Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake
A classic, spongy 2-layer cake featuring beautiful swirls of aromatic vanilla and rich chocolate batter, finished with a decadent chocolate buttercream.
Equipment
- Two 8-inch round cake pans
- electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- sieve for sifting
- skewer or butter knife for marble swirl
Ingredients
- 325 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp black cocoa (optional)
- 5 tbsp milk
- 1 1/2 cups butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 3-4 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Mix the milk and white vinegar together and let sit for 5 minutes to create homemade buttermilk. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Beat butter, vegetable oil, and sugar until light. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the butter mixture until a smooth vanilla batter forms.
- Whisk cocoa powder, optional black cocoa, and milk together. Fold this mixture into half of the vanilla batter to make the chocolate batter.
- Drop alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate batter into the prepared cake pans. Use a skewer or butter knife to swirl lightly.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then transfer to a rack.
- Whip butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and milk until fluffy. Frost the completely cooled cake layers.
Notes
Don't Over-Swirl: Use broad knife movements to preserve distinct vanilla and chocolate ribbons. Sifting: Always sift cocoa powder for a silky frosting. For the cleanest slices, chill the frosted cake for 20 minutes before cutting.