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Halloween Marble Loaf Cake

Halloween Marble Loaf Cake – Easy 5-Step Spooky Recipe


  • Author: Sofya Petrova
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1012 slices 1x

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

Scale

Cake Batter

  • 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

  • 4 large eggs

  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

  • 1½ tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp salt

  • ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 Tbsp black cocoa powder (or dark cocoa)

  • Orange gel food coloring (enough for a bright hue)

  • Optional: 1 tsp pumpkin spice

Glaze & Decoration

  • 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar

  • 12 Tbsp milk

  • Halloween-themed sprinkles or candy eyes


Instructions

  • 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