Simple Marble Pound Cake

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHAT YOU GET: A perfectly dense, rich marble pound cake recipe featuring beautiful swirls of vanilla and chocolate throughout. As is with most pound cakes, impressive results are easy to achieve for this variation!

Full disclosure: I love pound cake. I love eating it almost as much as I love how easy they are to make. And not only is this Marble Pound Cake super simple to make, but I consider it a never-fail dessert — there’s something for everyone. 

Whether your guests are team chocolate or team vanilla, everyone loves tucking into this homemade marble pound cake after a light dinner, as a midday snack, or even for breakfast with a steaming cup of coffee. Glaze this pound cake with homemade chocolate ganache if you want to up the ante.

Truly, this incredibly rich and moist pound cake never disappoints. 

Why Add Sour Cream To Pound Cake

While most people use sour cream as a topping for baked potatoes and tacos, it can also be a fantastic ingredient when baking! Sour cream gives your pound cake a slightly tangy flavor, which means every bite is bright and interesting instead of just… heavy and dull. Beyond that, adding sour cream to your pound cake ensures you will have a moist cake every time because you are adding fat, which makes your cake rich, and moisture that isn’t liquid, which would thin your batter. The acid in the sour cream also interacts with the flour of the cake, breaking down the gluten, which gives you a fluffier, more satisfying bite. 

How Do I Get A Swirl In My Chocolate And Vanilla Pound Cake

The swirl in this pound cake will impress your guests — and it is the result of a straightforward technique. You do not want to mix your vanilla and chocolate batters. Instead, you will alternate spoonfuls of vanilla or chocolate batter into your loaf pan and run a knife through each spoonful to swirl it in a “U” or “S” shape. Don’t get carried away. A light touch is all you need. You’ll repeat this process until you’re out of batter. 

Tools You’ll Need To Make Marble Pound Cake

• Measuring cups and spoons
• 9 x 5- inch (23 x 12½-cm) loaf pan
• Parchment paper
• Mixing bowls
• Stand mixer or handheld mixer

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Marble Pound Cake

• There is no leavening in this poundcake; all of the lift comes from creaming the butter for a full 5 minutes until it is very fluffy and light. Don’t rush the mixing process.
• Make sure to fully beat in each egg and scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next.
• For the best rise, always make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.
• To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of hot (but not boiling) water for 5 minutes.
• If you want to glaze this cake, a simple chocolate ganache is lovely.

Make More Pound Cake!

• Lemon Yogurt Loaf Cake
• Simply Divine Butter Pecan Pound Cake
• Decadent Chocolate Pound Cake
• Perfectly Glazed Lemon Pound Cake
• Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake
• Sour Cream Pound Cake
• Vanilla Pound Cake with Loads Of Sprinkles

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