Pumpkin Spice and Chocolate Marble Cake
An autumn twist on the classic chocolate marble cake! This easy marble cake recipe makes a deliciously moist loaf cake, with the perfect balance of warming spices and chocolatey flavours.
The dark chocolate sponge swirls look so pretty intertwined with the orangey pumpkin sponge and the rich chocolatiness and warming spices taste so good together!
Marble cakes look fancy but they are actually really easy to make! You simply mix up your two contrasting cake batters, then gently swirl them together in your baking tin. I like to use a loaf tin to make marble cakes, as the tall height means that you can see the swirly pattern better, and loaf cakes are so easy to slice!
The pumpkin sponge is soft and moist, with plenty of warming spices, while the chocolate sponge adds a rich, deep flavour. Together, they make the perfect cosy autumnal bake, especially with a cup of tea or coffee alongside!
It's dairy free, egg free, nut free, easily gluten free and of course, completely vegan! But you'd never guess as it tastes so delicious!
The key with marble cakes is not too overmix the cake batters together. Just a few back and forth swirls with a knife are all that is needed to make the marbled pattern. If you overmix the two cake batters, then the whole cake will just turn a chocolate colour.
The recipe will work perfectly with shop brought pumpkin spice mix or here's my simple homemade recipe; Easy Pumpkin Spice Mix
This recipe makes one 2lb loaf cake or you could make smaller, individual cupcakes instead.
This cake is best eaten within about four days while it is freshest or you can freeze the whole cake or slices of cake for longer. Store in an airtight food container in a cool and dry place.
Makes one 2lb loaf cake
Chocolate sponge ingredients;
120g plain flour
70g granulated or caster sugar
7g baking powder
2 tbs cocoa powder
35g sunflower oil
4g apple cider vinegar
150g soya milk
Pumpkin sponge ingredients;
135g plain flour
95g soft brown sugar
5g baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin spice mix - shop brought works fine or here's my easy recipe; Easy Pumpkin Spice Mix
85g pumpkin puree
80g sunflower oil
65g soya milk
2 tbs chocolate chips - optional
2 tbs pumpkin seeds - optional
You will also need; two mixing bowls, 2lb loaf tin, baking paper, whisk, two large cups or jugs, two spoons, butter knife or similar
How to make your cake;
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F and line your baking tin with baking paper, this will make sure your cake does not stick
Begin by making your chocolate sponge batter. In a cup or jug, make the plant milk mixture by adding the plant milk to the vinegar. Set aside until needed
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder. Use a whisk to roughly mix together
Add the sunflower oil and plant milk mixture to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and whisk again making sure there are no lumps of flour
Set the chocolate batter aside and repeat to make the pumpkin cake batter
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, pumpkin spice mix and baking powder. Use a whisk to roughly mix together
Add the pumpkin puree, sunflower oil and plant milk to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and whisk again making sure there are no lumps of flour
Begin to add the cake batters to the baking tin. Use a spoon and add blobs of the chocolate batter to the bottom of the tin. Then add blobs of the pumpkin batter in the spaces between the chocolate batter
Repeat adding blobs of both cake batters to the baking tin, making sure they are randomly placed as this will make the marbled effect
Once all the cake batter is in the baking tin, take a knife or thin skewer and slowly swirl it through the mixture a few times back and forth. Take care not to over mix the batter, you just want to blend the two colours enough to make the swirly pattern. If you mix them too much, it will all just look like chocolate cake!
If you would like too, add a sprinkle of chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds to the top of the cake batter
Bake for around 30 minutes until lightly golden and a cocktail stick comes out clean
Leave to cool in the baking tin, then remove once completely cooled
Now your cake is ready to slice and eat!
Tips & Tricks!
If you accidently over-swirl the cake batter, it won't have such an obvious marbled pattern but it will still taste delicious!
This is the link to my simple homemade pumpkin spice mix; Easy Pumpkin Spice Mix
To make this cake gluten free swap to a gluten free flour and add 1g of xanthan powder to every 100g of flour
You can easily oven roast and then blend a whole, fresh pumpkin to make your own pumpkin puree or I like to use a tinned 100% pumpkin puree like these; https://link.amazon/B02dtXaf1
This is my Lakeland loaf tin; https://amzn.to/4cpWFVp
I just used baking paper to line my tin, but these are loaf tin liners; https://amzn.to/41dqh2X
These are my mixing bowls - https://amzn.to/489iB6s
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