Italian marble cake recipe (torta marmorizzata): how to make this delicious breakfast cake
Italian marble cake recipe: step by step marble cake recipe for perfect results every time.
Italian marble cake is an easy-to-make, delicious cake popular in Italy as a breakfast food or sweet afternoon treat.
Delicious and satisfying, this cake requires no baking experience and no special kitchen equipment: all you need is a little arm strength for whisking egg whites (or the help of an electric mixer!), a few bowls and spoons for mixing.
This is how you make Italian marble cake (torta marmorizzata)
Italian Marble cake ingredients (in grams)
This marble cake recipe is the one my family has been using for years and it is therefore in grams.
If you prefer it in US cups, you can find the US measuring system version in the recipe card at the bottom of this page, prepared with a conversion tool.
- 200 gr all purpose flour
- 200 gr sugar (I use white caster sugar for this recipe)
- 100 gr butter
- 3 eggs, separated yolks and whites
- Milk – about 100ml
- 7 gr yeast
- 2 tablespoons of dark cocoa
To make this cake, you can use a loaf tin and serve the cake sliced or make it super pretty creating individual mini cakes, using a muffin tin (like I did for the photo above)
How to make marble cake: method
In a large bowl, work the butter until it forms a smooth cream, then add the sugar and use a wooden spoon to mix well. You will quickly get a smooth cream.
Add the egg yolks and mix well. Add a little bit of flour and the yeast and mix well. Keep adding flour slowly until it is fully absorbed by the egg mixture.
In this phase, you will notice the mixture will become too dry: use your milk to make it smoother, adding only as much milk as you need to get a dense and heavy dough.
In a different bowl, whip up the egg whites until stiff, then gently fold them into your dough.
Now, divide the mixture into 2 bowls and add the cocoa powder to only one of them: mix well until you obtain a dark, smooth dough.
Take your cake tin, line it with baking paper and use a large spoon to pour your mixture as follow.
A large dollop of white mixture, a brown one, a white one, and then a cocoa one again, so that you have effectively 4 quarters of the cake in alternating colors (is making this in the form of muffins, simply pour a spoonful of each so that you have half in each color).
Take a dull knife, put it in one of the chocolate quarters and drag it so that the chocolate dough is mixed partially with the white one.
Put in the hot oven for about 25 mins: the cake is ready when, pierced with a toothpick, returns the toothpick clean. Let cool and serve.
How to serve Italian marble cake
This cake can be served plain or accompanied with a spoonful of Italian pastry cream, which complements its taste really well and adds moisture.
I like to use this recipe to make individual mini cakes but you can also use a ciambellone tin for it or a loaf tin.
Italian marble cake recipe (torta marmorizzata)
This easy recipe makes a delicious marble cake or 12 yummy mini cakes perfect for breakfast, as a sweet afternoon treat for kids or as an accompaniment to tea.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 sachet dry instant yeast
- 2tbs dark cocoa powder
- dusting sugar (optional)
Instructions
In a large bowl, work the butter until it forms a smooth cream, then add the sugar and use a wooden spoon to mix well. You will quickly get a smooth cream.
Add the egg yolks and mix well. Add a little bit of flour and the yeast and mix well. Keep adding flour slowly until it it is fully absorbed by the egg mixture.
In this phase, you will notice the mixture will become too dry: use your milk to make it smoother, adding only as much milk as you need to get a dense and heavy dough.
In a different bowl, whip up the egg whites until stiff, then gently fold them into your dough. Now divide the mixture in 2 bowls and add the cocoa powder to only one of them: mix well until you obtain a dark, smooth dough.
Take your cake tin (or your twelve muffin tin), line it with baking paper and use a large spoon to pour your mixture as follow: a large dollop of white mixture, a brown one, a white one, and then a cocoa one again, so that you have effectively 4 quarters of the cake in alternating colors (if using muffin tins, you will make one half while and one half dark
Take a dull knife, put it in one of the chocolate quarters and move your hand to drag t the chocolate dough into the white one, so they mix.
Put in hot oven for about 25 mins and serve hot or cold.
Put in the hot oven for about 25 mins: the cake is ready when, pierced with a toothpick, returns the toothpick clean. Let cool and serve.
Marta Correale
Marta Correale is an Italian mama of two. Born and raised in Rome, Marta has a passion for travel and especially enjoys showing off Italy to her kids, who are growing up to love it as much as she does! A classics graduate from the University of Rome, Marta channeled her passion for culture and travel into the creation of family travel websites that inspire, support and help curious visitors to make the most of a trip to Italy and learn about Italian culture on the way. Marta also manages the thriving online community of parents 'Italy with kids' who turn to her for expert advice and competent Italy travel planning support. She is the author of the travel guides 'Best of Rome with kids' and 'Best of Florence with kids' available on Amazon and of an array of kids printables (scavenger hunts, info booklets etc) available on her Etsy shop 'Mama Loves To Print'
