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marble loaf cake with chocolate ganache
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Marble Loaf Cake

Rich Marble Loaf Cake combines swirls or chocolate and buttery vanilla cake in an easy loaf pan recipe. Topped with chocolate ganache and chocolate chips!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling Time (estimate) 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 10 slices
Calories 343kcal
Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour or cake flour* regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Ganache

  • 1 cup chocolate chips plus a few extra to garnish the top of the cake
  • ½ cup heavy cream

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray or coat the pan with shortening and dust with flour.
  • In a large bowl, using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer with paddle attachment) beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, and mixing after each one.
  • In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and mixing just until combined.
    Stir in the vanilla. Do not overmix.
  • Remove 1 cup of batter and pour it into a small bowl. Fold in the cocoa powder, just until combined.
    NOTE: If the mixture is a little too thick add a little bit more vanilla batter to thin the batter out.
  • Pour half of the vanilla batter into the prepared loaf pan. Drop spoonful’s of chocolate batter on top, alternating with spoonful’s of the vanilla.
    Using a knife or wooden skewer, make a few swirls to swirl the batter together.
  • Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
    Cool for 10 minutes, then remove the loaf and finish cooling on a cooling rack. Once cooled, prepare the ganache.

Ganache

  • To prepare the ganache, pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan and simmer on the stove using medium heat.
  • Once the cream is simmering, remove and pour into a bowl with the chocolate chips. Place a plate on top of the bowl and allow it to sit undisturbed for 3 minutes.
  • Remove the plate and mix the cream and chocolate until fully combined and the lumps have melted.
    Spoon the chocolate ganache over the cake and allow it to cool. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top if desired.

Notes

Ingredient notes:
*Cake flour will simply produce a finer crumb, it’s all in preference and what you have on hand
Ganache
The ganache will not harden but it will thicken like a frosting. If making the ganache separately from the cake it will need to be refrigerated and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
How to Store
Once the loaf cake is fully cooled store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to Freeze
The cake is best stored before adding the ganache is freezing whole. Allow cake to cool, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer storage bag. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature.
To freeze slices with the ganache on top:
  1. Slice the cake
  2. Gently wrap each slice in plastic wrap and place in a firm sided freezer safe container (this prevents the slices from being damaged in the freezer)
  3. Freeze for up to 3 months.
  4. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Freezing slices this way allows any amount to be thawed when desired for a perfect dessert!

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 515IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg