This is wonderful, moist, flavorful sour cream marble cake recipe inspired by one in The Settlement Cookbook. I say "inspired by" because the original recipe did not hold up to modern times. I had to rework it a bit to get both of the chocolate and vanilla layers to taste as good as they looked. Not surprisingly, sour cream was the hero in this moist marbled Bundt.
So sour cream was not in the original version, but I think my ancestors would approve of its addition. Did you know that marble cake dates back to 19th-century Germany? The old marble cakes weren't chocolate and vanilla, but rather spiced yeast cakes known as kugelhopf. The yeasted cakes evolved and German immigrants brought recipes to America before the Civil War. The chocolate and marble cakes we know today starting appearing after that.
Chocolate & Spice
As mentioned, The Settlement Cookbook recipe is what inspired mine. In that particular recipe, the chocolate part of the cake had cloves and cinnamon mixed in. As a nod to the old world I kept the cinnamon, I but left out the cloves and replaced with espresso powder. If you don't have the espresso, just leave it out and the cake will still be excellent. I do recommend adding the mini chips, though!
Settlement Cookbook Marble Cake
The original recipe calls for a 9-inch tube pan in which you alternate two flavored batters, vanilla and chocolate. Most tube pans today are 10-inch, while Bundt pans are 9-inch. When I used a10-inch tube pan, my cake was wider but shorter. The 9-inch or Bundt will give you a more stately cake.
Small Bundt Cake in a 6-Cup Fluted Pan
My usual size pan these days is a 7-inch 6-cup capacity fluted pan which is perfect for making half-size Bundts. The bake time should be between 40 and 45 minutes. Also, the pair of pans in the link are the exact ones I own and work really well. They do not emit any odors like old silicone pans, and the cakes flip right -- especially if you give the pan a quick and light coat of oil. Plus the cakes have a pretty sheen to them, which you can't see here since I used powdered sugar. But silicone spritzed with oil makes cakes shiny.
Tips For Success and Ingredient Notes
This is a coffee cake or less rich style marble, in my opinion. It's very moist, but it's not over-the-top sweet nor does it have icing. It's one you can slice and serve with fruit and whipped cream or just slice and serve as part of a baked goods tray. Here are some tips.
- Cake flour is key to the soft texture. If using all-purpose, use the same weight. The cake might not be as soft with AP.
- Bring the eggs to room temperature.
- Use whole milk, the batter needs the fat. And be sure to use full fat sour cream as well.
- Espresso powder is optional, and I guess the cinnamon could be considered optional too, but a tiny bit gives the chocolate cake more personality.
- Mini chips work best because they distribute more evenly through the chocolate batter, but you can use regular size chocolate chips if that's all you have. I've used both kinds.
- For a slightly darker chocolate, you can add 1 teaspoon of black cocoa and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the chocolate batter.
Recipe
Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Cake
Equipment
- Tube Pan or 9-inch fluted pan
Ingredients
- 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (56 grams)
- 1 pinch espresso powder (optional)
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour (250 grams)
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
- 1 ¼ cups sugar (250 grams)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sour cream (180 grams)
- ⅓ cup whole milk (80 grams)
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch tube pan or fluted pan.
- In a medium size microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the chocolate using 50% power and stirring every 40 to 60 seconds. Add the espresso powder and/or cinnamon. Set aside to cool.
- Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk in the salt until evenly blended. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and sugar with the paddle attachment.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping sides of bowl often. Beat in the vanilla and the sour cream.
- On low speed or by hand with a scraper, beat in the flour mixture and milk alternately until smooth.
- Set the bowl with the chocolate on a scale and set the tare to zero. Scrape in no more than 14 oz (a little under ½) of the vanilla batter. Stir to make a chocolate batter. Stir in the mini chocolate chips if using.
- Spoon batters into pan, alternating between vanilla and chocolate.
- Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
- Transfer pan to wire rack. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
- With long, thin knife, separate sides of cake from pan and from tube.
- Remove cake from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with sugar before serving.
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