Marble cake loaf, it’s my husband’s ultimate favorite. He would eat tons of this and if I was to make it every day he would have it every day for breakfast with coffee without fail and... without a moan. I have made it a little extra special and healthier I'd say if I am allowed, by adding turmeric, cacao, and olive oil. Sounds great, doesn't it?
This marble loaf cake with turmeric and cacao is a wonderful cake, I must admit. It’s moist, it’s sweet but not too sweet, and the cacao gives it that extra nutty ‘chocolaty’ touch. It’s just beautiful.
My mum makes a very similar marble cake but it is a dry version of this, we call it ‘chec’, and I still love her version.
I can vividly recall my twin bro and I smashing a whole loaf in one breath and by the time she’d turn around, the marvelous marble cake was GONE!
What is different about this marble cake recipe?
It is a moist cake, I have some lovely and healthy ingredients like turmeric, I have replaced cocoa with cacao and I have added yogurt which is the secret ingredient to a really nice moist marble cake.
Ingredients
- all-purpose plain flour - lately I only use spelt flour, it is tastier
- sugar - you may customize this to your taste and add a little more if you like it sweet
- yogurt - use full-fat yogurt as this will work best
- olive oil
- eggs
- turmeric powder
- lemon and orange zest
- orange juice
- baking powder
- soda bicarbonate
- salt
- cacao powder
How to make marble cake loaf
- Preheat the oven at 190°C or 375°F and prepare the tin by greasing it.
- Mix the eggs with sugar into a bowl and whisk until fluffy. Drizzle in the oil little by little and incorporate.
- Bring in the yogurt, the zest, and the salt. Then add to the mixture the baking powder and the soda bicarbonate with the orange juice.
- Swift in the flour and the turmeric powder and mix gently the flour into the cake mix
- Separate the cake mix (batter) by taking approximately ⅓ away into another bowl. Add the cacao powder to this and gently mix the cacao powder in.
- Place the ⅔ cake mix into the prepared tin and pour the cacao mix into a middle line over the turmeric cake mix. With a chopstick or a wooden swirl to give the cake the marble effect.
- Bake, allow to cool and enjoy!
Tips
- It is best to use all ingredients especially the eggs, butter, and yogurt at room temperature;
- Add extra sugar if you want your marble cake to be sweeter
- Add a handful of chocolate chips if you want to add your cake a chocolaty touch;
- Don't forget to grease the pan, or you may find it difficult to get the cake out;
- See my recipe notes to get some tips on the orange and lemon zest;
- Make a chocolate or an orange glaze and glaze your cake as soon as it has cooled.
FAQs
Yes, you may. Allow it to cool completely, when cool, place it in a freezer bag and you may keep it frozen for up to three months. To thaw it out, the best practice is to remove it from the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Bake in the oven for 5-7 min at 180 C or 350 F.
It will last easily for 3 days at room temperature stored in an airtight container or a zip lock bag. After 3-4 days will become stale but will still be safe to consume.
Cocoa might sound and look the same as cacao, there is a big difference between the two.
Cocoa powder is, in essence, the ‘raw cacao’ which has been roasted at very high temperatures. This means processing and therefore its nutritional value gets lower and many health benefits get spoiled.
It might come as a surprise but cocoa powder is highly processed, it contains little amounts of cacao so will have very little to no nutritional value. It often contains fats, sugar-hydrogenated oils, or even gets artificial flavors added.
Cacao, on the other hand, is a lot less processed with a high antioxidant content, it is believed to have the highest level of antioxidants and magnesium from all foods. The power of antioxidants is all well-known, healthy heart, healthy-looking skin, cholesterol-lowering superfood, it is super high in flavonoids. Cacao powder is the best to use in smoothies and eat as raw as possible. I do bake with it because I do not buy and I have not bought cocoa powder for many years now so I have none in my pantry cupboard.
More delightful dessert recipes
- Almond flour cake
- Apple baked oats
- Apple Cake
- Marbled Chocolate, Mini Marshmallows And Peanut Bars
- Banana, Pecan And Coconut Loaf
- 17 Ultimate Chocolate Desserts For All Tastes
- Banana, Dates And Rum Loaf
Did you make this marble cake recipe? Leave a comment and even rate the recipe to tell us what you thought and how it came out for you!
Marble cake with cacao and turmeric
Equipment
- loaf tin 12 x 20 cm or (5x8 inch)
- hand or freestanding mixer
- glass bowls x 2
- spatula
Ingredients
- 230 g flour (spelt) (8.11 oz) or white all-purpose plain flour
- 180 g cane sugar (6.35 oz) add a little more if you like it very sweet
- 180 g yogurt (6.09 floz) full fat yogurt works best
- 100 ml olive oil ( 3.38 fl oz) plus a little extra for greasing the tin
- 3 medium eggs
- 2 teaspoon turmeric levelled not heaped
- 1 tablespoon lemon and orange zest *
- ½ medium orange medium the juice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon soda bicarbonate
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoon cacao powder heaping (sifted)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C or 375°F and prepare the tin (mine is 12cm/5in x 20cm/8in) by greasing it. Use a bit of oil or butter. Spray would do too.
- Add the eggs, and the sugar into a bowl. Whisk until fluffy using a hand-electric whisker. Drizzle in the oil little by little and whisk until this is all added and incorporated.
- Add the yogurt and whisk to incorporate this. Don’t over-whisk. Add the zest and the salt.
- Mix the baking powder and the soda bicarbonate with the orange juice into a tiny little container like a coffee cup or something small and add to the mixture.
- Swift in the flour and the turmeric powder and using a spatula mix gently the flour into the cake mix until this gets pretty much incorporated. Don’t worry if you have a lump or two, it’s more important that you are not overly mixing the batter.
- Separate the cake mix (batter) by taking approximately ⅓ away into another bowl. Add the cacao powder to this and gently incorporate this.
- Place the ⅔ cake mix into the prepared tin and pour the cacao mix into a middle line over the turmeric cake mix. With a chopstick or a wooden spoon handle make some swirl movements to give the cake the marble effect. Not too many as you want the marble patterns rather than mixing this and homogenizing the two batters.
- Place the marble cake into the preheated oven (make sure it’s in the middle of your oven) and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Do the skewer test and if this comes out clean and the cake has slightly shrunk, it’s ready.
- Take out of the oven, and allow to cool for 5 min. Take it out of the tin completely and allow it to cool on a cooling rack.
- It’s ready to serve about 30-40 min later. Enjoy with a chocolate drizzle or a scoop of ice cream if you wish.
Notes
If they are waxed I just juice them but I don't use the skin. I also have a cubed orange peel candied in the same way. All need to be kept in the fridge. They do last forever.
mxteahouse says
This loaf is fantastic. I added a drizzle of honey on top and skipped the lemon because I did not have it.
Ramona says
That's amazing. Thanks for stopping by.
Jacqueline Debono says
I have never made a marble cake but this one I want to try. Love the addition of citrus and turmeric! Perfect teatime treat!
Heidy says
This marble cake with turmeric and cacao was shockingly good! I loved the flavor and so did the family. I am saving this recipe!
Ramona says
Thank you dear Heidy, I am sure you will love it 😉
LaKita says
This marble cake looks so simple and delicious. Love that you used cacao and turmeric as ingredients in the recipe. Cannot wait to give it a try soon!
Natalie says
Just the other day I remembered how I used to make marble cake for my family and they loved it. But I haven't made one in a while. So glad that I ran into your recipe now. I will definitely save it and make it over the weekend.
Sam says
Yum, this marble cake looks amazing! I've never had marble cake with turmeric before, how interesting! Pinning to try later.
Ramona says
Thank you Sam 😉
Jenny says
First of all this cake looks incredible. Second, I love that you are using turmeric, had no idea I could use it in baking. Third, I so appreciate your detailed instructions. I don't bake often and am a little timid when I make cakes. Your lovely recipe is making it easier for me. Thank you!
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Jenny. I love the colour turmeric gives to everything and it is super healthy too so why not? I am so happy you found my instructions helpful, I do hope you will be making the recipe soon 😉
Anna says
What a beautiful marble cake! Love that light and airy texture, and turmeric adds such a beautiful colour! Wish I could have a big slice with my cuppa now!
Ramona says
Thank you so much sweet Anna, I am sending you some now, virtually 😉
Paula Montenegro says
How clever to add turmeric to a marble cake! The colors are fantastic and it looks delicious, just the type of thing we love to bake on weekends.
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Paula, I love adding turmeric for colour and goodness really. It is a win win.
Kushigalu says
What a creative cake recipe is this. The flavors are just amazing and something new to try
Ramona says
Thank you so much - a delicious marble cake recipe I have to say- my husband wants it often 😉
Amy Liu Dong says
Marble cake is one of my favorite and this is such a great recipe.
I can't wait to make this for everyone. Thank you!
Ben says
That looks crazy good! I love marble cake, so I can't wait to try this. The turmeric sounds interesting.
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Ben, I do hope you will give this marble cake with turmeric a try 😉
Lana says
I used coconut yoghurt and gluten-free flour for dairy-free, Gluten-free cake and it worked great! So delicious! Thank you!
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Lana for your kind feedback. I am so glad you liked the recipe and it came out all nice. It is an easy recipe that has never failed for me 😉
Mascot says
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Letitia says
I would love to try and bake this delicious looking marble cake, I don’t see the measurements for the cacao powder though. Thank you 🙂
Ramona says
Hi Letitia,
Many thanks for flagging that up - it has clearly been overlooked but I have now added the measurements for the cacao powder, I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.
Choclette says
Ooh, love your use of turmeric in the cake. I love a good marble cake. It's the first one I ever made for my mother's birthday - many many years ago! She would have loved your healthier version as do I. Although I have to confess I only use cacao in raw recipes.
Ramona says
Thank you Choclette, I am sure your mummy would love this recipe so maybe it'd be worth trying it for her. I only buy cacao and I totally agree, it is a bit of a pitty cooking it 😉
Gloria says
Wow the turmeric really adds wonderful colour to this cake. I would eat this for breakfast. I love basic and simple recipes that are so delicious.
Ramona says
That's so true, thank you so much dear Gloria 😉
Ashley Marie Lecker says
Marble cake is a favorite and this recipe is great. I love turmeric and the yogurt in this cake! It is rich tasting and full of flavor!
Ramona says
Thank you Ashley. It is a truly delicious cake indeed. I hope you’ll try it soon ?