It is easy to make a cake from scratch. You don’t need the box mixes, the canned frosting, the mystery ingredients. All you need is some simple ingredients, an oven, and some bowls. I’ve included directions here with some modern conveniences that will make the process easier, but you can do it with a whisk and some elbow grease instead if you don’t have a mixer and food processor.
Combine the dry ingredients and mix until they are well combined.
Add milk and oil.
Add the milk, butter, and vanilla to the mixer.
Mix for 2 minutes and then add the eggs and mix for an additional 2 minutes. Prep two 9 inch round pans with a cut out of parchment or wax paper.
Spray liberally with baking spray.
Remove 1 cup of cake batter and mix with the ovaltine and cocoa powder. Pour the yellow cake batter into the two 9 inch rounds, half in each. Spoon the chocolate marble batter into each.
Swirl the marble batter around with a butter knife to make the marble pattern.
Bake the cakes for 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees in a preheated oven. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pans and let cool completely. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Start by melting the chocolate either in a double boiler, or in the microwave. Let it cool a bit, and then add all of the frosting ingredients into a food processor.
Process until fully combined, stopping once to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
Level the tops of both cakes with a large bread knife.
Place 3-4 strips of wax or parchment paper onto your serving platter, and place one layer of the cake onto those strips. Frost the top of the first layer and place the second layer on top.
Frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Gently pull the parchment strips out. Cut and enjoy!
Marble Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups flour
- 1½ cups sugar
- 3½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1¼ cups milk
- 4 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1.5 TBSP vanilla
- 3 large eggs
- Chocolate Ingredients:
- ¼ cup ovaltine
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
Frosting:
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 sticks butter, unsalted
- 6 TBSP half and half
- 1 TBSP vanilla
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dry ingredients into a mixer and combine.
2. Add milk and oil, butter, and vanilla into the mixer and mix for 2 minutes on medium.
3. Add eggs, and mix and additional 2 minutes on medium speed.
4. Remove 1 cup of the batter and mix well with the ovaltine and cocoa powder.
5. Place a round of parchment or wax paper into two 9 inch cake pans. Spray with baking spray. Place half of the yellow cake batter into the two pans and spread out.
6. Spoon chocolate cake batter into the pans and swirl with a butter knife.
7. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let cool for 15 minutes, and then remove carefully from the pans and let cool the rest of the way.
9. After the cakes are completely cooked, level one side with a long serrated bread knife.
10. Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler, or by placing in a glass bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds on half power. Continue heating in 15 second intervals on half power until melted.
11. Place all of the frosting ingredients into a food processor, and process until fully combined.
12. Place four small strips of parchment or wax paper on your serving tray and put one layer of the cake on the tray. Frost the top of the layer and place the second layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake and carefully pull the wax paper out from under the cake.
