Marble cake in rectangular pan

My youngest sister invited my parents, my second youngest sister, and me to attend her son’s confirmation, where he accepted Jesus as his Lord. She bought kuih (a variety of Malaysian desserts) from a Malaysian dessert shop. My brother-in-law ordered sandwiches, and his brother’s family brought Indian festive snacks, as it is also Deepavali today. My oldest niece and her family brought croissants and sweet dessert pastries, and we also had Champagne, red wine, canned sparkling flavoured zero-sugar drinks, and water. I baked this marble cake for my nephew in a new rectangular pan instead of the usual loaf, bundt, or round pan for a change.

“Marble cake is a classic dessert made by swirling together two contrasting batters—usually light vanilla or yellow and dark chocolate or cocoa—to create a marbled pattern. It combines the buttery sweetness of vanilla cake with the rich flavour of cocoa or melted chocolate, so neither taste dominates and each slice offers a slightly different balance. It can be baked in a loaf pan, bundt pan, or round cake mold and served plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or topped with a chocolate or mocha glaze. The chocolate-swirled portions made with real cocoa powder also provide small amounts of plant-based antioxidants (flavanols).”

Everyone enjoyed the church celebration, singing along to the hymns and taking photos with extended family. I was glad to hear everyone say they loved the marble cake and found it moist and delicious. Each person had two pieces and took some home, leaving me with about a four-inch slice. I decided to add some colour and enjoyed mine with fruits. Let’s cook!!!

The rectangular pan size is 25 cm X 19 cm X 5 cm.

Ingredients

250 g butter
250 g plain flour
225 g castor sugar
25 g cocoa powder
4 eggs
3 Tbs milk
2 Tbs orange juice
1 1/2 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Tsp rose water
1/2 Tsp bicarb of soda
salt
milo, scatter on top (OPT)

Method

Preheat oven 160˚C, fan forced or 180˚C. Grease and line retangular pan with 2″ long hanging over the pan for easy to lift out later.

In mixing bowl, beat butter for 2 minutes. Then gradually add castor sugar beating until pale, light, fluffy, and creamy for 3-5 minutes.

Add egg, beating well each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and rose water. Sift flour, baking powder, bicarb of soda, and salt twice into a deep plate.

Gently fold in flour mixture into the butter egg mixture, alternate with 3 Tbs milk along until smooth.

Spoon half the vanilla rose butter batter into another bowl and add cocoa powder mixing thoroughly until combined. (If batter is a bit thick add another 1 Tbs milk). I didn’t add any more milk.

Back to mixing bowl, add 2 Tbs orange juice mixing we until combine. Here comes the difficult part: Using dinner tablespoon, spoon a spoonful of vanilla rose butter orange batter on to the prepare pan. Next another dinner tablespoon, spoon a spoonful of cocoa batter next to the vanilla rose butter orange batter. Repeat until both batter are finish. (Make sure the baking paper don’t move or overlap). Mine did a bit at the corner, forgot to cut a bit off.

Tap gently on bench top to remove bubbles. Scatter about 1-2 Tsp milo over the top of the batter. Use a chopstick or butter knife to run through both the batter in figure 8 or zig zag motion a couple of times to create a marble effect.

Bake for 40 minutes first. If skewer in and out wet. Bake a further 20 minutes or until skewer out clean. I tested mine and it’s still a bit wet. I had added another 10 minutes longer. Check again with a skewer, out clean.

Switch off oven leave cake in with door close for 35 minutes. Then removed from oven to wire rack to cool cake in pan for 30 minutes. Then transfer to a line foiled plate mat to cool completely before cover the cake container with the lid.

Note: Oven temperature may vary. I had browsed a handful of marble cake recipes. Most recipes oven temperature are 160˚C, fan forced and about 10 recipes oven temperature are 170˚C-180˚C. I choose the most recipes temperature and it took me in total for my marble cake 1 hour and 10 minutes. The time too ranging from 35-60 minutes. So, I tried at 40 minutes first.

I noticed none had made in rectangular pan. I took the challenge of using rectangular pan. Some had icing sugar over, some chocolate frosting, some cream cheese as garnish. I go for plain. You can omit rose water and orange juice. Just use 3 Tbs milk. Some had food colouring in to make 3 colours marble cake.

https://helenscchin.com/2026/11/08/marble-cake-in-rectangular-pan/

For my other marble cake recipe and with food colourings recipes:

Bali avocado coffee blue pea flowers and red food colouring cake:

https://helenscchin.com/2025/11/02/bali-avocado-coffee-blue-pea-flowers-and-red-food-colouring-cake/

For my Malaysian coffee blue pea flowers marble cake with M & M and colourful sprinkles:

https://helenscchin.com/2025/10/29/malaysian-coffee-blue-pea-flowers-marble-cake-with-m-m-and-colourful-sprinkles/

For my Blue pea flowers chocolate marble cake:

https://helenscchin.com/2025/07/11/blue-pea-flowers-chocolate-marble-cake/

For my Black sesame apple blueberry Halloween cake:

https://helenscchin.com/2026/10/30/black-sesame-apple-blueberry-halloween-cake/

For my Matcha marble cake:

https://helenscchin.com/2022/08/08/matcha-marble-cake/