If you love a rich chocolate and vanilla cake with some of the fluffiest frosting in town, this is the recipe for you! This came is from scratch but comes together as quickly as a boxed mix. And it has a secret ingredient. . .mayonnaise!
Mayonnaise in Cake? Is that a Thing?
It is, my friends. It is! I used mayonnaise in my Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake awhile back and fell in love.
Tonight I wanted something a little different, something to feature the seven-minute frosting. Marble cake just sounded right!
To make it, I used the same recipe as the chocolate mayo cake. I made the batter (minus the cocoa powder), divided it in half and only added cocoa powder to the chocolate half. Then I marbled it together.
What is Seven Minute Frosting?
This special frosting is familiar to most because our grandmothers and great-grandmothers made it.
Basically, it’s a meringue-based frosting, light a fluffy, that is perfect for just about any flavor of cake.
I’ve made a ton of frostings over the past year or so, like my Dreamy Buttercream and my Decorator’s Buttercream. But, I’ll confess, until today I’d never actually made Seven-Minute Frosting.
Can I just say. . .wow! I’ll be making it again and again! I got this Seven-Minute Frosting recipe from The King Arthur site and it’s perfect!
I’ll tell you more about that in a bit. Let’s take a look at the ingredients.
Marble Cake Ingredients
You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you might have on hand in your pantry or fridge.
FOR THE CAKE:
- granulated sugar
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- salt
- vanilla extract
- mayonnaise
- whole milk (or water)
- unsweetened cocoa powder
FOR THE FROSTING:
- sugar
- cold water
- egg whites
- corn syrup (light)
- cream of tartar
- salt
- vanilla extract
- (optional: room temperature egg)
How to Make Homemade Marble Cake
This one comes together so easily! You’re not going to believe how simple it is to make a homemade cake and old-fashioned frosting!
Let’s Make the Cake!
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with baking spray. I use Baker’s Joy.
You’ll need two mixing bowls for this recipe. I used large mixing bowl. You can use an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment if you like but I mixed mine up with a whisk.
Place the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk it together.
Add the mayonnaise and milk to the dry ingredients. If you’ve opted to add a room-temperature egg, this is the time to do so.
Whisk together.
Now it’s time to add the vanilla extract.
Work it in until batter is smooth and silky.
Place half of the batter into a separate bowl.
Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to one of the two bowls. (Just one! You want to keep half of the batter white! Separate batters are key to this cake.)
Mix well.
I used an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Alternate flavors. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
Use a knife or spoon to swirl the flavors together. (I can’t get enough of those lovely chocolate swirls!)
Place in preheated oven (350 degrees).
Bake for 30 minutes or until cake springs back to the touch. Remove and place on wire rack to cool completely. (Check out that lovely marble effect!)
Let’s Make the Frosting:
While the cake is cooling: Place all ingredients except vanilla extract in the top of a double boiler. Mix for a few seconds with electric mixer until fully incorporated.
Place over boiling water. (Don’t let the pan touch the water.)
Beat for seven minutes with mixer at medium speed. You’re looking for a soft, glossy texture. If you have a candy thermometer, you can check the temperature of the frosting. You’re looking for 161F temperature.
Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Continue to beat for a couple more minutes. This is a soft frosting, not like a buttercream. It’s really more like marshmallow fluff.
Use the frosting right away. It sets up quickly!
I didn’t worry too much about what mine looked like. I just put it on in dollops and used an offset spatula to swirl it.
It’s time to slice and serve!
When you’ve eaten all you can, cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. I stored mine in the fridge to preserve the integrity of the meringue frosting. I don’t recommend freezing this one, folks.
What to Expect from this Marble Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting
Sometimes you just need something special. And y’all. . .this is it! I always love cakes with that lovely marbled effect because you get a lovely combination of both white and chocolate cake in every bite. (It kind of reminds me of those swirl ice cream cones we used to get as kids.)
This cake is rich and delicious. It’s such an easy marble cake recipe!
And that fluffy meringue-based frosting is so light, so sweet, that it’s (literally) the icing on the cake. It’s the best marshmallow fluff you’ve ever tasted!
I loved the creamy softness, the sticky sweetness. In fact, I felt like I’ve been propelled back in time to my grandmother’s kitchen. This is the frosting she would make for her cakes. I didn’t realize it until I took my first bite and then those memories flooded over me in rapid fashion.
Would it be wrong to make a bowl of this fluffy icing and eat it with a spoon? No? Alrighty then!
Variations on this Recipe
I loved this easy marble cake recipe and frosting so much that at first I couldn’t imagine changing things up. Then, the more I thought about it, the more excited I got about the possibilities. Here are a few that came to mind:
Cake layers: You can easily make this recipe as a layer cake. You will get two 8″ rounds from this recipe. Or, if you prefer, you can make a three-layer 6″ cake.
Cake mix: You can use a white cake mix for this recipe in place of the ingredients listed here. It will be just as delicious. Just remember to turn half of it chocolate by adding cocoa or even melted chocolate.
Mini chocolate chips: It would be fun to add half a cup of chips to the chocolate batter. (Yum!)
Neapolitan: Divide the batter into thirds. Leave one white, make one strawberry (by added 1/4 cup strawberry preserves) and make one chocolate (adding 3 tablespoons cocoa powder). Work them together.
Orange-Chocolate Cake: Add a dot of orange food coloring and some orange extract (or orange zest) to the vanilla batter. Mix chocolate cake batter as usual. You can add orange zest to the frosting, if you like.
Layer Cake: If you want, you can bake this in two 8-inch round cake pans. Two layers with marshmallow frosting in-between? Yes, please!
Swiss Meringue Recipe: If you like a more traditional meringue-based frosting, try this Swiss Meringue Buttercream from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Chocolate frosting: You can add ganache or cocoa powder to this frosting if you like.
Bundt cake: Bake this delicious cake in a bundt pan. How pretty would that be?
Other Homemade Cakes from Out of the Box Baking
I think seven-minute frosting would be lovely on any (or all) of the following fan favorites:
Orange Raspberry Pound Cake: If you love the texture of a luscious pound cake but the light, bright flavors of citrus and berries, you’re going to be crazy about this new recipe.
Southern Hummingbird Cake from Scratch: Here in the south we love our sweets and we’re particularly fond of this traditional fruity cake. It you love a rich, full cake loaded with nuts and fruit, this is the recipe for you!
Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake: If you love delicious coffee cake and you’re also a fan of blueberries, I’ve got an amazing recipe for you. This easy bundt cake is the best of both worlds, a luscious blueberry coffee cake made with rich sour cream!
Poppy Seed Cake with Orange Glaze: It you love a luscious poppy seed cake but enjoy a hint of orange flavoring, you’re going to flip over this simple homemade cake. It’s truly perfect, inside and out.
That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious Marble cake recipe. That seven-minute frosting is absolutely divine!
See this recipe at
About the Author
Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.
Marble Cake with Seven Minute Frosting
If you love a rich chocolate and vanilla cake with some of the fluffiest frosting in town, this is the recipe for you! This came is from scratch but comes together as quickly as a boxed mix. And it has a secret ingredient. . .mayonnaise!
Ingredients
- FOR THE CAKE:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup milk (or water)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- (optional: room temperature egg)
- FOR THE FROSTING:
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup cold water
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 teaspoons corn syrup (light)
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with baking spray. I use Baker’s Joy.
You’ll need two mixing bowls for this recipe. I used medium bowl. You can use a mixer if you like but I mixed mine up with a whisk.
Place the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk it together.
Add the mayonnaise and milk to the dry ingredients. If you're adding an egg, this is the time to do so.
Whisk together.
Now it’s time to add the vanilla extract. Work it in until batter is smooth and silky.
Place half of the batter into the second medium bowl.
Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to one of the two bowls. (Just one! You want to keep half of the batter white!)
Mix well.
I used an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the baking dish.
Alternate flavors.
Use a knife or spoon to swirly the flavors together.
Place in preheated 350 degree oven.
Bake for 30 minutes or until cake springs back to the touch.
Let’s Make the Frosting:
Place all ingredients except vanilla extract in the top of a double boiler. Mix for a few seconds with electric mixer until fully incorporated.
Place over boiling water. (Don’t let the pan touch the water.)
Beat for seven minutes with mixer. You’re looking for a stiff, glossy texture. If you have a candy thermometer, you can check the temperature of the frosting. You’re looking for 161F temperature.
Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Continue to beat for a couple more minutes.
Use the frosting right away. It sets up quickly!
I didn’t worry too much about what mine looked like. I just put it on in dollops and used an offset spatula to swirl it. Slice and serve!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 194Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 223mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 0gSugar: 22gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.
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