![Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookies](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/31/multimedia/31GK-adobo-chocolate-chip-cookies-2-btfh/31GK-adobo-chocolate-chip-cookies-2-btfh-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Marble Cake
Updated Oct. 12, 2023
![Marble Cake](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/04/26/multimedia/21KO5-qmkt/21KO5-qmkt-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 3 hours
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1½ hours, plus cooling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 2cups/282 grams all-purpose flour
- 2teaspoons baking powder
- ¾teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅓cup/43 grams Dutch-processed (dark) cocoa powder
- ⅓cup/85 grams hot water
- 1½cups plus 3 tablespoons/336 grams granulated sugar
- 1cup/227 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4large eggs, at room temperature
- 1tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1teaspoon almond extract
- 1teaspoon orange blossom water or ¾ teaspoon orange extract
- Baking spray with flour, for the pan (see Tip)
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Step 2
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Whisk the cocoa powder, hot water and 3 tablespoons/36 grams sugar in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Step 3
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and remaining 1½ cups/300 grams sugar in a large bowl until pale yellow and fluffy. Scrape the bowl, reduce mixer speed to medium and beat in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. (You also can beat by hand in the same order using a wooden spoon.)
- Step 4
Scrape the bowl, turn the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated. Scrape the bowl and beat on high for 15 seconds to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. Scoop 1½ cups/360 grams batter into the cocoa mixture. Mix the almond extract into the white cake batter and the orange blossom water into the chocolate batter.
- Step 5
Coat a 9- or 10-inch Bundt pan with baking spray. Scoop the 2 different batters in alternating mounds in the pan using 2 ice cream scoops or 2 large spoons. Run a chopstick or butter knife in a circle through the center of the batters, taking care to not touch the bottom or sides of the pan. For a more swirled cake, go around one more time, but no more. You don’t want the lines between the batters to blur.
- Step 6
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back a little when gently pressed, 50 to 55 minutes.
- Step 7
Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the pan to cool completely. To keep the crusty top crisp, carefully flip the cake again. Well wrapped, the cake keeps for up to 3 days at room temperature and up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To ensure the cake comes out easily, use nonstick baking spray with flour. You also can use nonstick cooking spray or very generously butter and flour the pan, but the cake may stick.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
how about a shave or two of orange zest instead of buying the orange flower water that will never be used again? Just a thought....
While it might be good with zest, orange flower water has a completely different scent and flavor, which I love. I use it for Moroccan and Middle Eastern desserts and orange salads. It lasts forever and does not spoil. I’ve had bottles for years.
Nanci - who seems to roll her eyes at orange blossom water. I love the stuff, I'm Persian and we find plenty of uses for it. Non-Persian recipe - pour a tablespoon or two and a couple teaspoons in French toast batter, and thank me later.
This was a lovely cake! I did not use the orange blossom water but otherwise made as directed and pulled it out of the oven at 50 minutes. It was a tad on the sweet side, but tender crumb and the swirl is beautiful. The almond flavor definitely comes through, so if you are not a fan of almond I would recommend using a bit less - although the chocolate/almond flavor is quite tasty!
Any idea what the fully baked internal temp should be? If using loaf pans (easier for freezer storage) would two 8x4” work? One 9x5”?
From King Arthur Baking, "Most classic cakes (butter cakes, pound cakes, chocolate and vanilla cakes, etc.) hover around 210°F when they're fully baked, but this isn't always a reliable threshold to look for." For me, the best method, still, is the clean toothpick in the center of the cake.
This was a beautiful cake. Personally, I did not find the almond flavour came through. So maybe add more almond essence or make sure it’s fresh. Maybe I didn’t cook it enough (baked for a full 55 minutes and passed the toothpick test) but the cake collapsed ever so slightly. Otherwise, easy to make and delicious on its own. It was gorgeous with a covering of slivered almonds. Was a hit for a family of all ages. Will pair wonderfully with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.
Could this be made in a loaf pan, and if so, by how much would one reduce the recipe?
Recipe writers of Bundt cakes such as this one need to specify the cup size of the pan. It’s not enough to say 9- or 10-inch pan because all are different depending on depth of the pan. When this information is missing in the recipe I go by how much flour, sugar and eggs are called for. This sounds like a 10- to 12-cup size or a deep 9 incher. If you’re not sure measure your pan by seeing how many cups are needed to fill it to the top.
If you leave out the cocoa, you have to replace it with an equal amount (1/3 cup) of flour as cocoa is part of the dry ingredients and it might affect the texture of the cake if you don't. Dissolve the espresso in the 1/3 cup hot water called for and mix the cinnamon in with the dry ingredients.
This is an excellent cake. I made a few modifications: 1) I replaced a quarter of the butter (by weight) with neutral oil to make the cake moister. 2) Instead of white sugar mixed into the cocoa mixture, I used muscovado sugar for a brown sugar flavour that complements the cocoa. 3) I added half a teaspoon of instant coffee to the cocoa mixture to enhance the chocolate flavour. 4) I increased the orange blossom water to 2 tablespoons because from experience it evaporates as it cooks.
Strange tasting cake. If you are expecting a traditional marble cake -that tastes like vanilla swirled with chocolate, stick to the original. Rose water and almond essence really change the taste and not for the better.
I did something radical — made this exactly as written (orange extract since that’s what was on hand). Delicious. Will make again — exactly as written!
Cake, internal temperature when baked 206-207°
As an alternative to nonstick baking spay with flour: Melt 1 T butter in a small bowl. Add 1 T neutral oil (like canola) and 1 T flour. Mix well and apply to your pan with a pastry brush. Keep leftovers in the fridge. You can also use 2 parts oil to 1 part flour to keep it dairy-less.
I made the cake as directed (even getting the Orange Blossom Water). The cake looks fine and it came out of the pan just fine (I used the spray with flour, which I had on hand). But as for flavor? I found both the vanilla and chocolate portions to be bland. In my opinion, this cake is LESS than the sum of its parts (i.e. despite good butter, great cocoa powder, fresh extracts - it was uninspiring). The crumb was ok, and it look nice sliced (typical of marbled desserts), but that’s it.
This was so delicious I had to slice, wrap and freeze it asap so that I didn’t eat it all. I did not use the almond extract or the orange flavor but came out moist and flavorful.
The cake was ok. The chocolate part was too heavy for me
Has anyone made this cake with regular cocoa powder? I don't have any Dutch process.
Yes, I've made it several times and only used regular - turned out totally fine.
Most delicious and elegant.
I used a generous amount of cooking spray, but it did not come out of the bundt pan. It's a pile of crumbly chunks. Tastes fine, though.
For anyone as dumb as me - does alternating mounds mean layers of black and white batter? I used an ice cream scoop and made side by side mounds. The result kind of fell apart but otherwise delicious. Will make again.
I've been doing side by side in the bundt pan each time I've made it. I think it has to cool a lot before removing. Today it's falling apart (I think from being impatient and trying to grab it too soon!)
@LCooks -- excellent suggestions. Made this recipe with your modifications, and was delighted. Also added a hearty drizzle of chocolate ganache and some toasted sliced almonds. Will certainly make again
The orange flavor is very fancy! Almond was not enough..but it was very tasty without! Thanks
The texture and crumb of this cake is very nice, but the almond extract is overwhelming the other flavors of the cake. I’m still tasting it an hour later. I will make this again without the almond extract. There’s already a tablespoon of vanilla. I’m going to brush my teeth!
Super good. Doesn't take 3 hours to make. Nixed the orange.
I'm not a cook like others, just an old guy with time to bake but I found this cake spectacular. I made it as written (with orange extract) and really enjoyed the contrast between the almond flavored white and orange flavored dark brown. One of the best ever, in my novice opinion
Made a few minor changes, but turned out great. Substituted 1 cup AP Flour for 1 cup + 2TBSP Cake Flour (because all I had unbleached AP), Used a mix of Dutch cocoa & black cocoa with 1/2 TBSP butter add to chocolate mix and used only 3/4 Tsp of the Almond and Orange Blossom. It had a wonderful and complementary flavor.
Absolutely delicious. Let your eggs and butter rest outside the fridge for an hour to get to room temperature. Whisk in the vanilla extract slowly or else it’ll curdle the mix. On the advice of other posters, I added twice the orange flower water. Instead of baking spray I used butter and flour. Huge hit in my household.
This is a fabulous cake!! The subtle almond extract in the white batter and the orange blossom water in the chocolate batter lift the overall effect to sophisticated. Delighted recipients have said that this is the best marble cake they have ever eaten. On request, I make it for my family once a week. Another happy attribute is that it is very easy to make. Per instructions, I do swirl the chocolate batter into the white twice for a lovely design. Bravo, Ms. Ko!
Advertisement