Easy homemade marble bundt cake recipe! This moist chocolate and vanilla swirl bundt cake is so simple to make.
This marble bundt cake is a moist bundt cake. It has rich chocolate cake swirls that contrast perfectly with the tender vanilla cake.
This cake is moist and dense and has a texture and consistency that’s similar to pound cake. I like to top the cake with chocolate ganache because the combination of the frosting and cake makes it taste like one of my favorite foods – a cake donut.
This cake is easy enough to make on a weeknight, but I’ve also made this cake, both as a bundt cake and as mini bundts, for my birthday cake.
“This cake was perfect – not too sweet and just the right balance of vanilla and chocolate. Nice and moist too! Also – a nice straight forward recipe – nothing unnecessarily complicated and time consuming! Great recipe!” – Connie
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe.
- Cake flour: Cake flour helps to make this cake tender. To make a cake flour substitute, you can use this cake flour substitute recipe. Be sure to properly measure the flour to avoid heavy, dry cake. Weighing is the most accurate way to measure the flour, or sift, lightly spoon into a measuring cup, and level.
- Buttermilk: You can use regular or low-fat buttermilk in this recipe. However, I recommend using full-fat buttermilk for moister cake. If you would like to make a substitute, you can use this buttermilk substitute recipe.
- Milk: I recommend using whole milk for moister cake. You can also use buttermilk instead of milk.
How to make marble bundt cake
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make the recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
With bundt cakes, it’s important to grease and flour the pan well. Otherwise the cake can stick. Pan release works really well for greasing bundt pans.
Step 1: Beat butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until well-combined.
Step 2: Mix in the eggs one at a time and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Mix in the buttermilk until well-combined.
Step 4: Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in just until combined.
Step 5: Remove part of the vanilla batter to a separate mixing bowl.
Step 6: Mix in the cocoa powder and milk.
Step 7: Stir the remaining vanilla into the vanilla batter.
Step 8: Drop a scoop of vanilla batter into the bundt pan and top with a scoop of chocolate batter.
Step 9: Repeat alternating batters. Continue to drop the scoops of batter on top of each other.Do not stir. To level out the batter, gently tap the pan a few times.
Step 10: Bake.
Recipe Tips!
- Greasing the pan: I use a baking spray with flour in it or pan release to coat the bundt pan. You can also grease and flour the pan. Either way, generously grease the pan to avoid sticking.
- Chocolate ganache: I use a simple chocolate ganache on top of this cake. You could also use chocolate buttercream frosting if you prefer.
- Mini bundt cakes: If you’d like to make mini bundt cakes instead of a regular bundt cake, this cake will make 12 1-cup bundt cakes. Reduce the baking time to about 20-25 minutes.
Storage
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature. Depending on whether or not the cake was frosting and what type of frosting was used, you may need to refrigerate the cake.
More marble cake recipes!
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Marble Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract divided
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Swirl
- 2/3 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup milk at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with an electric mixer), beat together butter and sugar until well-combined.1 cup butter, 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition.4 large eggs
- Stir in 1 tablespoon vanilla until combined.
- Mix in buttermilk until well-combined.1 cup buttermilk
- Add cake flour, baking powder, and salt.3 cups sifted cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Stir in on low just until incorporated.
- Scoop out 2 ½ cups of the batter, and place it into a separate bowl.
- Stir cocoa powder and milk into the 2 ½ cups of batter until well-combined.2/3 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 cup milk
- Add remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to original batter.
- Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, drop one scoop of plain batter into prepared bundt pan.
- Using a separate scoop, drop 1/4 cup of chocolate batter on top of plain batter.
- Continue to alternate between plain and chocolate batters until both batters are gone.
- Give the pan a couple of taps to level out the batter, if necessary. Do not stir.
- Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto wire rack, and cool completely.
Video
Notes
-
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe.
- Cake flour: Cake flour helps to make this cake tender. To make a cake flour substitute, you can use this cake flour substitute recipe. Be sure to properly measure the flour to avoid heavy, dry cake. Weighing is the most accurate way to measure the flour, or sift, lightly spoon into a measuring cup, and level.
- Buttermilk: You can use regular or low-fat buttermilk in this recipe. However, I recommend using full-fat buttermilk for moister cake. If you would like to make a substitute, you can use this buttermilk substitute recipe.
- Milk: I recommend using whole milk for moister cake. You can also use buttermilk instead of milk.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Originally published 10/11/13. This post is regularly updated.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Vee says
This is the most simple way to assemble the marble Bundt cake from all I saw on line . Thanks Katie I will try it for a friend who requested one. I enjoy baking is my fun quiet time.
Kate says
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it.
Katie Bird says
Made this cake for my dad’s birthday..it was delicious! I did have to add a bit for milk to the cocoa batter..seemed drier than the vanilla. Flavor was amazing…super moist after 60 min bake time. No frosting needed, just did an easy vanilla glaze.
Thanks for posting!
Kate says
Thank you, and happy birthday to your dad!
Connie says
This cake was perfect – not too sweet and just the right balance of vanilla and chocolate. Nice and moist too! Also – a nice straight forward recipe – nothing unnecessarily complicated and time consuming! Great recipe!
Kate says
Thank you!
Valerie says
Great Recipe. Everyone liked it including myself
Kate says
Thanks! I’m glad to hear that it was a hit!
Jennifer says
How would you recommend storing it?
Kate says
The unfrosted cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Ella baker says
I’ve made this cake several times and it’s a hit. keep up the amazing work.🥰💝
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Nancy says
I just made this bundt cake
Kate says
Yay! I’m glad that you liked it!