Red Velvet Marble Cake

One of the reasons why this Red Velvet Marble Cake recipe took so long to come to the blog is that I was never happy with the different textures between the cakes. If the vanilla cake was perfect, then the chocolate cake was usually underdone. To get a perfectly fudgy, delicious chocolate cake, the vanilla cake would end up DRY.

Because I was determined not to post an imperfect recipe on this site, I made this cake many, many times. I wanted to figure out the minutiae techniques that would yield the best results with this dual-textured cake.

And the secret is:

Your digital kitchen scale.

In this Post:

About this Red Velvet Marble Cake

To fix the problems that are attendant with marble cake, the digital kitchen scale is key. When everything is weighed with a digital kitchen scale (and you use metric measurement!), the result is an amazingly decadent, moist vanilla and red velvet marble cake.

Without a digital kitchen scale, there are a multitude of places where these cake batters could go south on you. The ingredient measurements for your dry mixtures and your milk mixture make a huge difference in your outcomes; if you have too much dry mixture in either of your cake batters, that cake will be dry and the other too moist. Too much liquid in one cake batter will yield the same result, causing one batter to flood and split and the other to be too dry.

Done correctly, this cake is an utter scientific and gastronomic marvel. For this reason, I highly recommend avoiding the measuring cups and I strongly recommend using that digital kitchen scale. The results will be more than worth it!

Oh. And there will be lots of dishes. Like a lot a lot. But again, worth it.

Red Velvet Marble Cake Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour: I love the pleasantly plump texture of a good pound cake, and this Red Velvet Marble Cake recipe is no different. That beautiful texture largely comes from a higher-protein all-purpose flour. I find that lower-protein cake flour doesn’t give the same rise and texture to pound cakes, so that is why I don’t use it in mine. My favorite all-purpose flours for pound cakes are King Arthur Baking’s All-Purpose Flour and Bob’s Red Mill’s All-Purpose Flour.

Baking Soda: This Red Velvet Marble Cake contains whole milk and white vinegar, which together create buttermilk. The buttermilk is acidic in nature, so baking soda is the proper leavening for this Red Velvet Marble Pound Cake.

Kosher Salt: Salt is very important in any dessert; it balances the sugar and keeps the dessert from becoming overly sweet. It doesn’t take a lot of salt to balance the sugar in a cake recipe, so measure this ingredient very carefully. If you’re using table salt or fine sea salt for this recipe, make sure cut the amount in half. Also, please remember; the kosher salt is divided, so you’ll add half of your kosher salt to the first flour mixture, and the the other half to the flour/cocoa powder mixture. Again, the salt needs to be added to each mixture separately so that each cake will have the right amount of this necessary element.

Cocoa Powder: Using natural cocoa powder is what gives red velvet marble cake its amazing flavor and signature color. It’s like adding a special ingredient that makes the cake taste extra chocolatey and delicious! Natural cocoa powder is the way to go for this recipe – it’s the secret to making your cake turn out just right.

Unsalted Butter: Once again, butter has a staring role in this cake! It gives wonderful special flavor, and also the creaming process creates the absolutely necessary air pockets that help this cake to rise. Additionally, the fats in the butter are needed to tenderize the powerhouse protein molecules in your flour and egg whites. This ingredient does a lot of work! Use good butter for this cake, and make sure that it’s room temperature before you begin. I set my butter out for at least two hours before baking time. If you don’t have two hours, 10-20 minutes in your waistband or pocket (or, as my mother would say, in your bra over your heart) will do just fine.

Neutral Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil adds additional moisture to this cake. One tablespoon is more thanenough to make sure that this beautifully moist cake stays that way. I love avocado oil for baking, but any vegetable oil will do.

Granulated Sugar: The sugar in this recipe adds a nice sweetness to this cake, and it also helps with caramelization! That gorgeous crust on the outside of your cake is largely due to the granulated sugar in this Red Velvet Marble Cake recipe!

Eggs: The fatty yolks add flavor to this amazing cake, while the protein-rich egg whites assist with the texture and rise. Be sure to use large chicken eggs for the best results, and be sure that your eggs are room temperature before adding them to the batter.

Pure Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract gives this cake a beautiful warm flavor. Make sure to use the good stuff, like Nielsen-Massey, for this incredible recipe! Whatever brand you use, make sure you use pure vanilla extract.

Whole Milk: Whole milk makes cakes more moist and tender, giving them an even more gorgeous texture. The milk also enhances the flavor of this cake, making it taste richer and more indulgent. Plus, whole milk helps create a beautiful golden-brown crust on the outside of the cake, making it look more appealing. By adding white vinegar to whole milk, you create a buttermilk substitute that combines the richness and creamy texture of whole milk with the tangy acidity of buttermilk, giving you the best of both worlds in one ingredient!

Vinegar: Adding white vinegar to whole milk creates a tangy and acidic mixture that’s essential for making the red velvet layer of this Red Velvet Marble Cake recipe. This homemade buttermilk adds a rich and creamy texture to the cake, and helps create the distinctive flavor that sets red velvet apart. The “buttermilk” is also perfect for the vanilla cake layer as well! With this simple trick, you can easily make the buttermilk you need to create a stunning and delicious red velvet marble cake with a beautiful swirl of red velvet and vanilla.

Red Food Coloring: Liquid red food coloring adds a vibrant and intense color to the red velvet portion of this marbled cake, creating a beautiful red hue that’s characteristic of traditional red velvet. Unlike gel food coloring, which can create a more subtle and pastel color, liquid food coloring produces a bright and bold color that really stands out against the accompanying vanilla cake. When you add liquid red food coloring to your cake batter, it distributes evenly and consistently, ensuring that every bite of your red velvet marble cake is a gorgeous red.

Beginners Start Here

If you’re new to baking, or if you want to learn how to do some of the more tricky baking techniques, here are a couple of super helpful articles from the BwB site (and a resource from the BwB Home Baking Academy!) that will help you get set up for success with this Red Velvet Marble Cake recipe.

• BwB Masterclass: Perfect Pound Cakes Encore! Learn my secrets for making the absolute most delicious pound cakes over and over again!
• BwB Home Baking Academy Presents: Baking 101 – Improve your baking skills exponentially with this incredible series of 21 classes. Perfect for the beginners to advanced home bakers who are looking for consistency with their bakes!
• From the Blog: The Importance of a Digital Kitchen Scale
• From the Blog: Technique Tips for the Best Pound Cakes (& Big News!)
• From the Blog: How to Cream Butter and Sugar (With New Video!)
• From the Blog: Baking 101: How to Measure Ingredients
• From the Blog: How to Grease a Bundt Pan
• From the Blog: The Best Tools for Perfect Pound Cakes
• From the Blog: Knowing When to Stop a Technique

These resources are extremely helpful to help you build consistency (and confidence) in your baking. Need more help? Feel free to send me an email at bakingbestie@beginwithbutter.com!

Important Tools Used in this Red Velvet Marble Cake Recipe

Below, you’ll find a list of tools that I used for this amazing cake. You can find all of these tools (and more!) in my Amazon Storefront!

**I get paid a small commission if you purchase directly from my Amazon Storefront, but these are truly amazing products that you’ll find in my kitchen.**

• Digital Kitchen Scale
• KitchenAid Hand Mixer
• KitchenAid Stand Mixer
• Stainless Mixing Bowl Set
• OXO Spatula Set
• Sifter or Fine Mesh Strainer
• Nordic Ware Bundt Pans
• Pastry Brushes
• Instant Read Thermometer

When you’re ready to test the doneness of your Red Velvet Marble Cake, I highly recommend using an instant-read thermometer instead of a toothpick. While a toothpick can give you a *very general* sense of the cake’s doneness, an instant-read thermometer provides a precise measurement of the internal temperature at the specific point of the bake. For this recipe, you’ll want to aim for an internal temperature of 212°F, to ensure that both the vanilla and red velvet layers are perfectly baked. Using an instant-read thermometer helps avoid overbaking or underbaking, resulting in a flawlessly moist and tender cake. It’s a small but hugely impactful technique that can make a big difference in the final outcome of your delicious marble cake.

This cake requires a little more attention, but you will be rewarded for your efforts! Following the instructions (and using a digital kitchen scale) will help you make the absolute best marble cake of your life. Happy baking BB!

I hope you love this cake! Enjoy and make sure to tag @beginwithbutter on Instagram when you make it!

Red Velvet Marble Cake Recipe

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Indulge in the ultimate dessert showstopper! My Red Velvet Marble Cake recipe combines the classic flavors of red velvet and vanilla in a stunning swirl pattern, topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting.

• Total Time: 5-7 hours
• Yield: 18 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

For the Red Velvet Marble Pound Cake Batter:

• 352 g (2.75 c) all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp baking soda, divided
• 21 g (1/4 c) natural cocoa powder
• 227 g (1 c) unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (I used avocado oil)
• 500 g (2.5 c) granulated sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp red food coloring
• 250 g (1 c) whole milk
• 2 tbsp white vinegar

For the Vanilla Simple Syrup:

• 84 g (1/3 c) water
• 67 g (1/3 c) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 154 g (2/3 c) cream cheese, room temperature
• 240 g (2 c) confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2–3 tbsp whole milk
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt

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Instructions

To Make the Red Velvet Marble Cake:

1. Take out your digital kitchen scale and a bunch of bowls/containers.  This is a messy endeavor but the results are worth it.  A digital kitchen scale will yield the absolute best result.
2. Use your digital kitchen scale to measure the weight of your main (first) mixing bowl (use grams!).  Write down the weight and keep it handy.
3. Before you begin, tare (or “zero”) the weight of both of the mixing bowls that you’ll be using for the cake batters.  One should be the mixing bowl where you start the batter (the main bowl), and the second one will be used once you separate the single batter into two batters.  Not sure how to tare the weight of your bowls?  Start here!
4. Sift together 192 g (1.5 c) of the all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp of kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp of baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
5. Sift together 160 g (1.25 c) of all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt in another medium bowl.  Set aside.
6. Combine whole milk and white vinegar in a measuring cup or deli cup.  Divide into two equal parts and set both aside.
7. In the first (main) mixing bowl, cream butter and oil until very smooth.  Add sugar to the butter/oil mixture and cream until light and fluffy.  Scrape bowl frequently to encourage even mixing.
8. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until there is no evidence of the prior egg before adding the next egg.  Scrape the bowl as needed to encourage even mixing.
9. Add vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. 
10. Weigh the batter in the main bowl by placing the main bowl on your digital kitchen scale.  Subtract the bowl weight from the new weight.  This is your batter weight. 
11. Remove half of the batter from the main bowl and place it into the second bowl.  In the main bowl, add half of the sifted flour mixture and mix on low speed until it is nearly combined.  Add half of the “buttermilk” and once again mix on low speed until nearly combined.  Then add the second half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until nearly combined.  Use a stiff spatula to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and fold the batter together for a cohesive vanilla cake mixture.  Set aside while you work on the second bowl.
12. To the second bowl, add half of the sifted flour/cocoa mixture and mix on low speed until it is nearly combined.  Add half of the “buttermilk” and the red food coloring and once again mix on low speed until nearly combined.  Then add the second half of the flour/cocoa powder mixture and mix on low speed until nearly combined.  Use a stiff spatula to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and fold the batter together for a cohesive red velvet cake mixture.  Set aside while you prep your bundt-pan.
13. Prep a 10-12 cup bundt pan as you normally would.
14. Using two different standard-sized ice cream scoops, layer the vanilla and red velvet cakes, alternating between each flavor.  There is no need to “marble” with a knife; the baking process will do that for you.  If you want more swirls, it is fine to use a knife to encourage more marbling.
15. Bake for 65-75 minutes or until 212°F internal temperature.  While baking, make the simple syrup.

To Make the Vanilla Simple Syrup:

1. Add the granulated sugar, water, and fine sea salt to a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and allow to boil only until the solids are dissolved.
2. Remove  from the heat and add pure vanilla extract.  Stir to combine.
3. Allow to cool completely, then add to the completely cooled cake with a pastry brush. 

To Make the Cream Cheese Glaze:

1. Add the room-temperature cream cheese to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on lowest speed until completely smooth.
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar, 1.5 tbsp of the whole milk, and vanilla extract to the bowl.  Mix with a small whisk until there are no more lumps.  A power mixer is not advised at this point if you want a smooth cream cheese glaze with no air bubbles.  (And no air bubbles is the goal!)
3. Use a spouted measuring cup, spoon, or squeeze bottle to add the glaze to the completely cooled cake.  If the cake is too warm, the glaze will just heat up and much of it will simply fall off of the cake.
4. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Use a digital kitchen scale for the absolute best results with this cake.  It requires precision measuring to get the intended outcome.  Need help with using a digital kitchen scale?  Start here (and for the TL;DR version, start here)!
2. Use a digital kitchen scale to tare your mixing bowl before you start.
3. Use an oven thermometer to make sure that your oven is a true 325°F.
4. To grease the bundt pan: use butter and flour or baking spray and a prayer.
5. Go into this with the understanding that it’s a messy endeavor and that there will be LOTS of dishes.  😂
6. This cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.

• Author: Shani
• Prep Time: 75 minutes
• Cook Time: 65-75 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: American