Last updated on October 7th, 2025.
This Marble pound cake is luxuriously moist with a tender texture, the kind that melts gently with each bite. The rich combination of simple ingredients like butter, sugar and buttermilk creates a fine crumb that is both soft and sturdy, while the balance of chocolate and vanilla batters swirled together adds depth without compromising lightness. Each slice feels indulgent yet delicate, with a buttery tenderness that lingers on the palate, making it the perfect balance of richness and softness.
Like most of us, I grew up eating marble cake, it showed up everywhere: parties, family gatherings, birthday celebrations. More often than not, the cake was dry, and the chocolate flavor barely noticeable, until now.
I’ve been baking this recipe for many years, and at first, it turned out dry. After making a few simple changes, I perfected it. Now it’s everything a marble pound cake should be: tender, buttery, moist, and swirled with rich chocolate that delivers an intense flavor.
The secret is in the ingredients and the baking process, which are am sharing right here, so please read this post carefully for best results every time.
My top (secret) Ingredients
The complete recipe, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below. Here is a recap of the simple ingredients, including why and how I used them to elevate the recipe. I also noted substitution when possible.
- All-purpose flour. Unbleached all-purpose flour tends to absorb more moisture during mixing and retains it better during baking, giving the cake an added layer of moisture and tenderness.
- Unsalted softened butter. In this recipe, the amount of butter matches the flour, which is the key to a tender crumb. The butter coats the flour so that each bite melts into velvety, buttery crumbs. Avoid salted butter, every brand adds a different amount and it is hard to control.
- Granulated sugar. In this recipe, the sugar slightly outweighs the butter, making it the main source of moisture. Sugar naturally attracts and holds onto water, not only from the other ingredients, but also from the air during mixing and from steam as the cake bakes.
- Buttermilk. Its high acidity helps balance the cake’s sweetness, keeping it from being overly sweet. The acidity also shortens the baking time, allowing the cake to bake faster and retain more of its moisture.You can replace it with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. For non-dairy option (parve), use unsweetened, unflavored apple sauce.
- Dark chocolate. Here’s my secret: instead of cocoa powder, I use dark chocolate. Cocoa powder tends to soak up moisture (coming from liquid), leaving dry, bland swirls. Dark chocolate (72%+) adds both flavor and moistness (comes from fat), giving the cake rich, moist chocolate ribbons.
- Heavy Cream. When blended into the melted chocolate, the cocoa solids are less likely to absorb moisture from the batter, helping the cake stay soft and moist.
How to Make Marble Cake
Below are step-by step images for visual cues, including my tips for how to incorporate the ingredients in the best way.
- Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature. Cold ingredients will not incorporate properly and you’ll end up with a dense, lumpy cake.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrap the bottom and sides of the bowl and you go. A lot of unmixed ingredients tends to set at the bottom and sides, where the attachment does not reach.
- Cream the butter and sugar on medium high, and add the eggs on medium speed.
- Incorporate the flour and buttermilk using a rubber spatula. This is the best way to coat the flour with the butter, and avoid kneading the flour.
- Fold, do not mix the chocolate into 1/3 of the batter (with the chocolate it will be an equal amount of vanilla and chocolate). Mixing might deflate the air we incorporated during the mixing process and we’ll end up with dense chocolate batter.
- This recipe yields one 10-cup bundt pan, or two 8-inch loaf pans.
Baking and Cooling The Cake
The cake is ready when a toothpick comes out from the center of the cake with a few moist crumbs. This is why it is important to pay attention to the cake and not the timer. You oven, pan and wether is different than mine and baking time might vary.
The cake continues to bake for about 20 minutes after it’s out of the oven, so let it rest during this time. Remove it from the pan once it’s warm to the touch and comfortable to hold without a kitchen towel. Most importantly, don’t let it cool completely in the pan, or it will stick and break apart.
Storage and Pan Options
Store the cake at room temperature, covered for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap the cake in plastic wrap, place it in a plastic bag and freeze for up to eight weeks.
Moist Marble Pound Cake (one batter)
Ingredients
- 2/3 Cup (120g) Chopped Dark chocolate
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) Heavy cream
- 2 1/4 Cup (270g) All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 3/4 Cup (180ml) Buttermilk at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 Cup (270g) Unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cup (300g) Sugar (300g)
- 4 Large Eggs at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F (160C), and grease one 10-cup bundt pan. Or line two 8-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl using 30-seconds increments.
- Pour the the heavy cream into the melted chocolate and mix until smooth. Set side.
- In a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl two to three times during the mixing process.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, with the mixer on medium-high waiting for each egg to be completely incorporated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Turn the mixer off, and use a rubber spatula to mix in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Start and finish with the flour.
- Measure about 1/3 of the batter into a medium bowl, and fold in the melted chocolate.
- Use two cookie scoops (or large spoons) to scoop the two types of batters in a pattern into the prepared pan.
- Insert a butter knife into the cake batter and swirl it like you are writing the number eight. Do it once.
- Bake for 45-48 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out from the center of the cake with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow the cake to cook in the pan for about 15-20 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack.
Notes
- Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature before mixing the cake.
- Store the cake at room temperature, covered for up to four days.
- To freeze, wrap the cake cake with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, place in a plastic wrap and freeze up to eight weeks. When ready, allow the cake to warm to room temperature unwrapped.
- For non dairy options: replace the butter with vegan butter and the buttermilk with unflavored unsweetened apple sauce.
