Marble Cake and Cupcake Bouquet Recipe with Butter Cream Frosting

Hope you remember these cute cupcakes which I made it last month for Valentines Potluck Party Celebration (Refer the picture below). Those are Mini Marble Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. This Marble Cake Recipe is from Sally’s, was quite addicted and adapted it. The Chocolate flavor comes from real chocolates or 60 to 80 % cocoa based chocolate chips and no cocoa powder used. You can refer HERE for the chocolate chips I use often. This Marble Cake and Cupcake Bouquet Recipe with Butter Cream Frosting post will be going to explain in detail both 2 tier cake and for 24 mini cupcakes measurements and procedures.

Yields 2 layers of 8 or 9 inch 2 to 2.25 inch height cakes

Ingredients

Cake Flour – 2 Cups (230 grams)

Unsalted Butter – 1 Cup ( 2 sticks) at room temperature

Large Eggs – 3 Numbers

Egg Yolks – 2 Numbers

Granulated Sugar – 3/4 Cup (1/2 Cup works for medium sugar level)

Light Brown Sugar – 1/2 Cup (1/3 cup works for medium sugar level)

Bittersweet or Semisweet Chocolate – 3 oz

**Buttermilk – 2/3 Cup ( 160 ml)

Baking powder – 2 tsp

Vanilla Extract – 1 Tbsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp

** You have to eyeball the homemade buttermilk if it’s too thin reduce some quantity and if it’s too thick add 2 more tbsp for the right consistency cake batter. If batter becomes gooey swirls won’t hold it’s shape. Too thick cake batter makes the cake hard. So buttermilk is much to consider here.

Even Layer Cake Baking tips

• Weigh the empty bowl that the cake batter is going to be in.
• Once done with cake batter preparation weigh the batter and subtract the bowl weight from this weight. That’s the exact cake batter weight.
• Divide it in to two parts according to the number of pans you use.
• Over the weight scale place the greased cake pan and do pour the divided part cake batter.
• For example Bowl weight is 686 grams and the cake batter with bowl is 1456 grams then 1456-686 = 770. If you are using two pans then 770 /2 = 385 grams of cake batter in each pan.
• For the marble cake do weigh after taking batter for the chocolate layer.

Marble Cake Batter Preparation

• Grease two 8 or 9 inch cake pans with butter and dust with flour.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and keep aside.
• Beat butter in handheld mixer or stand mixer until smooth and creamy (1 minute).
• Add both sugars and beat in high speed for 3-4 minutes until creamed.
• Scrap the sides and mix with spatula from bottom to top.

• Add eggs and yolks one at a time with the mixer running in low speed.
• Once done with adding eggs do add vanilla extract and beat on medium to high speed until combined.
• Butter and eggs may sit in the bottom if using the stand mixer so lift them up as needed.
• Add the dry ingredients mixture in batches by running the mixer at low speed altering with buttermilk.
• Scrap and check for big lumps any, if so continue beating to smooth consistency and don’t over beat.
• The cake batter looks slightly thick unlike regular cake batter (Pic 1).
• For mild chocolate swirl like mine do take 3/4 the cup yellow batter (Pic 1 & 2) or 1 Cup for little more chocolate swirls.
• Melt the chocolate in microwave or double boiler add the chocolate melt (when its warm and not so hot) to the yellow cake batter and mix until combined.
• Now in the prepared pans divide the yellow cake batter.
• Level and tap it before adding chocolate batter.
• The chocolate batter harden/sets quickly so add and swirl when they are gooey (Pic 4, also refer notes when it hardens).
• Make patterns as you like (Pic 2) and bake in preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (Pic 3).

• Cool on a wire rack for an hour and wrap them tight as shown in bottom layer in Pic 5 above.
• Store them in room temperature for to use it the next day.
• Or freeze it for later use, do thaw properly before icing it.
• For that perfect buttercream shown in picture 7 and 8, recipe follows.

Measurement for 2 Tier Cake

• As shown above in step wise pictures 5 , 6, 7 & 8, It’s a 4.5 to 5 inch height bottom 8 or 9 inch cake layers and top tier has 3 to 3.25 inch height 6 inch cake layers.
• For that I used 5 Cups cake flour measurement plus other ingredient changes for the bottom 4.5 inch to 5 inch cake tier with 4 layers.
• And 2.5 Cups Cake Flour Measurement plus the other ingredient changes for the top 3 to 3.25 inch height 6 inch cake tier and this 6 inch cake layers take little more time compared to 8 or 8 inch layer cakes.

For the Mini Cupcakes

• I have used 1.5 Cups flour measurement and change other ingredients accordingly for 24 mini cupcakes as shown here and just used 1/3 cup cake batter for the chocolate batter.
• Do make swirls as shown here (pic 1 above) or as you like and bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (Pic 2).

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Unsalted Butter – 1/2 cup (115 grams)
Veg Shortening – 1/2 cup (95 grams , replace with butter) Optional Food Color – I used red food color here
Icing / Powdered Sugar – 4 Cups (480 grams)
Water or Milk – 2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml)
Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp

• Cream softened butter for few minutes say 2 minutes until creamy.
• Add shortening and continue beating until it soft and smooth.
• Now add 2.5 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
• Do add vanilla extract and 1-2 tbsp of water or cream, food color and mix until smooth.

• If necessary add remaining powdered sugar for stiff buttercream and mix until smooth.
• Add a little more water or milk until desired consistency is reached.
• I have used Wilton 21 tip to make bouquet pattern over cupcakes and refer pictures 1 & 2 above.

Recipe Card

Print

Marble Cake Bouquet Mini Cupcakes Recipe

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Learn to make Marble Cake Bouquet Mini Cupcakes Recipe with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Sangeetha Priya

Ingredients

For the Marble Cake

• Cake Flour – 2 Cups 230 grams
• Unsalted Butter – 1 Cup 2 sticks at room temperature
• Large Eggs – 3 Numbers
• Egg Yolks – 2 Numbers
• Granulated Sugar – 3/4 Cup 1/2 Cup works for medium sugar level
• Light Brown Sugar – 1/2 Cup 1/3 cup works for medium sugar level
• Bittersweet or Semisweet Chocolate – 3 oz
• **Buttermilk – 2/3 Cup 160 ml
• Baking powder – 2 tsp
• Vanilla Extract – 1 Tbsp
• Salt – 1/2 tsp

For Vanilla ButterCream Icing

• Unsalted Butter – 1/2 cup (115 grams)
• Icing / Powdered Sugar – 4 Cups (480 grams)
• Veg Shortening – 1/2 cup (95 grams , replace with butter)
• Optional Food Color – I used red food color here
• Water or Milk – 2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml)
• Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp

Instructions

Marble Cake Batter Preparation

1. Grease two 8 or 9 inch cake pans with butter and dust with flour.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and keep aside.
3. Beat butter in handheld mixer or stand mixer until smooth and creamy (1 minute).
4. Add both sugars and beat in high speed for 3-4 minutes until creamed.
5. Scrap the sides and mix with spatula from bottom to top.
6. Add eggs and yolks one at a time with the mixer running in low speed.
7. Once done with adding eggs do add vanilla extract and beat on medium to high speed until combined.
8. Butter and eggs may sit in the bottom if using the stand mixer so lift them up as needed.
9. Add the dry ingredients mixture in batches by running the mixer at low speed altering with buttermilk.
10. Scrap and check for big lumps any, if so continue beating to smooth consistency and don’t over beat.
11. The cake batter looks slightly thick unlike regular cake batter (Pic 1).
12. For mild chocolate swirl like mine do take 3/4 the cup yellow batter (Pic 1 & 2) or 1 Cup for little more chocolate swirls.
13. Melt the chocolate in microwave or double boiler add the chocolate melt (when its warm and not so hot) to the yellow cake batter and mix until combined.
14. Now in the prepared pans divide the yellow cake batter.
15. Level and tap it before adding chocolate batter.
16. The chocolate batter harden/sets quickly so add and swirl when they are gooey (Pic 4, also refer notes when it hardens).
17. Make patterns as you like (Pic 2) and bake in preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (Pic 3).
18. Cool on a wire rack for an hour and wrap them tight as shown in bottom layer in Pic 5 above.
19. Store them in room temperature for to use it the next day.
20. Or freeze it for later use, do thaw properly before icing it.
21. For that perfect buttercream shown in picture 7 and 8, recipe follows.

Measurement for 2 Tier Cake

1. As shown above in step wise pictures 5 , 6, 7 & 8, It’s a 4.5 to 5 inch height bottom 8 or 9 inch cake layers and top tier has 3 to 3.25 inch height 6 inch cake layers.
2. For that I used 5 Cups cake flour measurement plus other ingredient changes for the bottom 4.5 inch to 5 inch cake tier with 4 layers.
3. And 2.5 Cups Cake Flour Measurement plus the other ingredient changes for the top 3 to 3.25 inch height 6 inch cake tier and this 6 inch cake layers take little more time compared to 8 or 8 inch layer cakes.

For the Mini Cupcakes

1. I have used 1.5 Cups flour measurement and change other ingredients accordingly for 24 mini cupcakes as shown here and just used 1/3 cup cake batter for the chocolate batter.
2. Do make swirls as shown here (pic 1 above) or as you like and bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (Pic 2).

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1. Cream softened butter for few minutes say 2 minutes until creamy.
2. Add shortening and continue beating until it soft and smooth.
3. Now add 2.5 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
4. Do add vanilla extract and 1-2 tbsp of water or cream, food color and mix until smooth.
5. If necessary add remaining powdered sugar for stiff buttercream and mix until smooth.
6. Add a little more water or milk until desired consistency is reached.
7. I have used Wilton 21 tip to make bouquet pattern over cupcakes and refer pictures 1 & 2 above.

Recipe Notes

1. If you are baking in large batch and the chocolate batter gets harden after adding to the pan, lift the chocolate batter up gently and warm it in microwave or in double boiler for few seconds and add it to the yellow batter and make swirls.
2. You can add half of the yellow batter first to the pan followed by chocolate batter, make patterns and then add rest of the yellow batter this technique also works good.

Notes

1. If you are baking in large batch and the chocolate batter gets harden after adding to the pan, lift the chocolate batter up gently and warm it in microwave or in double boiler for few seconds and add it to the yellow batter and make swirls.
2. You can add half of the yellow batter first to the pan followed by chocolate batter, make patterns and then add rest of the yellow batter this technique also works good.