Yield: 1 chocolate marbled bundt cake // Total Time: 1 hr. 45 min. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links. //

Vanilla cake marbled with three different layers of chocolate cake, topped with a chocolate icing.

chocolate marbled bundt cake

If there’s a way to marble my bakes, I’m going to do it! I just think that marbling – especially in bundt cakes – is so beautiful. This chocolate marbled bundt cake here is made with seven layers: four layers of vanilla cake, one layer of natural cocoa powder cake, one layer of dutch processed cocoa powder cake, and one layer of black cocoa powder cake. The three different cocoa powders create almost an ombre effect in the cake, where the ombre gets progressively more chocolatey. Below you’ll find tips and tricks that (I hope) are helpful for creating this recipe. Happy baking! 🙂

recipe tips

how to prevent the bundt from getting stuck to the pan

I use and absolutely love this pan and have never had a problem with the cake sticking. To make sure your cake doesn’t stick, generously butter it, making sure to get all of the crevices. An easy way to do this is to melt 1-2 tbsp. of butter and use a pastry brush to brush the inside of the bundt. Then, generously pour some sugar into the pan and shake it around so that it completely coats the inside. Tap out any excess sugar and then you’re good to go!

weigh your ingredients

Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient. In a small batch recipe it is especially important to get those correct measurements because there is less room for error. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale. This one is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out!

room temperature ingredients

It is important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other and you don’t end up with a curdled, uneven batter. Take out the eggs, butter, sour cream and milk at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe. Here’s how to get room temperature ingredients FAST if you’re in a time crunch or forgot to take the ingredients out (like I often do):

• Egg: place the egg in a bowl and run hot water over it for 1 continuous minute, or let it sit in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
• Butter: slice the butter into 1 tbsp. slices and place them flat on a plate. Microwave in 5-second intervals until the butter is soft to the touch, but not melting.
• Sour cream & milk: microwave in 5-second intervals until it is no longer cold, but is not warm (room temp!)

mix the batter carefully

When adding in the flour, only fold the mixture just until no flour streaks remain. Overmixing the dough leads to more gluten formation, which can make the cake tough and chewy instead of soft and fluffy. When it comes to alternating the dry ingredients with the wet in this bundt, I like to do it by hand. Doing so means I have more control over the mixing, and that the ingredients don’t fly everywhere!

keep a close eye on the cake while it bakes

Baked goods, especially bundt cakes, like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them. Start checking at 40 minutes with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out wet, check again in 5 minutes and so on, until the toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

ingredients and substitutions for marbled chocolate bundt cake

For the chocolate marbled bundt cake:

All purpose flour: gives the cake structure.

Baking powder: for helping the cake rise.

Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the cake.

Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the cake and giving it that classic buttery taste. You can substitute in salted butter, just be sure to reduce the added salt from 1 tsp. to 1/2 tsp.

Vegetable oil: for tenderizing the cake. You can substitute in any neutral oil, such as canola, in place of the vegetable oil.

Granulated sugar: for sweetening the cake and keeping it moist. The sugar also helps aerate the butter to give this cake it’s rise.

Eggs: for moisture, structure, and binding the batter together.

Vanilla: I use and love this vanilla extract. We will use some vanilla in the bundt, and some in the glaze.

Sour cream: for moisture, fat, and richness. I recommend using full-fat for the best texture.

Whole milk: for moisture.

Natural cocoa powder, dutch processed cocoa powder & black cocoa powder: for the three-toned chocolate look, you’ll want all three of these cocoa powders. They each give off a slightly different flavor as well, becoming progressively more “chocolatey.” You can of course use all of one of the cocoa powders, or only use two of them if you want as well.

Espresso: for blooming the cocoa powder, which brings out more chocolate flavor. You can use hot coffee here as well – or hot milk/water if you’re looking to avoid coffee.

For the chocolate icing:

Powdered sugar: the base of the icing.

Dutch processed cocoa powder: for flavor! You can use natural or black cocoa powder here as well – dutched is just my personal preference!

Salt: for flavor.

Milk: for thinning out the glaze – you can use any milk here.

chocolate marbled bundt cake q&a

how to store this marbled bundt

The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It will taste the best on the day that it is baked, but will keep well for up to 3 days.

can I make this in a different sized pan?

Yes of course! This batter makes enough to fit in a 12-cup capacity bundt. This means it can also fit dispersed between two 8″ round pans, or a 13 x 9″ pan. Just be sure to keep an eye on it as it bakes, because it may take more or less time depending on the thickness! If you want to make it in a smaller bundt pan, just be sure to only fill it up ~3/4 of the way and then you can use the rest of the batter to make cupcakes!

For marbling in a pan that isn’t a bundt – your best bet will be randomly adding big heaps of each of the batters into the pan, then using a knife to gently swirl the batter together at the end.

why isn’t the butter/oil/sugar mixture isn’t coming together?

These ingredients should come together to be a smooth, fluffy & white mixture. If they aren’t coming together, that means that your butter wasn’t soft enough before starting the cake. I would recommend letting the mixture sit until the butter gets warmer, or you can try microwaving the mixture in 5-second intervals until it is room temperature (but not melted or warm!)

why did my cake turn out dry?

Typically, the #1 culprit for this is not measuring the flour properly. If you use cup measurements, you run the risk of adding too much flour to the dough which can make it super dry. I include cup measurements because I often get asked for them – but I highly recommend using a kitchen scale if you love to bake! There is one linked in my Amazon Storefront below that is cheap and works super well! Your cake may have also turned out dry if you overmixed the batter – make sure you are only folding in the flour/milk just until the point that it has completely mixed in.

a note on oven temperature

Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and aren’t always at the temperature they claim to be. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.

tools and ingredients

You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!

Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.