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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Published on: February 20, 2019 by Janice Lawandi; Updated on: January 22, 2025 11 Comments

    Marble Cake With Sour Cream

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    Slices of chocolate and vanilla marble loaf cake arranged on a white platter

    This easy chocolate marble loaf cake recipe is made with sour cream and dark chocolate, creating a moist, tender crumb and a good chocolate flavour. Some recipes will have you make two separate batters, which is a lot of work. I prefer to make one vanilla sour cream cake batter and flavour half with melted chocolate.

    Slicing and serving a marble cake.
    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Marble cakes are two-flavoured cakes made from two cake batters that are contrasting and yet complimentary, in both colour and flavour. The classic marble cake is vanilla and chocolate, swirled together to give the cake a marbled effect.

    A marble cake can be baked in a loaf cake pan for an easy, convenient marble loaf cake that can be sliced into slabs for snacks during the week. You can also bake marble cakes in bundt pans to make more ornate cakes that can be glazed, drizzled with chocolate ganache, or even frosted.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You Will Need to Make Marble Loaf Cake
    • Substitutions and Variations
    • How to Make Marble Cake Step-By-Step
    • Marble Cake FAQs
    • Other Loaf Cakes to Try
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients You Will Need to Make Marble Loaf Cake

    This chocolate and vanilla marble cake recipe is based on an Anna Olson recipe. It's a simple vanilla cake recipe made with sour cream for a more moist, tender crumb.

    Ingredients to make marble cake measured out and ready to be mixed.
    • butter—I bake with unsalted butter. If using salted butter, please adjust the amount of salt to avoid the cake being too salty
    • sugar—I used granulated sugar for this marble cake so that the vanilla portion of the marble cake had the cleanest vanilla flavour, without the interference of molasses notes from brown sugar
    • flour—I used bleached all-purpose flour though unbleached will likely work fine
    • eggs—I bake with large eggs. Avoid using smaller or larger eggs as this may affect the texture of the cake and how it rises
    • vanilla—use pure vanilla extract. If using artificial, you may have to adjust the quantity because the flavour is stronger.
    • chocolate—use a dark chocolate that is not too sweet and with a high percent of cocoa solids (around 70 %). Do not use chocolate chips as they don't melt well and they may make the cake too sweet
    • sour cream—please use full-fat sour cream (the sour cream I use is 14 % fat) for the best flavour and texture. Marble cakes made with sour cream are a little more moist
    • leavening—you will need baking powder for this cake. Please read about baking soda versus baking powder if you are unsure how they differ.
    • salt—I bake with Diamond Crystal Fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, please add half the amount or the cookies may be too salty

    Please see the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.

    Substitutions and Variations

    • Yogurt—If you want to make this recipe, but you don't have any sour cream, you can still make this marble loaf cake with crème fraîche (if you can find it) or Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Preferably, go for Greek yogurt with a higher percentage of fat (9 % fat, if not more), though this recipe would also work out with lower fatGreek yogurt. Opt for an unflavoured plain Greek yogurt, as opposed to vanilla yogurt, if possible.
    • Vanilla is a key component in a classic marble cake recipe, adding a lot of depth to the vanilla swirl of cake, without which the cake may taste bland or even eggy. If you don't have vanilla, an alternative would be bourbon or rum to replace those musky woodsy notes. You can add a few drops of almond extract to the vanilla batter or peppermint extract to the chocolate batter. You can add chopped nuts or chocolate chips.
    • Spices—You can also incorporate sweet spices, cinnamon, for example, would be great in the chocolate batter!
    • Chocolate orange marble cake either by adding orange zest
      • at the very beginning of the recipe when you cream together the butter and sugar. In this way, both the chocolate and vanilla cakes would be flavoured with orange OR
      • to only half the vanilla batter. This way, only the vanilla portion of the marble cake will have an orange flavour. So, when you split the vanilla cake batter in two: add melted chocolate to one half of the cake batter, and add orange zest to the other half of the cake batter.

    How to Make Marble Cake Step-By-Step

    Some people overcomplicate marble cake recipes by making two separate batters and then swirling them together. So they make a chocolate batter and then they make a vanilla batter separately, both from scratch. Then they swirl them together in a cake pan. That's too much work if you ask me!

    I prefer to start with one sour cream vanilla cake batter, which you split in two after it's made. At that point, you flavour half the batter with chocolate. Here are the steps to make this easy chocolate marble loaf cake:

    Melting chocolate over a pan of simmering water.

    Step 1: Place the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (image 1) and gently heat the chocolate until it is melted and smooth (image 2).

    Creaming butter with sugar before adding eggs and vanilla to make a marble cake.

    Step 2: While the chocolate is melting and cooling, combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (image 3) and cream them together before adding the eggs one at a time and the vanilla (image 4). Whip the mixture until smooth, creamy and fluffy (image 5).

    Note: Sometimes when I add in the last eggs, the mixture will break or curdle. If this happens it means the butter likely hardened into tiny beads because the eggs (or your kitchen) were too cold. If this happens, you can use a hair dryer to heat up the outside of the mixer bowl and partially melt a portion of the mixture, then whip again until creamy and smooth (as in image 5).

    Whisking dry ingredients and adding it alternately with sour cream to a mixer bowl.

    Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl (image 6) then add them, one third at a time (image 7), alternating with the sour cream (image 8). Remember to always begin and end by adding some dry ingredients for the best results (image 9).

    Flavouring some vanilla cake batter with melted dark chocolate to make a marble cake in a loaf pan.

    Step 4: Remove half of the vanilla cake batter from the mixer and set it aside in a separate bowl, then add the melted chocolate to the remainder of the batter in the mixer (image 10). Mix until evenly incorporated (image 11), then use dishers or ice cream scoops to dollop the batter in the loaf pan (image 12).

    Swirling chocolate and vanilla cake batter in a loaf pan to make a marble cake.

    Step 5: Smooth the top of the batter (image 13) and use a palette knife or offset to swirl the two batters together (image 14). Do not overmix the two batters because you will lose the two-toned look of the classic marble cake.

    Marble loaf cake before and after baking.

    Step 6: Smooth the surface of the loaf again and bake until the edges of the cake pull away from the sides (image 16) and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

    Slicing a marble loaf cake on a cutting board.

    For the best marble cake, use sour cream!

    I like to add sour cream or other acidic dairy products (buttermilk, yogurt, acidified milk, etc.) to my cakes. Sour cream and other acid sources help to reduce gluten development when you mix the flour into the cake batter, leading to a more tender, moist cake with a softer mouthfeel. This cinnamon chocolate chip bundt cake made with sour cream is a perfect example of that. Sour cream is an acidic dairy product with roughly 14 % fat content, so it adds richness and flavour, but also reduces gluten formation leading to a more tender, soft loaf cake. You can also use cake flour (or a lower protein wheat flour) instead of all-purpose flour for a more tender, lighter crumb. The lower protein content will also contribute less gluten to the cake.

    Chocolate and vanilla marble cake sliced on served on small dessert plates with a glass of milk on the side.

    Serving Suggestions

    Serve this sour cream marble cake with vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream (or both!).

    Want to dress it up? Try a frosting for your marble cake, like this milk chocolate frosting or this chocolate ganache made with sour cream (a half-batch will suffice)!

    Marble Cake FAQs

    Why is my marble cake dry?

    This recipe should not yield a dry cake, but I have noticed if the cake batter mixture separates or curdles when you add the eggs, this can lead to a slightly more crumbly texture. If this happens, you can use a blow dryer or heat gun and warm the outside of the mixer bowl to help emulsify the ingredients. Take the time to obtain a smooth, creamy, velvety, properly emulsified mixture before adding the dry ingredients You must heat the mixture before adding the flour, sour cream, and chocolate for this to work.

    How do you store marble cake?

    This marble cake will store well at room temperature, wrapped tightly for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it whole, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, and then a layer of aluminum foil to better protect it. The day before serving, defrost the marble cake in the fridge, then slice it to serve at room temperature.
    You can also freeze this marble cake sliced so that you can defrost individual pieces, either by staggering the pieces all wrapped together so that they can easily be separated when frozen OR individually wrapping each slice before freezing. I like to defrost individual slices in the microwave for up to 30 seconds on a small plate.

    Why does my marble cake have holes in it?

    In some cases, you may see "tunneling" which is elongated holes that cross through the crumb of the cake. These come from overmixing the flour: gluten develops and the cake traps air bubbles (kind of how bread does). But in the case of marble cakes, you likely see holes caused by pockets of air: if the batter is thick (like this pound cake batter) and there are pockets of airs created as you layer the chocolate and vanilla cake batter in the cake pan. Swirling the batter gently with a knife will help release those pockets, as will pressing and smoothing the batters at every step will help, but ultimately, a few may be unavoidable. Please read about why there are holes in cakes for further information.

    Other Loaf Cakes to Try

    I love to make loaf cakes on the weekend to serve during the week for breakfast and snacks. Here are a few others to try:

    • Slicing an orange cake with poppy seeds to serve it.
      Orange Poppy Seed Cake
    • A slice of double chocolate banana bread on a plate.
      Chocolate Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
    • Lemon loaf cake topped with lemon icing and fresh raspberries being sliced to serve it
      Lemon Loaf Cake
    • Slice of chocolate loaf cake with a scoop of ice cream and fresh raspberries on a plate with a fork, with a striped linen tucked underneath.
      Chocolate Loaf Cake With Sour Cream

    If you tried this recipe for the best marble cake with sour cream (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

    📖 Recipe

    Slicing a chocolate and vanilla marble cake on a cutting board.

    Marble Cake With Sour Cream

    AuthorAuthor : Janice Lawandi
    This marble pound cake has a great buttery flavour and a lovely moist texture because it's made with sour cream. The chocolate cake part is made with dark chocolate. This marble pound cake makes a lovely accompaniment to afternoon tea.
    3.50 from 2 votes
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    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 slices
    Calories 352 kcal

    Equipment

    • Loaf pan
    • Braun mixer
    • Cake tester
    Need measurements in CUPSUse the button options below to switch from Metric to US measurements! It's that easy!

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 113 grams dark chocolate (70 % cocoa content) melted
    • 250 grams bleached all-purpose flour
    • 6.25 mL baking powder
    • 1.25 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
    • 173 grams unsalted butter room temperature
    • 200 grams granulated sugar
    • 4 large egg(s) room temperature
    • 10 mL pure vanilla extract
    • 160 mL sour cream (14% fat)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 325°F (165 °C). Brush a 9×5-inch (23x12.5 cm) loaf pan with melted butter, then dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Set aside for later. For the loaf pan, I recommend either the Oxo Good Grips Non-stick Pro loaf cake pan (available on Amazon) or the Nordic Ware Aluminum 1-pound Commercial loaf pan (available on Amazon).
    • Heat the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water on the stove. Stir occasionally until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
    • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the vanilla and mix again.
    • Add the sifted dry ingredients to the batter, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
    • Scoop half the vanilla batter into a medium bowl, then mix the melted chocolate into the remainder of the batter in the mixer bowl.
    • Dollop the vanilla and chocolate batters into the prepared pan and swirl them a little with a knife.
    • Bake the loaf until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges of the cake pull away from the sides of the pan. This takes about 70 minutes.
    • Let the loaf cool for about 15 minutes before unmolding it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

    Notes

    • Use dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa that isn't too sweet. I recommend Cacao Barry Ocoa chocolate, which is a 70% dark chocolate that is sold in 1 kilo resealable bags in IGA grocery stores in Quebec and online at Vanilla Food Company.
    • Yogurt substitution for sour cream—If you want to make this recipe, but you don't have any sour cream, you can still make this marble loaf cake with crème fraîche (if you can find it) or Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Preferably, go for Greek yogurt with a higher percentage of fat (9 % fat, if not more), though this recipe would also work out with lower fatGreek yogurt. Opt for an unflavoured plain Greek yogurt, as opposed to vanilla yogurt, if possible.
    • Chocolate orange flavour marble cake—to do this, add orange zest either:
      • at the very beginning of the recipe when you cream together the butter and sugar. In this way, both the chocolate and vanilla cakes would be flavoured with orange OR
      • to only half the vanilla batter. This way, only the vanilla portion of the marble cake will have an orange flavour. So, when you split the vanilla cake batter in two: add melted chocolate to one half of the cake batter, and add orange zest to the other half of the cake batter.
    • For the cake pan, I have two recommendations of pans that I like to use:
      • Oxo Good Grips Non-stick Pro loaf cake pan (available on Amazon)
      • Nordic Ware Aluminum 1 pound Commercial loaf pan (available on Amazon)
    • Storage: This marble cake can be frozen whole, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, and then a layer of aluminum foil to better protect it. The day before serving, defrost the marble cake in the fridge, then let it come to room temperature before you slice and serve it. You can also freeze this marble cake sliced so that you can defrost individual pieces, either by staggering the pieces all wrapped together so that they can easily be separated when frozen OR individually wrapping each slice before freezing.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 352kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 84mgPotassium: 185mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 525IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 2.4mg
    Give backIf you enjoy the free content on this website, buy me a pound of butter to say thanks!

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    Comments

    1. Ashley says

      March 14, 2016 at 5:01 pm

      Hi Mary! I graduated from a 4-year university with a completely different major. Decided it wasnt for me & went straight into culinary school. Now I am running a large-scale bakery. Go for your Dreams!!

      Reply
    2. Mary says

      February 17, 2016 at 9:03 pm

      This cake was very dry! Wasted too many good ingredients.

      Reply
      • Janice says

        February 17, 2016 at 10:42 pm

        Hi Mary, I'm so sorry that you didn't like the cake and that you found it dry.I've never had that problem. I'd say crumble it and use it in a trifle with a boozy syrup, some whipped cream and fresh fruit. This way it won't go to waste! Thanks for commenting!

        Reply
    3. Shilpa says

      February 22, 2015 at 2:31 am

      hi
      the marble cake looks so delicious
      i want to try but i dont get sour cream here easily , is there an alternative to this ?

      Reply
      • Janice says

        February 17, 2016 at 10:40 pm

        I haven't tried an alternative, but I'd use a full-fat yogurt. Let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
    4. Wholesome Hedonist says

      August 30, 2012 at 2:03 am

      Feel the same way! I met Anna Olson and she is so sweet and down to earth. Shed totally makes baking accessible, even though you know how much hard work she put in to get there!

      Reply
    5. Mardi @eatlivetravelwrite says

      August 30, 2012 at 1:48 am

      That is a beautiful cake - nice work! And one day I figure I will be reading YOUR success-story book 😉

      Reply
    6. Peggy G. says

      August 29, 2012 at 8:34 pm

      I hope to one day have a success story of my own - in a culinary path, of course! This marble cake looks absolutely delicious =)

      Reply
    7. Medeja says

      August 29, 2012 at 1:59 am

      It's good if you get inspired by those success stories 🙂
      I like marble pound cakes.. I am just not very good at making that nice swirl.. :)))

      Reply
    8. connie says

      August 29, 2012 at 3:36 am

      This pound cake looks and sounds wonderful! I too am inspired by the stories of career changes you mention. You are one of those women too and, whether you know it or not, are also an inspiration to others. Hang in there!

      Reply
    9. herbivoresheaven says

      August 28, 2012 at 11:57 pm

      Yum! I absolutely love marble cake, though no matter how good the vanilla part is, I always desperately munch my way towards the chocolate!

      Reply
    3.50 from 2 votes

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