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter; stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature., Preheat oven to 375°. Line bottoms of three greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease parchment., In a large bowl, cream remaining butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition., Remove 2 cups batter to a small bowl; stir in cooled chocolate mixture and, if desired, chocolate chips, until blended. Drop plain and chocolate batters by tablespoonfuls into prepared pans, dividing batters evenly among pans. To make batter level in pans, bang cake pans several times on counter., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency., If cake layers have rounded tops, trim with a serrated knife to make level. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cool slightly., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake., Drop cooled chocolate by 1/2 teaspoonfuls over frosting. Using a large offset spatula, smear chocolate to create a marble design in frosting.

MARBLE CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Put the first 5 ingredients into the bowl of your mixer. Mix on low speed for at least 30 seconds to combine.
• Add the softened butter (cut into pieces) mix on low speed just until it looks like coarse sand. The dry ingredients will be moistened/coated by the butter and will stick to together if you press some between two fingers. Don't over-mix or it will turn into a large dough-like ball.
• Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing until blended.
• Add the vanilla to the 1 1/4 cup buttermilk. With the mixer on lowest speed gradually pour into the mixer. Increase the speed to #2 or # 3 (on a KitchenAid mixer). Mix for about 2 minutes, batter will be smooth and fluffy. If you are using a hand mixer rather than a stand mixer, mix a bit longer.
• Mix 4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder with 3 to 4 Tablespoons very hot water. Stir until smooth & set aside.
• Put 1 1/2 cups cake batter into a medium sized bowl and stir in the chocolate mixture to create chocolate batter. Set aside.
• Put about a cup of yellow batter into each of the three pans & spread, then add a few dollops of chocolate batter by the spoonful to each of the pans. Swirl with offset spatula or knife (we usually use something about 1/2 inch wide). Add more yellow batter by the spoonful, adding chocolate batter here and there until finished. Swirl this newly added yellow and chocolate. Be careful not to over-swirl- you'll lose the contrasting colors.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then turn out.

MARBLE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 10" square pan, lining it the bottom with a cut out sheet of parchment paper. In lieu of a 10" pan you could also use two round 7" pans.
• In a small bowl, stir together the coffee (or hot water) and cocoa powder as well as 2 tablespoons of sugar. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and 1-1/3 cups of sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, stirring to combine each into the butter. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add half of the flour as well as the baking powder and salt. Stir on low and then add the vanilla and half of the milk. Add the remaining cake flour and then stir in the rest of the milk. Only stir until combined. Spoon out 1/3 of the batter and fold the cocoa powder mixture into it. Begin alternating dollops of the chocolate batter and the vanilla batter into your prepared pan(s) until all of the batter has been used. Smooth the top and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean about 30 minutes for a 10" pan or 22-ish minutes for the two round pans. Allow to cool completely prior to frosting.
• In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until combined, about 1-1/2 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and milk, and stir on low until smooth and combined. Increase the speed briefly to fluff it up.
• Trim any dome off of the top of your cake(s). If you opted to bake your cake in a single 10" pan, cut the square in half to make two equal-sized rectangles. Spread frosting on one half of the cake and then top it with the remaining rectangle. Smooth frosting over the remaining cake and enjoy!

MARBLE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour 3 6" cake pans, or 2 8" cake pans.
• Pre-heat oven to 350F.
• Start by making the vanilla cake
• Cream butter in the bowl of a stand mixer for 2 minutes, on medium speed. Gradually add sugar and cream for 3 minutes until mixture is fluffy and lighter in color.
• Add eggs to the mixture, one at a time, mixing on medium speed. Scrape bowl and add vanilla. Mix on medium-low speed until incorporated.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add half of the buttermilk to butter/egg/sugar mixture. Mix on low for 30 seconds. Add half of sifted flour mixture. Mix on low for 30-45 seconds until almost entirely incorporated.
• Add remaining buttermilk and mix on low for 30 seconds. Add remaining flour and mix on low until incorporated.
• Divide batter evenly between your cake pans.
• Time to make the Chocolate Cake
• Notes: If you don't want to use coffee, you can use boiling water. Just mix 1 teaspoon of espresso powder in with the dry ingredients or skip it all together.
• Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder, if using it instead of coffee. Set aside.
• Whisk egg in a bowl for about 30 seconds.
• Add sugar and keep whisking for about 1 minute, until brightened in color.
• Add oil to the bowl. Whisk until combined.
• Add milk and vanilla extract.
• Pour dry ingredients over wet mixture.
• Fold with a spatula slowly, until ingredients are just combined.
• If you see big clumps of cocoa powder, you can use the whisk to try to smooth the batter out.
• Once batter is incorporated, pour hot coffee in the bowl. Whisk until combined.
• Batter will be very thin and runny.
• With the back of a spoon make holes in your vanilla cake batter. Spoon Generous amounts of filling inside these holes, being mindful to spread them evenly between all the cakes.
• Grab a knife and run it over your batter, creating a swirl effect, to make the beautiful marble.
• Bake cakes in pre-heated oven for about 20-25 minutes. Smaller cake pans will take less time to bake.
• Remove cake from the oven when a toothpick comes out clean once inserted in the cake.
• Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes and flip it over in a wire rack to let it cool completely before proceeding with frosting and filling.

EASY MARBLE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
• Add the butter, vegetable oil and sugar to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
• Add the eggs two at a time, mixing until well combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
• Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined.
• Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
• Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
• Set aside 1 1/4 cups of batter, then divide the remaining batter between the two cake pans and set them aside.
• Melt the chopped chocolate, then add it to the batter that was set aside and gently fold together to combine.
• Drop spoonfuls of batter over the top of the vanilla batter that is already in the cake pans. Use a knife to swirl the chocolate and vanilla batters together, being careful not to over combine them. I ran a knife in a swirl through the cake in one direction once, then the opposite direction once and that was it.
• Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
• To make the frosting, beat the butter and shortening together until smooth.
• Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
• Add the vanilla extract, cocoa powder and 4-5 tablespoons of water or milk and mix until smooth.
• Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add additional water or milk, as needed to get the right consistency of frosting.
• To put the cake together, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes so that they're flat. These cakes don't have a large dome, but I like to make sure they're completely flat.
• Place the first cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round.
• Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake.
• Add the second layer of cake on top, then frost the outside of the cake.

TRIPLE LAYER MOCHA MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray 3 8 inch round baking pans with flour-added cooking spray or just grease and flour. Alternatively, you could use 2 slightly deeper 9 inch pans, but the cakes will be thicker and need a little more time in the oven.
• Have ready two large mixing bowls. In the first bowl, mix together all dry ingredients for the yellow cake batter (flour through salt). In the second bowl, mix together all dry ingredients for the chocolate batter (flour through salt).
• Make the yellow batter first. Whisk the eggs, yolk, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the milk together in a small bowl. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mash it around, then stir in the egg mixture until it's as blended as you can get it. Add the remaining buttermilk and beat with a handheld mixer until smooth.
• Repeat the same procedure with the chocolate batter. Whisk the egg, vanilla and all the buttermilk together in a small bowl. Add the butter to the dry mixture and mash it around. Add the egg mixture and blend it as much as you can, then add the coffee and beat with a handheld mixer until smooth. Now you should have a bowl of vanilla batter and a bowl of chocolate batter.
• Starting with the vanilla (it's thicker), layer the two flavors of batter into the pans, dividing evenly among the pans.
• Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely, then fill with Mocha Filling, stack and frost with Chocolate Frosting.
• Make the mocha filling first. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, coffee, confectioners' sugar and about 1 tablespoon of the cream. Beat until well mixed, then gradually add the cream, scraping sides of bowl often, until you get a smooth, spreadable consistency. Frost the tops of two cakes.
• Make the chocolate frosting. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, sugar, cocoa, salt and 3 tablespoons of the cream as well as you can, then beat with a hand-held mixer until pasty and thick. Continue adding remaining cream until you get a nice, smooth, spreading consistency

ZEBRA MARBLE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your fan oven to 160°C (325°F). Grease and line with parchment paper three 6" round cake tins.
• In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until combined and set aside.
• In a measuring jug combine sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract. These are your wet ingredients.
• In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on a medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. (approx. 3 min) Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
• Turn the mixer to medium-low speed and add eggs one at a time - making sure it's fully incorporated after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
• Add your dry and wet ingredients, alternating between one another, starting and finishing with dry ones. (3 additions of dry and 2 of wet ingredients)
• Divide the batter in half and add cocoa powder in one to make a chocolate batter.
• Divide the batters evenly among the 3 tins using spoons - putting a spoonful of one batter in the middle of the pan and then spoonful of the other batter on top of it. (Check the information in the post above)
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until skewer inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.
• Once they're done, let the cakes cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire rack before removing them from the pans to cool completely.
• In a small saucepan combine flour, sugar, salt and milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until it thickens.
• Once it's done, put a cling film over it touching the surface to prevent "skin" forming and let it cool to room temperature. This is your pudding base. You can do this in a fridge, but before using it let it come to room temperature.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 5 minutes until it's pale and fluffy. Then add spoonful by spoonful of previously made pudding. Mix until it's all nicely incorporated and with no lumps. Add the vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds.
• Place finely chopped chocolate in a bowl. Bring heavy cream just barely to a simmer and pour over chopped chocolate. Cover it with a plate and leave it 1-2 minutes. Stir with a spatula until combined and smooth.Cover in cling film and put it in a fridge for an hour or until it thickens to spreadable consistency.
• Place finely chopped chocolate in a bowl. Bring heavy cream just barely to a simmer and pour over chopped chocolate. Cover it with a plate and leave it 1-2 minutes. Stir with a spatula until combined and smooth. Make it 10 minutes before pouring over the chilled cake so it has time to cool and thicken a bit.
• Using a cake leveler or a long serrated knife level the tops of your cakes if needed.
• In the middle of your cake board or a serving plate put some buttercream to stop the cake from moving around.
• Spread a nice layer of buttercream on top of the first layer and pipe a border around the outside to hold the ganache in. Repeat with the next layer.
• Place final layer on top, upside down, and do a thin crumb coat on the cake. Chill for 20-30 minutes in the fridge before final decorating.
• Use the leftover ganache filling to make a chocolate buttercream, mixing it with some vanilla buttercream. If it's too loose, put it in the fridge to thicken a bit.
• Place both of your buttercreams in piping bags. For a vanilla buttercream I used a Wilton 1A tip and for a chocolate buttercream I used a Wilton #12 tip. But you do you. :)
• Place the chilled cake on a turntable and alternately put the stripes of buttercream on the cake. Once you're done, fill the top with vanilla buttercream and smooth the sides using a cake scraper.
• Every time you use a cake scraper be sure to get rid of the buttercream that you've scraped down so you don't mess up the stripes.
• Chill the cake for a half an hour to an hour before putting the chocolate drip on top. It has to be cold so the drip doesn't go all the way down.

CHOCOLATE MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with baking spray; set aside. Microwave chopped chocolate in a small microwavable bowl on MEDIUM (50%) power until melted and smooth, 1 ½ to 2 minutes, stopping to stir every 30 seconds. Set melted chocolate aside.
• Beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with half-and-half, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined after each addition, about 2 minutes total. Beat in vanilla on low speed.
• Transfer 1 cup of the cake batter to a small bowl; stir in melted chocolate until fully combined, and set aside. Spoon half of the remaining cake batter evenly into prepared cake pans (about 1 ⅓ cups per pan); dollop pans evenly with chocolate batter. Spoon remaining cake batter evenly over top of chocolate batter dollops, and gently smooth over dollops using a small offset spatula. Swirl batters together using a small paring knife.
• Bake Cake Layers on middle rack in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted into centers of cakes comes out clean, 26 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer pans to a wire rack, and let cool 10 minutes. Remove Cake Layers from pans, and place directly on wire rack; let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Prepare the Frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and salt with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Whisk together powdered sugar and cocoa in a large bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar mixture to butter mixture alternately with 4 tablespoons half-and-half, beating on low speed until combined after each addition. (If needed, beat in up to 1 additional tablespoon half-and-half, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency.) Increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Spread 1 cup Frosting in between Cake Layers. Use remaining Frosting to evenly coat top and sides of cake.

EASY MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl and with an electric mixer, beat cake mix, eggs, milk and butter for 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping the sides and bottom a couple of times so everything is incorporated.
• Scoop out about ¾ cup of the batter into another bowl. Stir in the cocoa powder.
• Grease a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in half about ⅔ of the yellow cake batter. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixture evenly on top of the yellow. Pour the remaining yellow cake batter evenly on top. Take a knife and make a few swirls into the batter. *Note - take care not to scrape the metal pan with the knife or it will scratch.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Transfer to a serving platter and dust with powdered sugar, then slice and serve.

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray or use the wrappers from the butter to grease them thoroughly.
• In one mixing bowl, combine the white cake ingredients: cake mix, butter, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 1 minute and then on medium-high speed for two additional minutes. Set aside.
• In a second mixing bowl, combine the chocolate cake ingredients: chocolate cake mix, butter, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 1 minute and then on medium-high speed for two additional minutes.
• Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, pile dollops of cake batter into the pans, rotating between the white and chocolate cake mixes. Fill the pans about ⅔ of the way full to prevent overflowing. You may not use all of the batter.
• Use a knife to cut through the batter and swirl the two colors. Do not over swirl, which can result in the colors blending.
• Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out with just a few crumbs. The pans are going to be more full than with a single cake mix, so the cook time will likely be 5 to 10 minutes longer than indicated on the box of cake mix.
• Cool the cakes for 10 to 15 minutes and then remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
• Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Chop the German chocolate baking bar into small pieces. Use a double boiler or 30-second increments in the microwave to melt the chocolate. Stir until fully melted and set aside to cool.
• Use a whisk to stir together the cocoa powder and hot water (or hot cream) until smooth and shiny.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, cooled German chocolate, cocoa powder mixture, and powdered sugar. Beat until fully combined and fluffy.
• Level the tops of the cakes (and any lip from overfilled cake pans) with a serrated knife.
• Frost the bottom cake layer with about ½ cup of chocolate frosting.
• Stack the second cake layer on top of the first, top side down.
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

MARBLE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside for now.
• In a large bowl, beat together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 - 4 minutes).
• Beat in eggs and vanilla extract until well mixed.
• Add ½ the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir with spatula just until combined.
• Add in all the buttermilk and stir with spatula until mixed.
• Add in the last ½ of the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Remove 1 cup of the cake batter and put in a separate small bowl. Add the melted chocolate to that separate small bowl and stir to mix completely.
• Line the bottoms of two 8" round cake pans with parchment paper. Spray insides of cake pans with non-stick cooking spray.
• Pour half the white mixture into each of the two 8" cake pans. If you can, use a scale to make sure you add the same amount of batter to each.
• Drop tablespoons of the chocolate mixture into both the 8" pans and use a table knife to swirl the chocolate mixture into the white mixture. Don't stir completely in (you don't want the whole cake to be chocolate) - just lightly swirl the two together.
• Bake for 30 minutes then test with toothpick to see if when inserted in the middle it still has batter stuck to it. If so, lightly cover pans with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes until middles of cakes are set.
• Let cool completely before frosting.
• Before layering the cake, cut off the top domes to the cakes so you have two flat layers. A serrated knife works best for this.
• Beat all ingredients together (on high) until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
• Frost cooled cake by frosting the bottom layer first, then add the second layer on top (the second top layer should have the bottom of the cake facing up as it will be the more flat side) and cover the whole cake in chocolate frosting. If you want a smoother look to the cake, use an icing scraper to smooth the icing on the sides and top.

MARBLE CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan.
• Place flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter or margarine, eggs, vanilla, and milk into mixing bowl. Beat slowly to moisten, then beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. Reserve 3/4 cup batter; pour the remainder into pan.
• Stir cocoa into the 3/4 cup reserved batter. Drop by spoonfuls over top of white batter. Using a knife, swirl the cocoa batter into the white batter to incorporate it in a marble effect.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Wrap the pans with cake strips.