Description
A show-stopping loaf that swirls deep black cocoa and bright orange vanilla batters into a moist, buttery cake—drizzled with a simple glaze and topped with spooky sprinkles for the ultimate Halloween centerpiece.
Ingredients
Cake Batter
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1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
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1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
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4 large eggs
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2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
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1½ tsp baking powder
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½ tsp salt
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¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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1 Tbsp black cocoa powder (or dark cocoa)
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Orange gel food coloring (enough for a bright hue)
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Optional: 1 tsp pumpkin spice
Glaze & Decoration
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1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
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1–2 Tbsp milk
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Halloween-themed sprinkles or candy eyes
Instructions
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Preheat & Prep
Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease and line a 9×5″ loaf pan with parchment, leaving an overhang. -
Cream Butter & Sugar
Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes. -
Add Eggs & Flavor
Whisk in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla (and pumpkin spice if using). -
Combine Dry & Wet
In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, mixing just until combined. -
Divide & Color
Split batter evenly into two bowls. Stir black cocoa into one bowl. In the other, mix in orange gel until vibrant. -
Marble the Loaf
Spoon alternating dollops of orange and black batter into the pan. Use a skewer or knife to swirl gently—don’t overmix. -
Bake
Bake 50–60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Tent with foil if top browns too quickly. -
Cool & Glaze
Cool in pan 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Whisk powdered sugar with milk until pourable. Drizzle over loaf and scatter sprinkles.
Notes
Substitutions & Tweaks :
Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 GF flour blend (with xanthan gum).
Dairy-Free: Swap butter and milk for vegan alternatives.
Low-Sugar: Replace sugar with monk fruit or erythritol (adjust taste).
Extra Spice: Add nutmeg or more pumpkin spice to the orange batter.
Storage :
Room Temp: Wrapped, up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: Up to 7 days (bring to room temp before serving).
Freezer: Tightly wrapped, up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge.
Common Mistakes :
Overmixing: Yields a dense loaf—stir just until no streaks.
Underbaking: Check at 50 min; center should spring back.
Over-swirling: Too much blending mutes the marble contrast.
Weak Color: Gel food coloring delivers more vivid hues than liquid.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50–60 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (≈80 g)
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg