Snack Time: Marble Loaf Cake (Ciasto Marmurkowe)

There are a handful of snack cakes and quick breads that I like to whip up from time to time to keep the family happy.  What I bake is usually dependent on the season.  Fall = pumpkin bread and cranberry bread.  Winter = honey cake and spice cake.  Spring = lemon cake.  Summer = zucchini bread.  A cake that floats among the seasons and seems to fit the bill any time of year is marble loaf cake.  It seems to be a popular choice in the U.S., but its presence is not limited to the U.S.  You can find it in Polish baking as well, though I wonder whether it was actually adopted from the U.S.  Either way, it’s good and that’s what counts.

A few years ago, we had the pleasure of hosting a student from Poland who baked this cake for us–but it was based on approximate measurements.  I took cryptic notes and put together a workable recipe that I have tweaked here and there over the years.  It’s a cake that is quick and easy to put together.  The trickiest steps are handling two different batters to create the marble effect and knowing when to take it out of the oven.  The resulting cake has a crispy crust and moist center.  In the photos that follow, I doubled the recipe to make two loaves.  If I’m going to have to wash all of those dishes anyway, why stop at making one loaf?!

First off, beat some eggs and sugar until light.  Add the vanilla extract and vegetable oil.

On low-speed, add a flour-baking powder-salt mixture alternating with milk until just combined.  Pour slightly more than half the batter into another bowl.  In the mixer bowl, mix in sifted cocoa powder and stir in chocolate chips.  The chocolate chips are optional, but this little step makes a positive difference for chocolate lovers who consume this cake!

Pour the vanilla-flavored batter into the pan first.

Then alternate between blobs of chocolate batter and blobs of vanilla batter until all the batter is used up.  It’s best if some vanilla batter is streaked on top.  Some recipes call for pouring in one layer of the vanilla batter, pouring in a second layer of chocolate batter, and then using a fork to mix the layers up a bit.  I haven’t had success with that method, so I’ve settled on the blob approach.

Pop the pan(s) into the oven and let the cake bake for at least an hour.  It seems like an eternity.  When I made this batch, I had to bake the cake ten minutes overtime.  When I checked the cake with a long bamboo skewer, it was still raw at the 60 minute mark, even though the crust looked ready.  I thought the cake would NEVER bake fully through.  I checked it again after five more minutes.  Same thing.  Then, after another five minutes, the skewer magically came out clean.  I thought the crust would be burnt, but it wasn’t.  Instead, the crust was just nice and crunchy, which added to the charm of the cake.

I dusted one of the loaves with confectioners sugar.

For the other loaf, I went ahead and made a quick chocolate glaze and rustically poured it over the cake.  From this photo, it looks like I used the blob approach here too!

The cake is delicious with a glass of milk (or a cup of coffee).  Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Marble Loaf Cake (Ciasto Marmurkowe)

2018 © HollyTrail.com

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

Polish

Servings

loaf

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup vegetable oil (but not olive oil)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened), sifted
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

For the Glaze (optional)

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Course Dessert Cuisine Polish Servings loaf Ingredients For the Cake 3 large eggs at room temperature 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup vegetable oil (but not olive oil) 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened), sifted 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) For the Glaze (optional) 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoons confectioner's sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour loaf pan (9"x 5" x 3").
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together eggs and sugar on medium speed until light, about 3 minutes (the ribbon stage). Reduce speed and mix in vanilla extract and oil until well-combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. On low speed, mix flour mixture into egg mixture, alternating with milk. Mix just until smooth. Transfer approximately half of the batter into a bowl. Mix sifted cocoa into remaining batter. Stir in chocolate chips (if using).
4. Pour 1/3 of the vanilla batter into bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Pour 1/3 of chocolate batter in patches over vanilla batter. Pour the remaining vanilla and chocolate batters alternating in patches over top. Bake for about 65-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove loaf cake from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.
5. Before serving, glaze or dust with confectioners sugar.
6. To make optional glaze: In a small saucepan, combine cream, confectioners sugar, and chocolate and heat on medium-low until the chocolate is 3/4 melted. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and stir until chocolate has completely melted. Let cool 2 minutes and then pour over loaf cake. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Recipe can be doubled to make two loaves.

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