Delicious and Easy Yogurt Marble Cake, a slight variation to the yogurt cake I make all the time. I reduced the number of eggs, replaced some flour with potato starch and added some cocoa to half of the batter to make the marbled effect. Delicious, easy, and pretty.
Song of the day: "Things You Can't Change" - Rhys Lewis
Yogurt cake
A wonderful classic, yogurt cake is the cake I make again and again in its multiple variations. All you need to do is change yogurt flavor, add cocoa, chocolate chips, fresh fruit, and you have a whole different cake. This time, I decided to go with a marbled effect. It is pretty, moreover, the unsweetened cocoa gives scrumptiousness while keeping the cake not too sweet, just how I like it.
Ingredients
- yogurt (container 125 g)
- eggs
- cane sugar
- vegetable oil (I used peanut oil)
- flour
- potato starch
- salt
- baking powder (or the Italian lievito vanigliato)
- unsweetened cocoa
Pro Tip
The use of either potato starch (fecola di patate, in Italian) and corn starch (amido di mais, in Italian) is frequent in Italian baking. Replacing ⅓ to ½ of the flour with either one of them provides cakes with a softer more tender texture.
Easy preparation
Start with pouring the yogurt into a large bowl. Keep the empty yogurt container to use as a measuring cup. You can use any yogurt you like, plain or flavored. I had a mixed berry yogurt and its flavor was just perfect with the cocoa.
If you do not want to use the yogurt container as a measuring cup, in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, I have added the measurements in grams, as well.
- Step 1: Firstly, in a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar with an electric whisk or by hand until frothy. In another bowl, add the vegetable oil to the yogurt and whisk until incorporated.
- Step 2: Secondly, pour the yogurt/oil mixture into the egg mixture and blend well.
- Step 3: Then, sift together the flour, potato starch, salt, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and blend using an electric whisk or by hand until smooth and without lumps.
- Step 4: Pour half of your plain -white- mixture to the prepared cake pan. Add one heaping tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa to the rest of the batter and stir.
- Step 5: Cover the white mixture with the cocoa mixture. Gently stir with a fork or a skewer to get a marbled effect.
- Step 6: Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Take out of the oven and let cool on a rack before unmolding on a serving plate.
The right cake for breakfast, snack, or dessert
A wonderful aroma comes from the cake. The cocoa and the berry yogurt contribute to a fragrance that urges me to slice it and gather my family to have a taste. The cake slices so easily, it is moist and light.
It was afternoon, so we made espresso and each of us reached for a slice. Delicious, this cake won't last long, I know.
Cake for breakfast?
The Yogurt Marble Cake is a simple delicious dessert to finish the meal on a sweet note. However, in true Italian fashion, this type of cake is also great at breakfast to accompany your coffee or tea, or as a quick snack when the sweet craving hits. We decided not to add any powdered sugar, but since the cake is not too sweet, it would be a nice addition if you want to dust some on top.
It is so easy and fast to make that you will find yourself baking it again and again, just like me.
Enjoy!
PrintDelicious and Easy Yogurt Marble Cake
Delicious and Easy Yogurt Marble Cake, a slight variation to the yogurt cake I make all the time, with some cocoa to create the marbled effect. Delicious, easy, and good-looking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 people 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 yogurt (125 g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 container cane sugar (100 g)
- 1 container vegetable oil (125 g)
- 2 containers flour (180 g)
- ¾ container potato starch (60 g)
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (10 g)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F). Grease and flour a bundt pan, loaf pan, or round cake pan (I used a 20 cm/8 inch bundt cake pan).
- Pour the yogurt into a large bowl. Keep the empty yogurt container to use as a measuring cup.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar with an electric whisk or by hand until frothy.
- Add the vegetable oil to the yogurt and whisk until incorporated.
- Add the yogurt/oil mixture to the egg/sugar mixture. Blend well.
- Sift together the flour, potato starch, salt and baking powder.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and blend well using an electric whisk or by hand until smooth and without lumps.
- Pour half of your plain -white- mixture to the prepared cake pan.
- Add one tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa to the rest of the batter and stir.
- Cover the white mixture with the cocoa mixture. Gently stir with a fork or butter knife to get a marbled effect.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Take out of the oven and let cool on a rack before unmolding.
- Dust woth powdered/icing sugar, if you wish.
Notes
The yogurt marble cake can keep at room temperature, covered, for 3-4 days without losing its moist crumb.
You can use any flavor yogurt you like. I've tried it with plain yogurt, vanilla, berry, peach, apricot. All delicious.
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Ayngelina says
My grandmother would make marble cake from a box so I have a sense of nostalgia for those times, although I suspect your recipe would be much better!
Beautiful memories, I agree. I don't know if this can compete, it is pretty good, but grandmas have a secret ingredient that makes everything better 🙂 .
Sabrina says
This is great! I love a recipe with few ingredients and using what we have in our cupboards. So delicious, a real breakfast treat with a cup of coffee. Thanks!
Yes! This is so easy to make and so rewarding. Everybody loves it 🙂 . Thank you!
Marie Crimi says
This is a recipe I will make but I am wondering if I can use corn starch instead of potato starch?
Also is greek yogurt something I can use instead of regular yogurt. Thanks.
I've always thought this is a very forgiving cake, I've adapted countless times and I'm thinking both substitutions would be fine. I'd love to know how that works, it could be useful for others wanting to make the same changes. Thank you so much!
Marie Crimi says
The cake tastes good but very dense. Next time I will either use regular yogurt or adjust the liquid. I will make it again because it was fairly easy. Don't get to go to the store much so used what I had on hand. Thanks for the reply.
Ok. Thanks for the feedback. No, it shouldn't be dense, so maybe the Greek yogurt? But yes, if you adjust the liquids or add less cornstarch (maybe 1/2 container?) it will work better.
Bernice Hill says
Love this cake...it's so easy and versatile too. We need a bit of that these days!
It is, Bernice, thank you. I need easy these days, there are already too many complications around 🙂 .
Kelly Neil says
I love baking with yogurt and I've never made a bundt or marble cake! Looks like it's time. Thanks for sharing!
It is an easy and fast recipe that tastes so so good! Thank you!
Julia says
I absolutely love yogurt cakes and this one looks and sounds wonderful!
Thank you, Julia! It is a wonderful cake!
Lucy says
Fantastic! Absolutely delicious. The crumb is so fine and moist. This reminded me so much of my childhood when mum regularly made it for afternoon tea after school. I'll be making this cake again and again for sure. Thanks.
I am so happy you loved it! I just love making yogurt cakes and this one with cocoa is one of our favorites! Thank you for the feedback and happy baking!
Pat says
Hi,
Instead of container. Can you tell me all the ingredients in grams? Thank you!
Hello, I updated the recipe card. It should be: 2 eggs, 100 g sugar, 125 g vegetable oil, 125 g yogurt, 180 g flour + 60 g potato starch, 10 g (1 tablespoon) baking powder, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.
Pat says
Hi,
Me again. Could I use a round cake an too?
Yes, you can, about an 8 inch, 20 cm.