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Marmorkuchen (German Marble Cake)

By Kimberly Killebrew
This traditional Marmorkuchen features that rich and buttery vanilla crumb swirled with chocolate that has made it a Kaffee und Kuchen favorite for generations!
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 16

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter , at room temp
  • 1 3/4 cups caster sugar ** or pulse granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until extra fine
  • 2 packets vanilla sugar (can substitute 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
  • 4 large eggs , at room temp
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk or buttermilk , at room temp (buttermilk will give you a more tender and moist crumb)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 F/180 C. Butter your Bundt or Gugelhupf pan and then coat with flour, shaking out the excess. You can use either a 10 or 12 cup pan. A 10 cup pan will give you a taller Marmorkuchen.
  • Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
    Use a hand mixer to cream the butter, sugar, vanilla sugar (if using extract add it with the eggs), and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Mix until it's light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between additions until fully incorporated.
    Add a third of the flour mixture and a third of the milk and mix just until incorporated. Repeat using a third of the flour and milk at a time and mix after each addition. Be careful not to over-mix the batter or the cake will be heavy and dense.
    Scoop two-thirds of the batter in bottom of the prepared cake pan.
    With the remaining 1/3 batter in the bowl, add the cocoa powder and an extra tablespoon of milk and stir until fully incorporated.
    Scoop the chocolate batter on top of the vanilla batter.
    Use a fork to stick down into the batter and pull upwards while twisting the fork to create a swirly pattern. Do this around the whole cake. Be careful not to over-swirl or you won't get that distinct marbled pattern.
  • Place your cake on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You want to see a few moist crumbs on the toothpick but no raw batter. Be careful not to over-bake the cake or it will be very dry.
    Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, invert the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.
    Dust the cake with powdered sugar. A simple dusting of powdered sugar is traditional in Germany, but if you want to spruce things up you can drizzle over a chocolate glaze of your choice.
    This cake is best eaten the next day to improve both the texture and flavor. Wrap it well with plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container or cake saver at room temperature.

Notes

Freezing: Marmorkuchen freezes really well. If you're freezing it, don't use a chocolate glaze. Let the cake cool completely and then wrap it really well in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. You can either freeze the cake whole or in individual slices. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 190mgPotassium: 177mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 451IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine German
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