Love a beautiful cake that doesn’t take much effort to make? Don’t miss my step by step instructions for making this delicious Chocolate Orange Marble Cake!
You may be thinking, “Hang on a minute – what do you mean Chocolate Orange Marble Cake? Some of the glaze is pink!” I used blood oranges when I made the cake for these photographs. Their red pigment is anthocyanin, an antioxidant . Of course you can use ordinary oranges if blood oranges are not in season. The cake tastes almost exactly the same. The only difference is the pink glaze will be white instead.
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making a marble cake. It’s actually very easy. The marbling will vary each time you make the cake, but if you follow these step by step instructions you should always get a good result.
Step By Step Instructions for Marbling Chocolate Orange Marble Cake
I make this cake in a loaf pan, so the instructions for marbling are different from those for a layer cake. Here we go!
After you have made the two types of batter, alternate spoonfuls of them in the pan. Start with three spoonfuls in the bottom, two of the plain batter with the chocolate batter in the middle. Then put a spoonful of plain batter on top of each of the spoonfuls of chocolate and vice versa. Repeat until all the batter is gone.
Holding a plain table knife with the back of the knife facing you and the sharper edge pointing away from you (the blade is sideways), run it through the batter, working from left to right in a fairly small up and down ‘wave’ fashion. If you prefer, you can use a straight icing spatula for a slightly smoother result. You can also use a skewer to do this. Only move through the cake once; if you swirl the batter too much the pattern will disappear. Carefully smooth the top of the cake, without disturbing the marbling.
Step By Step Instructions for Glazing Chocolate Orange Marble Cake
After the cake has finished baking, be sure to cool it completely on a rack. Then place the rack on top of a piece of greaseproof or waxed paper to protect your table or counter top.
To make the multi-colour glaze effect, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or bain-marie and then drizzle over the cake.
Allow the chocolate glaze to set completely. Meanwhile, mix confectioner’s sugar with orange juice to make a drizzle-able glaze. Drizzle the 0range – or in this case pink – glaze over the cake. Again, allow the glaze to set before serving.
And there you have it!
This cake is wonderful served with fruit, good vanilla ice cream or easy, homemade No Churn Blood Orange Ice Cream.
Chocolate Orange Marble Cake – Printable Recipe
Chocolate Orange Marble Cake
Ingredients
- 225 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 225 grams sugar
- 225 grams all purpose flour all purpose flour is also known as plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- the zest of a large orange
- 1 tablespoon orange juice plus extra for the glaze
- 120 grams icing sugar icing sugar is also known as confectioner's sugar
- 90 grams dark chocolate chips or semi sweet chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C or 170°C for a fan oven).
- Grease and flour or line a 9 x 5 x 2½ inch (2 lb) loaf pan.
- Cream the butter in an electric mixer.
- Add the sugar and cream until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and stir into the batter.
- Divide the batter in half, placing each half in a separate bowl.
- Beat the milk into the first bowl of batter. Then sift in the cocoa powder and beat that in too.
- To the second bowl, add the orange juice and zest. Beat thoroughly.
- Alternate spoonfuls of the mixture in the loaf pan.
- Drag a knife or skewer through the mixture in swirls to create a marble effect. Carefully smooth the top of the batter, without disturbing the marbling.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the tin for ten minutes and then turn out and cool on a rack until completely cool.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler and drizzle over the cake. Allow the chocolate glaze to set.
- Put the icing sugar in a bowl and gradually add orange juice until a thick but drizzle-able consistency is reached. (You will need about 1 to 2 tablespoons of juice.)
- Drizzle the orange glaze over the cake. Allow the glaze to set.
- Cut the cake in slices to serve.
did you make this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Your chocolate orange marble cake is gorgeous! I bet it tastes amazing! I have never cooked with blood oranges, but I really want to experiment with them now.
The blood oranges gave the cake quite a unique flavour, not completely different than ordinary oranges, but somehow extra delicious!
That is a gorgeous marble cake. I love that you used blood oranges. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friday.
Thank you for hosting. I’m really glad you like it!
April I love how you put this together. Blood orange and chocolate… I’m trying to image the combination. I may have to make the cake to find out.
It is really delicious. As I wrote in reply to Alea’s comment, not all that different to ordinary oranges, but somehow just a little bit special!
Pinned! Thanks for linking up to Saturday Dishes! Have a great week!
Thank you, Paula! Hope you are having a great week too!
This looks fantastic! I love marble cake and those sweet blood oranges look awesome but I haven’t seen any up here!
Wish I was travelling to Canada 🙁 Hope you have a wonderful time!
Thank you, Vicky!
I get my blood oranges from Abel and Cole. I think the season is sadly nearly over now though.
Hi April,
Chocolate and Orange are a favorite combination and your cake sure looks good. Wish I had a nice slice to go with my morning coffee. Hope you are having a great weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you, Miz Helen!
I’ve never tried making a marble cake. I love cooking, but baking scares me especially when it’s supposed to be pretty! lol I think I could make this though yea! 🙂 Thanks for the tips!
You could definitely make this, Esther. I’m not that good at pretty stuff either, but this is definitely do-able 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
What a beautiful marble cake! I love the addition of the orange with the chocolate. So good!
Thank you, MJ!
This looks wonderful, April! We do not have Blood Oranges in SA, but I am pinning this and will use regular oranges. {Orange & Chocolate are always great together!} Thanks for sharing your recipe at ALL MY BLOGGY FRIENDS !
Regular oranges will be absolutely fine, Linda. I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for sharing on Saturday Dishes. I am featuring you this week and hope you’ll return and link up some of your favorite Easter dishes.
Thank you for the feature, Savannah 🙂 Happy Easter!
It’s so beautiful! I wouldn’t want to eat it after making it! 🙂
Thank you, Kristie!
That looks so delicious, not to mention beautiful! Thank you for sharing with Make Bake Create!
I’m so glad you like it, Kristy, and thank you for hosting 🙂
April, this looks amazing! I greatly appreciate the tutorial on making a marble cake ~ I am not a great baker and would have had no idea. You make it look and sound so simple 🙂 Thank you for sharing this with Delicious Dish Tuesday.
Thank you, Amanda 🙂
I love blood oranges, and what a great idea to use them in a marble cake. Lovely cake, and great to visit you!
Wow, this looks awesome! Thanks for sharing over at my recipe link party Good Tastes Tuesday!
Beautiful cake! I’ve never baked with blood oranges before….definitely trying this! Thanks so much for sharing on #cakefriday bloghop!!!
Wow! That looks amazing! I’m going to ask my dh to see if our local produce stand carries blood oranges. I’m not sure when they’re in season for us. I love how the blood oranges change the color of the icing, too.
Thank you, Barb 🙂 Blood oranges are grown in the US too and they are apparently in season from December to April but I don’t know how easy they are to find. If you can’t get hold of them ordinary oranges work well too, although they don’t have the same effect on the icing. They taste lovely though!
My mum used to make a cake like this when I was a child. Brings back lovely memories. I bet this is so yummy with a cup of tea
I’m so glad to bring back happy memories, Bintu, thank you so much for letting me know! It really is yummy with a cup of tea 🙂
This cake is gorgeous and the flavors sound incredible! I love the pink blood orange glaze. I’ve always wanted to try making a marble/swirl cake, but I’m always afraid I’ll botch it and it will just turn out one ugly beige color, haha! Your tips make it look so easy. Now I’ll definitely have to try it!
Thank you so much, Willow. Honestly, it really is easy if you follow the instructions. I always worry about stuff like that too (especially cake decorating, not my strong point!) but with these instructions you can’t fail. Please let me know how you get on 🙂
I think I’m in love! This has to be my favorite!
Thank you, Erren.
I was so confused by how you got a pink glaze out of oranges. Somehow I skipped right past the “blood orange” part. I love working with blood oranges and they are a great way to naturally color icing! This cake looks beautiful.
Thank you, Renee. I love blood oranges too. I’ve also got some Bergamot lemons this year which I can’t wait to bake with!
I love the orange and chocolate combo. Such a delicious bread!
Thank you, Ilona 🙂
Soooooo appreciate the very clear instructions and photos on marbling! How wonderful that blood oranges produce a natural pink…Looks like another April Harris must make cake!
Thank you so much, Kim 🙂 I do love blood oranges. I have some more recipes to share using them soon!
Beautiful cake April, love the marbling!
Thank you so much, Cheri 🙂
What a gorgeous cake April! And the combination of chocolate and orange is a match made in heaven. My “must-make” list of your wonderful recipes is growing rapidly! Have a wonderful week my friend… xo
Thank you so much, Linda! That is such a lovely compliment! Wishing you a wonderful week too my friend xo
Yum! I’ve never thought of using blood oranges for a baking recipe. I like them more than navel oranges, so I’ll definitely try this soon. 🙂
I had never thought of using them either, Brooke, but once I started, I haven’t gone back! It’s just a shame the season is so short!
This looks SO scrumptious April!
Congrats April – you are our Friend Of The Week at Friendship Friday at Create With Joy, Week 260!
When I think about blogging friends who I’ve known since the very beginning, you are one of the first people who comes to mind. Over the years, you’ve been a constant source of inspiration and support to me. Thanks for being so steadfast in all that you do.
I think you are amazing and I know my readers will too! 🙂
Thank you so much for your lovely compliments, Ramona, and also for the feature at Friendship Friday. You wrote such a beautiful piece about me, it really is kind of you. I always enjoy Friendship Friday, and I love how it promotes a sense of community. I am honoured to be featured, thank you again!
This cake looks wonderful! I’ve just pinned it 🙂
Thank you, Lisa, and thank you so much for pinning too 🙂
Hello April, our cake looks and sounds so good. 🙂
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Julie xo
Thank you so much, Julie! Hope your weekend is wonderful too 🙂
This sounds fabulous! 🙂
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thank you, Jess 🙂
You are so clever making a marble cake, it makes a great presentation!
Thank you for sharing on #omhgff party!
Have a great week!!
Thank you so much, Karren! I hope your week is wonderful too 🙂
That is my favorite flavor combo and your marble cake looks utterly gorgeous.
Thank you so much!
This is a beautiful and delicious Marble Cake, yum! Thanks so much for sharing your post with us this week and hope you have a very special weekend!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much, Miz Helen. Wishing you and yours a very Happy Easter!
This looks wonderful. Can I just ask what orange juice is best to use please? I’m going to have a go at making this tomorrow as I love baking but never tried a marble cake
I’m going to make this recipe and I’m excited to use my kitchen scale for the measuring! I also have blood oranges. I love the pink glaze.
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Helen! It’s particularly fun to make with blood oranges. I’m so glad you have a kitchen scale! I keep meaning to convert this one to cups but I just have not had a chance. I always feel it is best to make the recipe in the measurements it was developed in, so having a scale is fantastic. Please let me know what you think – and feel free to share some photos on my FB page and/or in the H&S Community. 🙂