Marble cake is a popular dessert that impresses with both its taste and its appearance. This dessert has developed into a true classic, which is no wonder, as it combines rich chocolate and vanilla pastry in perfect harmony. The marble pattern created during the preparation ensures an attractive appearance, making the marble cake ideal for special occasions as well as for a simple afternoon coffee cake.
- What Is Marble Cake?
A marble cake, also known as a marbré cake, is a type of sponge cake that contains two different layers of batter: chocolate and vanilla. The name comes from the appearance of the cake, as a marbled pattern is created during preparation, resembling natural marble. This pattern is achieved by alternately introducing the vanilla and chocolate layers of dough into the baking tray and then drawing them over the dough with a wooden spoon or fork to create the desired pattern. The marble cake is popular for its taste, which is sweet, light and full of chocolate notes. It is often served with coffee or tea and is a great choice for breakfast, brunch or dessert after dinner. Its elegant appearance also makes marble cake a popular choice for special occasions such as birthdays, celebrations or family reunions.
- Tips for making the best marble cake:
Preparing the perfect marble cake can be easy if you follow a few key tips. Here are a few steps to help you prepare the perfect marble cake
- Choose Quality Ingredients: The quality of the ingredients is key to a great tasting marble cake. Use fresh eggs, real butter and high quality chocolate and vanilla extract for the best taste.
- Prepare the oven correctly: Before you start preparing the dough, preheat the oven to the right temperature (usually around 180°C). This will ensure that the cake bakes evenly and that the outside is nicely browned and the inside is soft.
- Mix the dough properly: When preparing the dough, make sure you mix the ingredients well, but not too well. Too much mixing can result in a hard cake. Use a medium speed mixer or mix by hand until you have a smooth dough.
- Add cocoa in the right proportions: For the chocolate layer, use cocoa powder and add it in the right proportions to achieve the desired chocolate flavour and colour. Usually about 1/3 of the batter is used for the chocolate layer.
- Marbling: Once you have prepared the chocolate and vanilla batters, alternate them in the baking tray. Then use a long wooden spoon or fork to pull over the dough to create a marbled pattern. Be careful not to overdo it, as you want to preserve the pattern but not over-mix it.
- Bake the dough in a preheated oven, checking for doneness with toothpicks or a chopstick. When you pull the toothpick out of the centre of the cake and it comes out clean, the cake is baked.
- Cool before serving: Once the cake has finished baking, leave it to cool in the baking tray for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. This will help to preserve the juiciness and flavour of the cake.
- Additional Options: If you want to spice up the flavour of the marble cake, you can add nuts, chocolate chips or other ingredients of your choice.
- Why does marble cake burst?
Marble cake can burst if it is baked at too high a temperature. Since every oven has its own laws, you will need to do a lot of practice to find out what is the right temperature for baking a marble cake. We recommend that you use the ''ventilation'' setting and bake the marble cake at 160-180°C.
- When to remove the marble cake from the baking tray?
The marble cake should normally be removed from the baking tray when it has cooled sufficiently to be moved by hand without risk of crumbling or damage.
- Once the cake has finished baking, leave it to stand in the baking tray for about 10-15 minutes. This will help the cake to cool slightly and shrink a little, making it easier to remove.Slowly go around the edges of the baking tray with a knife to separate the cake from the sides. This will help prevent the cake from sticking to the baking tray.
- If you are using a baking tray with a removable base, remove it by simply removing the ring and leaving the cake on the base. If you are using a conventional baking tray, use a spatula or knife to carefully lift the cake out of the tray.
- To transfer the marble cake to a serving plate, use a flat spatula to gently slide under the base of the cake and carefully transfer it to the plate.Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving.Marble cake is a wonderful dessert that can be prepared for a variety of occasions or just to enjoy at home.
- Try the following BAM recipes:
- MARBLE CAKE WITH YOGHURT
- MARBLE CAKE WITH SOUR CREAM
- MARBLE CAKE WITH ESPRESSO