Moist and flavorful, Chocolate Marble Pound Cake is incredibly versatile. Enjoy it plain with your coffee or paired with ice cream or fruit.
Why you'll love this recipe
This is predominantly a chocolate cake. The marble swirl is more for visual appeal than flavor, however I use caramel extract in the light batter to add a bit of warmth. You could certainly use the light batter without additional flavoring or add another extract (almond, mint, strawberry, etc.) of your choice.
This recipe fills 4 mini loaves, an ideal size for gifting and care packages. Plus, there is a bonus. After filling the 4 mini loaf pans, there will be just enough batter left over for one or two cupcakes.
You wouldn’t want to ship off the loaves without trying some, would you? The cupcakes made with the left over batter are a perfect taste testing opportunity.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- Beat together the eggs and vanilla. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment at medium speed, cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Slowly drizzle in the egg mixture, beating to combine.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, until a smooth batter forms.
- In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups of the batter and the caramel extract to form the vanilla cake batter.
- In a small bowl, stir the espresso powder and milk until the powder is dissolved.
- Mix the espresso mixture, chopped semisweet or dark chocolate, and cocoa into the remaining batter to form the chocolate batter.
- Add scoops (about ¼ cup) of batter into the baking pan, alternating flavors. Repeat alternating the scoops of batter in three layers, until about ½ inch from the rim. ***See note below***
- Tap the pan on the counter to even out the batter and remove air bubbles.
- To create the beautiful marble effect, swirl an “S” shape in each loaf using a butter knife or skewer.
- Tap the pan on the counter again to even out the batter and remove air bubbles.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
***NOTE: There will be a just enough batter left over to make 1-2 cupcakes. Bake them separately. Cupcakes bake in 15-20 minutes.
Storage
When completely cool, wrap the loaves in plastic wrap and store in a plastic storage container or freezer weight ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Tips and variations
- Lining each pan cavity with parchment paper strips ensures that each loaf comes out of the pan easily and without tearing.
- Do not substitute butter for the shortening in this recipe. As mentioned, the shortening makes these loaves more heat resistant. Also, loaves made with shortening stay moist and fresh much longer than loaves made with butter.
- In order for the batter to rise properly to a rounded topped loaf, be sure to fill the pans only up to ½” from the top. Overfilling will cause the batter to rise up too far and flatten.
- When making 4 mini loaves, there will be a small amount of batter left over. Use the extra batter to bake 1-2 cupcakes. I like having the cupcakes to sample, before I send the loaves off in care packages!
- This cake freezes well. Wrap each loaf in plastic wrap, then freeze inside a freezer weight ziplock bag for up to one month.
- There is enough batter for 4 mini loaves plus 1-2 cupcakes, two regular sized 9” loaves, or one 10 cup bundt pan.
- Leave out the caramel extract for Chocolate Vanilla Pound Cake, or use a flavoring of your choice in the light batter.
Frequently asked questions
Marble cake has swirled dark and light batter resembling the swirls of color in marble stone.
Classic pound cake is more dense than regular cake and is normally baked in a loaf pan.
Marbled cake batter is created by alternating the placement of different colors of batter, then swirling the batters with a knife before baking.
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Why this loaf is great for care packages
This loaf is ideal both for snacking at home and for gifting in care packages, even summer care packages. Heat resistant ingredients give this pound cake a long shelf life ideal for “desert safe” military care packages.
There are dozens of Monday Box recipes for cookies and bars that were developed especially for hot weather shipping, but until now there were no "desert safe" loaf cakes.
"Desert safe" baked goods use ingredients that have the best chance of shipping well in the hot weather, especially to the extreme heat in locations where our military service members are deployed. In order to be considered "desert safe", a recipe has to contain ingredients that are least likely to mold or spoil in extreme heat.
Moist sweeteners, like honey, molasses, or brown sugar, promote mold in warm temperatures. Granulated white sugar, with the lowest moisture content of the sweeteners, is a better choice.
Vegetable shortening is shelf stable and less likely to go rancid than other fats used in baking, like butter, margarine, or oil. Also, loaves and cakes baked with shortening stay fresh tasting longer than loaves baked with dairy.
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Marble Pound Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups butter flavored vegetable shortening
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons caramel extract
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder I use Whole Foods 365 fair trade brand
- 3 ounces about ½ cup + 1 tablespoon finely chopped semisweet chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° F. Coat the 4 cavities of a mini loaf pan with nonstick spray then line each loaf cavity with two strips of parchment paper long enough for overhang in each direction.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, lightly beat together the eggs and vanilla. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening and sugar for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- While the mixer continues beating, slowly add the egg mixture.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, beating until a smooth batter forms.
- In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups of the batter with the caramel extract.
- Mix together the espresso powder and milk in small bowl.
- For the chocolate cake batter, stir the espresso mixture, chopped chocolate, and cocoa into the remaining batter.
- Add dollops of batter to the prepared pan, alternating flavors, in three layers, to about ½ inch from the rim. (Use any remaining batter to make 1-2 cupcakes.)
- Tap the pan on the counter to even out the batter and remove air bubbles.
- Use a butter knife to swirl the dough in an “S” shape.
- Tap the pan on the counter again to even out the batter and remove air bubbles.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. (Cupcakes bake in 15-20 minutes)
- Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Use the parchment strips to lift the mini loaves from the pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- Lining each pan cavity with parchment paper strips ensures that each loaf comes out of the pan easily and without tearing.
- Do not substitute butter for the shortening in this recipe. As mentioned, the shortening makes these loaves more heat resistant. Also, loaves made with shortening stay moist and fresh much longer than loaves made with butter.
- In order for the batter to rise properly to a rounded topped loaf, be sure to fill the pans only up to ½” from the top. Overfilling will cause the batter to rise up too far and flatten.
- When making 4 mini loaves, there will be a small amount of batter left over. Use the extra batter to bake 1-2 cupcakes. I like having the cupcakes to sample, before I send the loaves off in care packages!
- Chocolate marble loaf cake freezes well. Wrap each loaf in plastic wrap, then freeze inside a freezer weight ziplock bag for up to one month.
- There is enough batter for 4 mini loaves plus 1-2 cupcakes, two regular sized 9” loaves, or one 10 cup bundt cake.
- Leave out the caramel extract for Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake, or use a flavoring of your choice in the light batter.
Nutrition
First Published: July 26, 2020. Last Updated: April 28, 2022. Updated for additional information and better reader experience.
LORRAINE SKURA
What would happen if you just used a regular cake mix and not use any angle food cake mix
Wendy Sondov
Hi Loarraine. Making a mug cake without the Angel Food mix is like baking a cake without eggs. The Angel Food gives the cake rise. Some brands of regular mix have enough rising agents (baking powder or baking soda) to make the cake rise enough to be edible but it won't rise as much as with the Angel Food.