Easy homemade marble bundt cake recipe! This moist chocolate and vanilla swirl bundt cake is so simple to make.
This Chocolate Swirl Bundt Cake is so super moist! It has a rich chocolate cake that contrasts perfectly with the tender vanilla cake. And when it’s topped with chocolate ganache, it tastes like one of my favorite foods – a cake donut.
This yummy bundt cake is perfect for birthdays or any other celebratory occasions (like a Tuesday night).
How to make marble bundt cake
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.
Beat butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until well-combined. Mix in the eggs one at a time and vanilla extract.
Mix in the buttermilk until well-combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in just until combined.
Remove part of the vanilla batter to a separate mixing bowl. Mix in the cocoa powder and milk.
Stir the remaining vanilla into the vanilla batter. Drop a scoop of vanilla batter into the bundt pan and top with a scoop of chocolate batter.
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. Bake.
Tips
Tips- 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.
- Cake flour: Cake flour helps to make this cake tender. To make a cake flour substitute, you can use this recipe.
- Buttermilk: You can use regular or low-fat buttermilk in this recipe. If you would like to make a substitute, you can use this recipe.
- Chocolate ganache: I use a simple chocolate ganache on top of this cake.
- 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.
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
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract divided
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk1 at room temperature
- 3 cups cake flour2
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Swirl
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup milk3 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.
- Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon vanilla until combined.
- Mix in buttermilk until well-combined.
- Add cake flour, baking powder, and 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.
- 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 50-70 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
- Regular or low-fat ok. You can make your own buttermilk substitute with this recipe.
- You can make your own cake flour substitute with this recipe.
- Any milk from skim to whole milk will work.
- If you would like to dress the cake up, this is the chocolate ganache glaze that I use.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Originally published 10/11/13. Updated with new photos and tips 2/5/20.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
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!