Red Velvet Marble Cake Recipe

Red velvet is one of those cakes that I have trouble passing up. This cake, though, is a bit different than the normal red velvet layer cake.

It’s a red velvet cake meets a pound cake, and the resulting marble cake is rich and delicious!

The marbling technique for making the swirls is easy, and it gives you a great effect without the risk of blending the batters together.

It’s a perfect Valentine’s Day or Christmas dessert. However, this cake would be just as at home any other time of the year.

What is marble cake?

A marble cake is a cake that has a light and a dark batter swirled together. Chocolate and vanilla are the most common pairing, but this cake swirls red velvet and vanilla cake batters together.

How to marble cake batter

Traditionally, cake batters are swirled together with a knife. The trouble with that method is that it’s easy to over-swirl and end up with muddied swirls.

With this method, the different batters are layered on top of each other. This helps to preserve each batter and gives the cake its nicely defined swirls.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Cake flour – Cake flour helps to give the cake its tender crumb. If you don’t have cake flour, you can make a substitute with this recipe.
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Butter – I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt by 1/2 teaspoon.
• Granulated sugar
• Plain Greek yogurt – Whole milk yogurt, 2% yogurt, or plain nonfat Greek yogurt will all work. Full-fat sour cream will also work.
• Vanilla extract
• Large eggs
• Milk – I recommend using 2% or whole milk. The fat helps to make the cake moist.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – I suggest using unsweetened cocoa powder rather than Dutch-processed because it lets more of the red color come through on the swirl.
• Red food color

How to make red velvet marble cake

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 10-15-cup bundt pan.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, and yogurt until well-combined. Stir in vanilla until combined.

Step 4: Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition.

Step 5: On low, stir in flour mixture until just incorporated. Stir in milk until combined.

Step 6: In a separate large bowl, stir together 2 ½ cups of the batter, cocoa powder, milk, and red food coloring until well-combined.

Step 7: Using a ¼-cup measuring cup, drop two scoops of plain batter into prepared bundt pan. Drop one scoop of red velvet swirl batter on top of plain batter.

Step 8: Continue to alternate between plain and red velvet swirl batters until both batters are gone.

Step 9: Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 10: Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto wire rack, and cool completely.

Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar, if desired.

Storage

This cake will keep for about 3-4 days. I cover it and keep it at room temperature.

More marble cake recipes!