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Home » Recipes » Dessert: Cakes

Marble Bundt Cake (Ciambella)

Published: Dec 4, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Recipe

This marble bundt cake is a classic Italian breakfast cake called Ciambella Marmorizzata. The batter is made with simple ingredients you certainly have at home: flour, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, and baking powder. Half is flavored with vanilla and half with cocoa creating a nice black-and-white effect. We don't need frosting because, in Italy, we dip it in latte, cappuccino, hot chocolate, or tea. A simple cake perfect for eating on the go or packing for lunch.

Marble Bundt Cake, ciambella marmorizzata

I am creating a collection of cakes without frosting that Italians would eat for breakfast. This is an Italian recipe I had for breakfast growing up.

I learned to bake it myself when I was eleven years old. I make it on a Sunday and have it for breakfast for the rest of the week.

I would dip it into my milk, alternating vanilla and chocolate. It was like having two breakfasts in one.

That is why my marble cake is not too marble-like. I prefer to have the two half separated. To have a more marble effect, you need to add more swirls.

If you are interested in more cakes, you can bake them on a Sunday, and they will last for the week; you can check out jam crostata, orange cake loaf, and carrot loaf with walnuts.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Top tips
  • 📋Marble Bundt Cake (Ciambella)
Marble Bundt Cake 3 slices on a plate

Ingredients

To make this marble cake, you need two different batters, one with vanilla and the other with chocolate. These are the ingredients.

For the vanilla batter:

  • Butter at room temperature
  • Caster sugar
  • Fresh eggs
  • Flour
  • Milk
  • Vanilla extract
  • Baking powder

For the chocolate batter:

  • Butter at room temperature
  • Caster sugar
  • Fresh eggs
  • Flour
  • Milk
  • Cocoa
  • Baking powder

See recipe card for quantities.

Hint: Instead of making two different batters, I make one batch, then separate them into two to make the two different flavors.

Marble Bundt Cake ingredients with names

Instructions

Preparing the base

sift the flour
  1. Sift flour and baking powder together with a fork
Whip sugar and butter
  1. Whip the butter with the sugar with an electric mixture until the butter becomes creamy

Hint: remove the butter from the fridge for at least one hour before starting. The butter should be at room temperature, and it cannot be melted

add the eggs
  1. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure the first one is combined before adding the next one
add the flour
  1. Gradually add the flour
add the milk
  1. and the milk.
the base batter in the mixer bowl
  1. The main dough is ready
Pouring half batter in a measuring bowl
  1. Pour half of the dough into another container
Half batter still in the mixer bowl
  1. Keep the other half in the mixer bowl

Making the vanilla batter

Adding flour and vanilla to make the vanilla batter
  1. Add the extra flour and the vanilla extract to the mixer bowl
What the vanilla batter looks like hanging from the mixer blade
  1. Mix until combined
Bundt pan coated with butter and flour
  1. Coat with butter and flour in a round bundt pan
Spreading the vanilla batter in the bundt pan
  1. Pour the vanilla batter into the bundt pan and smooth it out with a spatula

Hint: If you want to have a marble effect, pour only half of the vanilla batter, then the chocolate and the rest of the vanilla at the end

Making the chocolate batter

Add sugar and cocoa to the other half of the batter
  1. Pour the other half batter into the mixer and add the cocoa and the sugar
What the chocolate batter looks like hanging from the mixer blade
  1. Stir until the cocoa, and the sugar are combined
Pour the cocoa batter over the vanilla
  1. Pour the chocolate batter over the vanilla
Smooth the chocolate batter
  1. Spread uniformly with a spatula

Hint: if you used only half of the vanilla batter, you could pour the remaining over the chocolate to create a marble look

Assembling the cake

swirl the batter with a knife
  1. Swirl the batters with a knife
smooth it out
  1. Smooth the top with a spatula
Ready to bake
  1. Bake in a hot oven at 355 F - 180 C for 1 hour and 15 minutes
Baked marble cake
  1. Wait 10 minutes for the cake to cool down before removing it from the pan

Hint: the cooking time is linked to the amount of batter. If you make half a cake, the baking time will be less. To check when the cake is cooked, pierce it with a metal skewer. The cake is cooked when the skewer comes out clean

Serving it

Loosing the edges from the pan with a knife
  1. With a knife, make sure the edges are detached from the pan
Placing a cutting board on top
  1. Place a cutting board on top

Hint: if you remove the cake from the pan before it cools down for 10 minutes, the cake may break

Turning it upside down
  1. Turn it upside down and lift the bundt pan
Dusting icing sugar
  1. Dust the cake with icing sugar and serve
Cake served on a plate

Equipment

To make this cake, make sure you buy the right size of the bundt pan: Bundt pan, 12 Cup - 2.8 lt capacity D 10 in - 25 cm.

The batter will rise when baking, and if the bundt pan is not large enough, it will overflow.

Other equipments you may need are:

  • Electric mixer, I use KitchenAid
  • Baking utensils

No other special tools are required.

marble bundt cake on a cutting board with 3 slices

Storage

This cake will keep for the week and doesn't need to be refrigerated.

It would be best to store it in a large airtight container or a cake plate with a dome.

If you don't have them, cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

marble bundt cake on a cutting board

Top tips

  • Remove the butter from the fridge for at least one hour before starting. The butter should be at room temperature, and it cannot be melted
  • Instead of making two different batters, I make one batch, then separate them into two to make the two different flavors.
  • If you want a marble effect, pour only half of the vanilla batter, then the chocolate and the rest of the vanilla at the end.
  • The cooking time is linked to the amount of batter. If you make half a cake, the baking time will be less. To check when the cake is cooked, pierce it with a metal skewer. The cake is cooked when the skewer comes out clean.
  • Wait 10 minutes to cool down before removing the cake from the pan. If you remove it when it is too hot, the cake may break.
marble bundt cake on a cutting board vertical image

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Marble Bundt Cake 3 slices cut

📋Marble Bundt Cake (Ciambella)

This marble bundt cake is a classic Italian breakfast cake called Ciambella Marmorizzata. The batter is made with simple ingredients you certainly have at home: flour, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, and baking powder. Half is flavored with vanilla and half with cocoa creating a nice black-and-white effect.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Resting time 10 minutes
⏲️Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 14 Slices
Print Rate SaveSaved!
Author: Laura Tobin

Ingredients
 
 

For the base dough

  • 2 sticks butter at room temperature
  • 2 ½ cup caster sugar
  • 4 fresh eggs
  • 5 cups flour
  • 2 cup milk
  • 4 tablespoon baking powder 2 packages

For the vanilla

  • ⅔ cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate

  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup caster sugar

Topping

  • icing sugar for topping
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Equipment

  • KitchenAid Mixer
  • Measuring mugs
  • Mini Measuring Set
  • Baking Utensil Set
  • Nordic Ware ProForm Bundt, 12 Cup D 10in
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Instructions

Preparing the base

  • Sift flour and baking powder together with a fork
    5 cups flour, 4 tablespoon baking powder
  • Whip the butter with the sugar with an electric mixture until the butter becomes creamy
    2 sticks butter at room temperature, 2 ½ cup caster sugar
  • Add the eggs one at a time, making sure the first one is combined before adding the next one
    4 fresh eggs
  • Gradually add the flour and the milk
    2 cup milk
  • The main dough is ready
  • Pour half of the dough into another container
  • Keep the other half in the mixer bowl

Making the vanilla batter

  • Add the extra flour and the vanilla extract to the mixer bowl
    ⅔ cups flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Mix until combined
  • Coat with butter and flour in a round bundt pan
  • Pour the vanilla batter into the bundt pan and smooth it out with a spatula

Making the chocolate batter

  • Pour the other half batter into the mixer and add the cocoa and the sugar
    1 cup cocoa powder, ½ cup caster sugar
  • Stir until the cocoa, and the sugar are combined
  • Pour the chocolate batter over the vanilla
  • Spread uniformly with a spatula

Assembling the cake

  • Swirl the batters with a knife
  • Smooth the top with a spatula
  • Bake in a hot oven at 355 F - 180 C for 1 hour and 15 minutes
  • Wait 10 minutes for the cake to cool down before removing it from the pan

Serving it

  • With a knife, make sure the edges are detached from the pan
  • Place a cutting board on top
  • Turn it upside down and lift the bundt pan
  • Dust the cake with icing sugar and serve
    icing sugar

Video

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Notes

  • Remove the butter from the fridge for at least one hour before starting. The butter should be at room temperature, and it cannot be melted
  • Instead of making two different batters, I make one batch, then separate them into two to make the two different flavors.
  • If you want a marble effect, pour only half of the vanilla batter, then the chocolate and the rest of the vanilla at the end.
  • The cooking time is linked to the amount of batter. If you make half a cake, the baking time will be less. To check when the cake is cooked, pierce it with a metal skewer. The cake is cooked when the skewer comes out clean.
  • Wait 10 minutes to cool down before removing the cake from the pan. If you remove it when it is too hot, the cake may break.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 569mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 528IU | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 4mg
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Laura Giunta Tobin

Hi, I’m Laura. Welcome to my Blog! Here is where you’ll find an authentic Italian perspective on Italian cooking. Won’t you join me?

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