The elaborate design of this German marble cake (called Marmorkuchen) is so easy with my foolproof recipe! Tons of butter and eggs create the most moist, soft Bundt cake you've ever sunk your teeth into. So let's dig in!
Marmorkuchen translates to "marble cake" in English. Yellow vanilla cake is swirled with dark brown chocolate cake to create a swirled marble effect. It's a popular cake in Germany enjoyed year-round for every occasion from birthday parties to afternoon coffee breaks.
When I was a kid growing up in Germany, my mom and I would visit a friend's house for "Kaffee und Kuchen" or "coffee and cake". My friend and I would play upstairs, teaching each other German and English phrases, while my mom would chat with my friend's mom downstairs, very possibly enjoying a slice or two of German marble cake.
Traditionally this cake can be made in a Gugelhupf or Kugelhopf pan, which looks similar to a Bundt pan, but has taller walls for a more dramatic effect. But this cake looks great in a Bundt pan or even a round cake pan.
The texture of this cake is super soft and light on the first day that it's baked. But it can become dry and hard when it sits out after a day.
You can spread some softened butter on a leftover slice and pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds to help soften it. But I recommend sharing this gorgeous cake so its eaten all on the first day, when it's at its best. 🙂
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - This cake uses a lot of softened butter to create a super tender, moist, and light cake.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens the cake and incorporates air pockets into the cake batter when mixed with the butter, which helps create a lighter cake.
- Salt - I recommend using non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt to the best flavor, and to incorporate easily into the cake batter. Salt enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients.
- Vanilla extract - Vanilla, like salt, enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Eggs - The eggs provide moisture so the cake doesn't dry out, and binds the batter together so it doesn't fall apart when you slice it. They also add air into the batter to help the cake rise in the oven, and the fat in the yolks add a rich flavor.
- Milk - Both dairy or nondairy milk work well in this recipe to loosen the batter so it's easier to pour into the Bundt pan. I usually use oat milk or almond milk.
- All purpose flour - Provides the base structure for the cake, while contributing to its light texture.
- Baking powder - This leavening agent helps the cake rise in the oven.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder - Creates a chocolate flavored cake to contrast the vanilla cake and create a marble effect between the light and dark cake colors.
- Espresso powder - Instant espresso powder is an optional addition enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Powdered sugar - Creates a beautiful finish on the cake as the sifted powdered sugar coats all the intricate edges and folds of the Bundt cake.
How to Make a German Marble Cake
Below are the general steps to make this impressive Bundt cake. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and salt together until it’s creamy.
3. Add one egg at a time, beating for about 30 seconds after each addition.
5. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
7. Generously grease a Bundt pan with butter or cooking spray.
9. Add the cocoa powder, espresso powder, and milk to the remaining one-third cake batter in the mixing bowl. Gently mix until it's evenly combined.
11. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
2. Add the vanilla extract and mix for about 30 seconds.
4. Add the milk, and beat the mixture again for about 30 seconds.
6. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture while mixing on a low speed.
8. Pour two-thirds of the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
10. Pour the chocolate cake batter on top of the light-colored cake batter, and drag the blade of a knife through the mixture to swirl the two colors together.
12. Turn the cake upside down to release it from the Bundt pan or loaf pan and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
Recipe Tips
- The batter for this German marble cake is very sticky and thick. Use a rubber spatula or knife to help spread it into all the sides and edges of the Bundt pan.
- When swirling the vanilla and chocolate cake together, use long, sweeping motions with your knife. Don't go overboard, since Marmorkuchen is usually solid yellow cake on to top half, revealing the hidden marble effect only as you slice into the cake.
- Use a serrated knife to trim off the crispy bottom of the cake, so it can lay flat and level on your plate or cake stand. (By bottom of the cake, I mean the top, exposed side when it's still in the Bundt pan.)
- Use a sifter to dust the powdered sugar on top. This creates a beautiful effect that will wow anyone you share this cake with! If you don't sift the powdered sugar, it will look really clumpy on top of the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer to use instant espresso powder since it has a finer texture and its flavor is more potent. You can substitute ground coffee, but you'll need to add more since it's flavor is less intense. And be sure to sift it into your cake batter, to avoid a gritty texture.
Both are leavening agents to help the cake rise, but they aren't interchangeable.
Baking soda is made solely of sodium bicarbonate, and requires an acidic ingredient to activate it. Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and an acidic ingredient, so it doesn't need something else to activate it.
Since there is no acidic ingredient like molasses, honey, or brown sugar in this recipe, baking powder is essential, and baking soda isn't a good substitute.
This cake uses 2½ sticks of butter to achieves its tender, moist, and light texture. Softened butter coats the flour to prevent the formation of too much gluten, so the cake stays soft and light.
Also when softened butter is beaten with granulated sugar, it creates air pockets, which expand as the cake bakes in the oven and helps it rise, creating a lighter texture.
Finally, the butter adds an essential rich flavor to this relatively simple cake batter.
More German Baking Recipes
- German Onion Tart (Zwiebelkuchen mit Äpfeln)
- German Spiced Cookies (Pfeffernüsse)
- German Gingerbread Cookies (Lebkuchen)
- Almond Horn Cookies (Mandelhörnchen)
- German Applesauce Cake
German Marble Cake (Marmorkuchen)
Ingredients
Cake Base
- 20 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (2 ½ sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon table salt or fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs
- 3 tablespoon milk (dairy or nondairy milk both work)
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
Chocolate Cake
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional, to enhance the chocolate flavor)
- 3 tablespoon milk (dairy or nondairy milk both work)
Topping
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (also called confectioners’ sugar) optional, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Generously grease a Bundt pan or large (approximately 12 inch) loaf pan with butter.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand whisk, or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and salt together on a medium speed, until it’s pale, smooth, and creamy after 2 to 3 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula. Add the vanilla and mix for about 30 seconds.
- Add one egg at a time, beating for about 30 seconds after each addition. Beat until each egg is mixed in, and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, before adding the next egg. It’s okay if it looks split or curdled at this step. It’ll come together once everything else is mixed in.
- Add the milk and beat again for 30 seconds.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture while mixing on a low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl so there are no pockets of dry flour. The batter will be pretty thick.
- Pour two-thirds of the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
- To make the chocolate cake, add the cocoa powder, espresso powder, and milk to the remaining one-third cake batter in the mixing bowl. Mix until it’s fully combined, scraping the sides of the bowl too.
- Pour the chocolate cake batter on top of the light-colored cake batter, and drag the blade of a knife through the mixture to swirl the two colors together. This will create the marbled effect with the two colored cake batters. Be careful not to swirl the batter too much, or you’ll lose the contrast between the light and dark batters.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then turn the cake upside down to release it from the Bundt pan or loaf pan. Let the cake continue to cool completely on the cooling rack.
- Optional: Use a sifter to dust the cake with powdered sugar. Enjoy!!
Notes
- The cake batter is very sticky and thick. Use a rubber spatula or knife to help spread it into all the sides and edges of the Bundt pan.
- When swirling the vanilla and chocolate cake together, use long, gently sweeping motions with your knife. Don't go overboard, since Marmorkuchen is usually light on to top half, revealing the hidden marble effect only as you slice into the cake.
- Use a serrated knife to trim off the crispy bottom of the cake, so it can stand flat and level on your plate or cake stand.
- Use a sifter to dust the powdered sugar on top. This creates a beautiful effect that will wow anyone you share this cake with! If you don't sift the powdered sugar, it will look really clumpy on top of the cake.
Leave a comment!