Marble cake: the recipe for a soft and spectacular dessert

Marble cake is a delicious and original dessert, made by mixing vanilla dough with cocoa dough to recreate veins that are reminiscent of a marble. Born in Germany in the 19th century, it is now very popular in the United Kingdom and the USA: soft and moist to the bite, it is perfect for breakfast, accompanied by a cup of steaming cappuccino, or for a snack cut into slices, on its own or garnished with a layer of cocoa and hazelnut cream.

The recipe is easy and quick to prepare: just work the softened butter with the sugar and vanilla extract, add the eggs at room temperature, the all-purpose flour with the sifted yeast, the cornstarch, and a pinch of salt; then incorporate 1/3 of the smooth and homogeneous mixture with warm milk and bitter cocoa.

Unlike the two-tone donut, which requires pouring the two doughs on top of each other, here they are distributed in irregular spoonfuls on the bottom of the mold and mixed lightly with a wooden toothpick, to obtain the marbled effect. Cooking in a static oven will do the rest: the result is a soft and spectacular dessert that can be dusted with a layer of icing sugar and also served as a happy ending to a meal, to the delight of adults and children.

If you like, you can flavor the dessert with the zest of organic lemon or orange, and, if not intended for children, you can also add a spoonful of rum, cognac, or another scented liqueur of your choice; to make it even more delicious, however, you can incorporate some chocolate chips or chopped dried fruit.

Furthermore, if you want a lighter and lactose-free version, you can replace the butter with 90 milliliters of corn or sunflower seed oil, and the milk with a vegetable drink.

How to prepare marble cake

Cut the butter into cubes and transfer it to a bowl, then let it soften at room temperature.

Pour in the vanilla extract and icing sugar, and start working with a whisk to obtain a mixture with the consistency of a cream, then incorporate the eggs at room temperature, one at a time, continuing to mix.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and add them to the wet ingredients, together with a pinch of salt.

Add the cornstarch and mix vigorously to avoid the formation of lumps.

Finally, incorporate the Greek yogurt and mix well until you obtain a smooth, lump-free mixture.

Take 1/3 of the dough and place it in another bowl, then pour in the milk and the bitter cocoa, and mix with a whisk.

Butter and flour a springform pan with a diameter of 24 centimeters and start distributing two spoonfuls or a ladle of light dough.

Next to it, you have the cocoa dough.

Proceed alternating the light mixture with the cocoa mixture.

Finally, draw lines on the surface with a wooden toothpick, to mix the two and bake at 175°C for 35 minutes.

Before taking the cake out of the oven, test it with a toothpick to make sure it is ready, then let it cool completely before turning it out and transferring it to a plate.

Cut the marble cake into slices and enjoy it in all its goodness.

How to store Marble cake

Marble cake can be stored at room temperature, under a glass bell jar for desserts, for a maximum of 3 days.