Marble cake (Κέικ βανίλια και σοκολάτα)

A classic Greek marble cake made with olive oil. The delicious swirls of chocolate and vanilla, and a moist and delicate crumb make this the only marble cake recipe you will need. Serve simply with a light dusting of icing sugar. This is a perfect way to end a meal, or to enjoy a sweet breakfast or snack.

I admire professional bakers, and those non-professionals who have spent years perfecting their fondant skills and can transform flour, butter and eggs into edible works of art, like toilets and Chanel purses.  Having tried my hand at sculpting with gum paste and molding with chocolate, I certainly recognize the talent that is behind baking and creating this way.  Amazing!  But, the truth is, while I can appreciate and marvel at these jaw-dropping desserts, I tend to crave the mouth-watering desserts I grew up with…and let’s be clear, my parents wouldn’t know fondant if it hit them in the face.

My parents would probably never describe themselves as bakers, and in fact, most Greek desserts like galaktoboureko, baklava and bougatsa are not baked in the cake-type of baking we usually think of.  There is no sticking a toothpick into the custard center of a galaktoboureko to see if it is done for example, and there is no worrying that opening the oven door too often will cause your baklava to fall.  But, having said that, my parents do have a few more traditional cake recipes in their arsenal, amazing desserts like revani, pantespani and a wonderful lemon flavoured olive oil cake.  So, although they may not consider themselves to be wonderful bakers, I sure do.

Why I love this recipe

As children one of our favourite cakes was this marble cake, which in our Greek home was referred to as a vanilla cake, with chocolate.  It was the cake that we would ask for on our birthdays, our namedays and when we would have new, non-Greek, friends over; this was a dessert they could relate to.  In fact, it was one of these friends who first told us that this was called a marble cake.  We found that to be a pretty funny, yet kind of perfect, name for a cake.

Key ingredients

Flour I use all purpose flour, also called regular or plain flour, for this recipe. It is easy to find, versatile and is great for baking cakes like this marble cake!

Cocoa powder I use unsweetened cocoa powder in this cake. The flavour is intense and chocolatey and give a great chocolate colour!

Sugar In the batter I use plain white granulated sugar. The sweetness is perfect, but it does not add a caramel flavour to the cake (the way brown sugar would).

Eggs There are several eggs in this recipe – part of what makes this cake so rich and delicious. I use large eggs, and I try to remember to keep them at room temperature before using them.

Olive oil I love baking with olive oil! The texture of the cake turns out so wonderfully and the flavour is subtle, but present and delicious.

Milk I have made this cake with all sorts of milk including full fat, 2% and lactose-free milk. All versions work well, and the cake turns out great!

Baking powder This is the leavening agent I use to make this cake rise and get light and fluffy!

Hot water I use hot water to help dissolve the cocoa powder, and to ensure that the chocolate part of this cake is not too dense.

Vanilla A touch of vanilla flavouring is great in this marble cake!

Salt Yes, even sweets benefit from a bit of salt – it helps bring out all the flavours!

How to make it

I love making this marble cake! It is such a nostalgic experience for me, but I also love the fact that each cake is different and unique, depending on how the marbling effect reveals itself!

Step 1
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2
In a medium sized bowl I combine the cocoa powder, 1/2 cup (120 grams) of sugar and the hot water.  I stir well to combine and set aside.

Step 3
In another small bowl I combine the flour, baking powder, vanilla powder and salt. I whisk everything until well combined.

Step 4
In the large bowl of a stand mixer, I beat together the remaining sugar (2 cups or 400 grams) and the eggs until well combined.  I then slowly pour in the olive oil and continue to mix.

Step 5
With the speed set to low, I carefully add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the oil/egg/sugar combination in the stand mixer.  I beat until well combined.  Next, I pour in 1/2 cup (125 ml) of milk.  I continue beating and then add the remaining flour, followed by the remaining milk. I scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula and then beat well for a minute until all of the ingredients are well combined.

Step 6
After this I remove approximately 3 cups of this cake batter and add it to the bowl which contains the cocoa powder, sugar and water.  Using a whisk I mix it well by hand so that all of the plain batter is combined with the cocoa batter.

Step 7
I grease a bundt pan; I like to use cooking spray for this.  Next I pour enough of the plain batter into the pan to cover the bottom surface.  Then, using a large spoon, I drop spoonfuls of the cocoa batter on top of the plain batter, leaving approximately 1/3 of the cocoa batter in the bowl.

Step 8
I pour the remaining vanilla batter into the bundt pan, and then pour in the rest of the cocoa batter.

Step 9
I pour the remaining vanilla batter into the bundt pan, and then pour in the rest of the cocoa batter.

Step 10
Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 50 – 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 11
Allow the cake to cool in the bundt pan for approximately 10-12 minutes before removing it.  Set it to cool on a baking rack. When it has cooled completely I like to dust it with icing sugar.

Baking tips

My parents always use vanilla powder; in fact, Helen and I were both adults before we realized that vanilla extract was also a thing.  If you have vanilla powder, great.  If not, substitute with double the amount of vanilla extract (the flavour in the powder tends to be more concentrated).

My parents have made this cake with whole milk, lactose free milk and skim milk; there is barely a difference in outcome so use whatever milk you have on hand.

I always thought that the marbling effect was created by running a knife through the batter in the cake pan prior to baking the cake.  But, as my parents taught us, simply alternating the batter which is poured into the bundt pan is enough to give the swirly, marble effect.  If you feel better running a knife through the batter however, you can definitely do that.

As with most of my parents’ baked goods, this cake does not contain any butter.  Instead, olive oil adds the necessary fat, and contributes to making a cake which is light, moist, and delicious.

Recipe variations

If you love the idea of a marble cake, then you may want to try another classic Greek dessert! You can make marble halva, which is so good, and a great vegan (and perfect for lent) option!

I also like to add some strawberry flavour to my marble cake sometimes and make this Neopolitan marble cake (Κέικ βανίλια με σοκολάτα και φράουλες).

Another great variation is to make an orange and chocolate marble cake. The combination of flavours is perfection!

Freezing

This cake freezes really well.  Allow your cake to cool and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.  When you are ready to serve, simply defrost your cake on the counter for a few hours or overnight.  At this point you can sprinkle with icing sugar if desired.

Related recipes

Looking for some more great coffee cake recipes? I think you will enjoy these!

Double chocolate zucchini cake There is a LOT of zucchini in this rich and indulgent chocolate cake. You would never know it though!

Neopolitan marble cake A marble cake with a trio of colours and flavours, just like our favourite ice cream growing up!

Lemon ricotta cake A truly delicious cake that is just as good (maybe better!) than the one you would pick up at your favourite coffee shop.

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Thanks for sharing!