Soft & fluffy, chocolate and vanilla cake, swirled together in a fun marble pattern, filled with rich chocolate ganache and covered in silky espresso infused buttercream.
this post is sponsored by Florida Crystalsยฎ, who provided me with their amazing sugars to make this yummy new recipe for you all!
Let’s make another cake together – This time, it’s vegan Marble Cake! My family has been loving this recipe and I just had to share it with you all today!
It’s ridiculously good, vegan, allergy-friendly and made completely from scratch with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Plus, its the perfect solution when you can’t choose between this yummy chocolate cake or this scrumptious vanilla cake!
WHAT IS MARBLE CAKE?
Itโs the best of both cake worlds! Chocolate and vanilla swirled together. A total win for everyone!
Only this time, I wanted to make it extra fancy, nice and layered. I also decided to fill the cake with rich and decadent dark chocolate filling – then frost the entire cake with my Espresso Vegan Buttercream which is just to die for! It was a match made in heaven, one of the best vanilla-chocolate desserts I’ve ever had!
1 Batter Marble Cake
For this version, you only need 1 batter! Thatโs right, only 1 batter. At first when I was playing with this recipe, I was making 2 separate batters (vanilla and chocolate) then mixing them together – talk about a waste of time and ingredients! So after a little tweaking, I figured out how to make this using less steps..and bowls!
This recipe starts with an amped up version of my vanilla cake, making it extra soft and moist! Then we divide the batter, whisk in cocoa powder and create the chocolate half.
Then end result is having similar consistency in both batters, instead of 1 being more dry and dense.
Vegan Marble Cake Ingredients
Let me back up a sec and go over what you need to actually make the batter. Thankfully, the list isnโt long and it consists of items you probably already have on hand.
- Vinegar & Dairy-free Milk: This combo creates a vegan โbuttermilkโ which gives this cake an extra kick.
- Softened dairy-free butter: Giving this a rich buttery flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: For this recipe, we are using Florida Crystalsยฎ Organic Raw Cane Sugar. By the way, did you know that Florida Crystalsยฎ is the only organic, raw-cane sugar grown and harvested in the United States? And itโs also Vegan? YEP! I love that they I can bake delicious treats with pure ingredients that align with my values too!
- Vanilla Extract: You simply cannot have vanilla cake without a high quality vanilla extract.
- Cornstarch: Creates a soft and tender cake. If allergic to this, you can sub with arrowroot because they are good friends!
- Flour: If you are needing to make this gluten-free, I recommend using a flour like Bobโs 1:1 gluten free blend or Better Batter Gluten-free Flour, which are both a cup-for-cup exchange.
- Baking Powder: This is your leavening agent which causes the batter to rise, giving you a light and fluffy cake.
- Salt: Believe it or not, but salt is not only a flavor enhancer but it also affects the tenderness of a baked good.
- Cocoa Powder: Rich chocolate flavor and dark color comes from Dutch-processed cocoa. Regular cocoa, it will also work perfectly fine, but it may not be as rich.
Florida Crystals
I mentioned using Florida Crystals earlier, but did you know that I actually lived in Florida? Thatโs right, I went to school in West Palm Beach so I kinda have a thing for all things Florida. Disney World, Universal Studios, palm trees, beaches, Jimmy Buffet, rollerblading and now Florida Crystalsยฎ Sugar.
That may sound silly, but I honestly love supporting companies like this who provide better-for-you products. Florida Crystalsยฎ are less processed; grown, harvested, milled and packaged with transparency, and their farmers use sustainable agriculture practices to rotate crops and protect our soil. As a certified health coach, this speaks volumes, and as a mom, it simply makes me feel better about what I am giving my family.
By the way, be sure to head over to Instagram today because Im giving away a prize pack of Florida Crystalsยฎ to get you baking more!
How To Make Marbled Effect
Now that you know whatโs in the cake, letโs learn how to prepare the cake to get that cool marble look.
The whole process is actually about layering one batter on top of the other one. The best way to do this is by using measuring cups. Start with putting a 1/3 cup of vanilla batter in the middle of the pan and then 1/4 cup of chocolate batter right on top of it. Then pour another 1/3 cup of vanilla cake batter on the center in the middle of the pan. Repeat with another scoop of the chocolate batter, and repeat until youโve used up all the batter. You can leave this just as is, or I like to drag a knife or skewer through the batter, creating a spiderweb look. Then bake.
*I chose to bake this recipe in 2 6-inch diameter pans, but it would also make 12 cupcakes. Just be sure to adjust the bake times to 23-25 min.
Decorating the Allergy-friendly Marble Cake
Start by piping a ring of the espresso buttercream around the edges of the bottom layer.
Fill the center with chocolate frosting or ganache.
So good, ya’ll! But if you wanna save a step, just pile on the espresso frosting! You can never go wrong with espresso. Am I right?
Place the second layer on top and frost the entire cake in espresso frosting. Not a coffee fan? Well, although that would totally break my hear to hear, I will tell you that this chocolate frosting would also be AH-MA-ZING in itโs place.
Because this cake was being created for a friend in mind, we wanted to fancy it up with a white drip and a pretty piped border using my Wilton 1M. (check out this video from Eva Enns on how to pipe and make this pretty swirl).
Storage Tips
Once the cake is filled and frosted, it will keep at room temperature for 2 or 3 days.
In the refrigerator, it should stay good up to a week.
The cake layers can also be frozen. Theyโll keep for several weeks to a month in the freezer if wrapped really well. Once ready to use, simply allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight and then frost the next day!
I just love this marble effect! What do you guys think? Are you a fan of marble cakes too?
If you like this Vegan Marble Cake recipe, make sure to check out my other cakes:
If you make this cake, make sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see it, or tell me all about it down below in comment section! 🙂 Thanks so much for reading and following my blog! I appreciate each and everyone of you!
Happy baking!
Vegan Marble Cake
Soft & fluffy,ย chocolate and vanilla cake, swirled together in aย fun marble pattern, filled with rich chocolate ganache and covered in silky espresso infused buttercream.
Ingredients
Marble Cake
- 1 cup dairy-free milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, softenedย
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Florida Crystals ยฎ Organic Raw Pure Cane Sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour *(or 1-1 GF flour blend)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cocoaย
Espresso Frosting
- 1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 tablespoons water (or use cold brew coffee)
Instructions
Cake
Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare cake tins with a light coat of non-stick spray and line with parchment rounds.- In a small bowl, add vinegar to the milk and set aside to curdle.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Add sugar and cream 2-3 min, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, cornstarch and mix to combine. Alternate back and forth between adding some of the milk and flour mixture, whisking or blending after each addition. Then mix until smooth.
- Fill a coffee cup with 1/4 cup of water and microwave approx 30-40 seconds to bring to a boil. Grab a small bowl and mix together 3 tablespoons of that boiling water with the cocoa powder until smooth. Then add 1 cup of your batter to the cocoa blend. Mix until nice and chocolate-y.
- Start with putting a 1/3 cup of vanilla batter in the middle of the both pans and then 1/4 cup of chocolate batter right on top of it. Then pour another 1/3 cup of vanilla cake batter on the center in the middle of the pan. Repeat with another scoop of the chocolate batter, and repeat until you’ve used up all the batter. You can leave this just as is, or I like to drag a knife or skewer through the batter, creating a spiderweb look.
- Bake 25-30 minutes, until a knife or toothpick inserted through the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Espresso Frosting
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the shortening until smooth.
- With the mixer running on low, add powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat to incorporate. Add 1 tablespoon of espresso liquid at a time, as needed, until it reaches desired frosting consistency and espresso flavor. You may not need to use all of the espresso liquid. Beat on high for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Frost and decorate as desired.
Notes
*If using gluten-free all-purpose flour (in place of a 1-1 blend) be sure to add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum.
**The chocolate frosting center is a bonus, but iIf you'd like to make it, use this recipe.
***For the white drip, I simply melted 1/4 cup Pillsbury white frosting then drizzled it on.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 406Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 0gSugar: 28gProtein: 2g
Nutritional information is only an estimate based off of using an online calculator. Numbers will change depending on brands used.
Hi Nicole! Thanks so much for this recipe! It looks beautiful and rose up nicely, which I have a hard time achieving with GF cakes. I did find it quite gummy though. I made it twice (a half batch each time) and baked it for 40 minutes the second time. The only thing I changed was using lemon juice instead of vinegar. Could it be the flour? I often have better results with Bob’s 1-to-1 flour in cookies than cakes. Do you have any suggestions of what else I could try?
I’ve made it a few times this past week for our family again and some friends without it having a gummy center BUT I have had that with other recipes or while testing new ones. Most of the time it’s due to my oven temperature being off (I bought a thermometer for accuracy) but sometimes, gluten-free goods can brown faster and take longer to cook through. So they may need to be baked at a slightly lower temperature, for a slightly longer time. Every recipe is different, but I’d suggest lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and baking the cake for 15 minutes longer. Let me know if that does the trick
Thanks Nicole – I tried it again at 325 for 55 minutes and sadly it was still gooey in the middle. Perhaps it’s my oven. Thanks anyway!
I am at a loss as to why. Last week I made it twice, once GF and once with AP flour for friends and neither had that issue. But I did when I didn’t have a thermometer in my oven. Don’t throw it away though! It makes awesome cake pops. Just toss with a little frosting, roll into balls, freeze then dip in chocolate.
Hello, it looks very beautiful!
Do you think I could use cake flour instead?
Thank you very much
You should be able to. Let me know how it turns out!
Hello! Would I be able to use 8 inch round pans instead of 6?
yes. Just check on the cake approx 5 minutes earlier.
Can I use 9 inch round cake pans instead?
You can change the cake pan size but will have to adjust the baking time just slightly. So if you use a smaller pan, increase the time since more batter is in the pan. If you use a larger pan, decrease it slightly since it holds less batter.
Hi! Want to make…but is it just me or is the recipe for the chocolate ganache not listed?
Thank you!
There is a link to it on the recipe but it’s:
Chocolate Ganache (optional)
1/2 Cup vegan chocolate chips
2 Tablespoon vegan butter
2 Tablespoon Coconut Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
In a microwave safe bowl, add chocolate chips, butter & coconut milk. Melt together and mix well.
So good! I made a few modifications — I added a teaspoon of orange extract to the vanilla batter, as I wanted an orange and chocolate marbled cake. I also only had 8 or 9″ cake pans so I used those, baked the cakes for 15 minutes, and it turned out wonderfully — so tender and moist, though the layers were pretty thin. I made an orange ‘butter’cream frosting for on top. Was very very happy with the results, thanks a bunch for the recipe!
Orange chocolate sounds fabulous! I typically stick with an 8″ pan for a thicker cake but honestly, my favorite size is a 6″ round. It’s perfect for our family size and makes the cutest stacked cakes.
I’m excited to make this as my daughter has dairy and nuts allergies. What brand of vegan butter do you recommend? I tried baking with earth balance brand in the past and it made my butter cream tasted salty. Thanks
I usually use Earth Balance and if you find it too salty, you can omit any salt added in the recipe. There is Country Crock, which has a vegan stick option and it works great too. It’s a little softer so you usually don’t have to leave out to long to soften is a recipe calls for that.
To make an 8 inch two layer cake, would I need to double the ingredients?
Yes you would. If you have a kitchen scale to measure the batter, then thats the easiest way to adjust the baking time as well. Most eight-inch round cakes will bake approximately 1.29 minutes per ounce of batter.
Hey Nicole!
Iโm wanting to make this recipe but unfortunately in Australia we donโt have Vegetable Shortening, would I be able to use Vegan Butter as a replacement?
Thank you in advance,
Sarah
Do you have any type of shortening? If not, then you could absolutely use butter. You would just need to refrigerate it once frosted if its too warm .
You can use regular shortening (we just use soy based) or room temperature butter would also work.
Hi! I recently tried this recipe but i substituted butter for coconut oil and cane sugar for brown sugar. It didn’t rise at all, which was a bummer, and I know I didn’t forget the baking powder. What happpened?
A couple things on this. Did you use stick butter or tub butter in place of coconut oil? Did you melt it, measure it then cool it before adding to ensure the exact measurement? Was the batter too dry or nice and pourable? Sometimes extra water is needed is subbing with butter. Also to get a more airy texture, mixing the cooled butter with sugar helps create rise. Brown sugar also has more liquid then white sugar so that may also have cause issues with texture and chemical reaction.
Hi I wanted to know what baking time would you recommend if I wanted to try and use the batter in cupcake form? Thanks
Typically 18-20 minutes for cupcakes