Marble Cake has always been one of my favorite types of cake, so when I saw a hundred-year-old recipe for Variety Marble Cake, I decided to give it a try. The old recipe had lots of options, including options for Marble Cocoa Cake and Marble Spice Cake. I went with the Marble Cocoa Cake option.
The cake was easy to make and tasty. This recipe makes a small 8″ X 8″ cake, which is perfect for a small family.
Here’s the original recipe:
When I made this recipe, I needed to add about 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the eggs to get 1/2 cup. I used vanilla for the flavoring.
The recipe says to alternate putting spoonfuls of light and dark batter into the pan. I followed this direction – though if I made the cake again, I’d also lightly swirl the batters using a knife to get a more even marbleing.
The recipe says to bake the cake for 45 minutes. When I made this cake, it took significantly less time (more like 35 minutes).
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Marble Cocoa Cake
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cocoa
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan. Put all ingredients (except for the cocoa) in a mixing bowl. Beat until well blended.
Put 1/3 of the batter into another bowl; then add the cocoa to this batter. Beat until well-blended. Alternate putting the light and dark batters into the prepared pan, then lightly swirl with a knife.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Frost, if desired.
Sounds and looks yummy, will try the cocoa version this holiday weekend! The other versions sound good, and it is a nice smaller size (less temptation). Will add red, white and blue sprinkles to the icing : )
The red, white and blue sprinkles sound perfect for the holiday week-end.
I couldn’t find the sprinkles, but we loved this marble cake recipe! It will be made regularly!
Nice to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. July 4 will be here before we know it – another opportunity for red, white, and blue sprinkles. 🙂
I haven’t thought about marble cake in a long time. My mother used to make it.
Marble cake was my favorite cake when I was a child. I used to always ask for it on my birthday.
Interesting that the eggs are smaller now…
I used large eggs. It’s intriguing how the old recipe says to “add enough melted butter to eggs to make cup one-half full.” I’m guessing that there was more variation in egg sizes a hundred-years-ago.
I love a cake this size, no guilty waste! The texture of this looks lovely.
It had a very nice texture.
This sounds perfect for dessert tonight! I have been wanting something sweet. I have a recipe for something called Crazy Cake that also makes a 8×8 loaf and it is easy and a great size. I am going to whip up your marble cake this afternoon!
How was it? I’ve never heard an 8 x 8 being called a loaf. I consider a loaf pan what you’d make a meatloaf or a loaf of bread. Curious how it tasted though!
I used an 8″ X 8″ square cake pan when I made this recipe – though a loaf pan would probably work since it’s deeper than the typical cake pan, but Suzassippi should confirm.
When I was growing up (50s-60s) a loaf pan meant a one layer pan. Sometimes called a sheet cake. So an 8×8 loaf pan would have just meant a one-layer small cake as opposed to a layer cake.
Interesting . . . I never before realized before that a loaf pan means different things in different places or times. When I think of a loaf pan, I picture a bread pan.
Wow, we should make this cake in a bread loaf pan and see what happens! Maybe that is why it needed 45 minutes! You go first–I don’t have any bread loaf pans any more!
🙂
That IS interesting. Learned something new!
Nice to hear that this recipe is one you decided to make. I hope that you enjoyed it.
Thanks, Sheryl. Take two was delicious. See https://suzassippi.wordpress.com/2024/05/28/so-about-that-birthday-cake-for-mother-do-over/
It’s good to know that there’s not a lot of margin for error with this recipe, and that attention to detail is important. It was fun to read about your experiences making this recipe, twice! I’m glad that it turned out well the second time around.
It really did turn out well, which tells me I might not have baked a cake in a long time–I think I made rookie mistakes the first time. But it definitely made a difference baking it only 30 minutes. This is a new oven from our 2021 kitchen remodel, and let’s just say I am disappointed in it. This is a good reminder to always check the progress of what’s cooking!
Ovens vary so much. I was having trouble with things not turning out right in my oven a few years ago, and ended up buying an oven thermometer. Eventually, I figured out that something was wrong with it, and had to get it repaired.
this looks like a very cute cake!
cheers
sherry
It’s a nice size.
It’s look delicious, & tasty.
It’s yummy.