Marmorkuchen (German Marble Cake)

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Servings: 16
Yield: 16 servings

Description

Marble cake (Marmorkuchen) has withstood the test of time--is it still one of the most popular birthday cakes in Germany both for children and adults.

Ingredients

1 1/8 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 medium lemon, zested
2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a large Kugelhopf or Bundt® cake pan with butter.
2 Beat butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and creamy. Slowly add sugar and vanilla sugar while beating constantly. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat for 5 minutes until batter is light and fluffy.
3 Sift flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Gradually mix flour mixture into the cake batter, alternating with the milk. Add rum and lemon zest. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan.
4 Stir cocoa powder into the remaining batter until fully incorporated. Pour chocolate batter over the vanilla batter in the pan. Gently move a knife up and down through the batter in circular movements to create a marbled effect.
5 Bake cake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool slightly in the pan. Remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.