Spooky Halloween Marble Cake (Printable Version)

Black and red marble cake with chocolate frosting and a spooky red drip—perfect for any Halloween party.

# What You'll Need:

→ Marble Cake

01 - 293 grams all-purpose flour
02 - 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 0.25 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
05 - 112 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 120 millilitres vegetable oil
07 - 310 grams granulated sugar
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
09 - 4 large eggs
10 - 240 millilitres buttermilk
11 - 142 grams bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), chopped
12 - black gel icing color, as needed
13 - red gel icing color, as needed

→ Chocolate Buttercream

14 - 504 grams unsalted butter
15 - 920 grams powdered sugar
16 - 114 grams natural unsweetened cocoa powder
17 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
18 - 75–105 millilitres water or cream
19 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
20 - black gel icing color, as needed

→ Red Drip

21 - 113 grams red candy melts
22 - 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
23 - assorted Halloween sprinkles (bloody bones, bloody eyeballs, severed fingers, as desired)

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Line three 20-centimetre cake pans with parchment paper circles and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 176°C.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixer bowl, beat unsalted butter, vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs two at a time, mixing until well combined after each addition. Scrape down sides as needed to ensure full incorporation.
05 - Mix in half of the dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and mix until fully combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and beat until batter is smooth. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly into two bowls. To one bowl, fold in red gel icing color until a vivid red is achieved. To the other, mix in melted bittersweet chocolate and black gel icing color. Fold quickly to prevent chocolate from firming.
07 - Alternate heaping spoonfuls of red and chocolate batters in prepared pans. Gently shake each pan to level the surface. Repeat until batter is distributed across all three pans.
08 - Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 2-3 minutes, then turn onto wire racks and cool completely.
09 - In a large mixer bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add half the powdered sugar and cocoa powder; mix until blended. Add vanilla extract and 45 millilitres water or cream; mix until smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar and salt, blending until creamy. Adjust consistency with additional liquid as needed. Tint with black gel icing color for rich black shade.
10 - Trim domes from the tops of cooled cake layers for flat surfaces. Place first cake layer on plate or cake board. Spread 1 cup buttercream over the surface. Add second layer, spread another 1 cup buttercream. Add final layer and frost entire cake with remaining buttercream.
11 - Place red candy melts in a bowl. Heat cream just to a boil and pour over the candy melts. Let sit 2-3 minutes, then whisk. If not fully melted, microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Allow drip to cool slightly.
12 - Drizzle red drip along cake edges and slightly on top edges, keeping centre unfrosted. Decorate with Halloween-themed sprinkles as desired.
13 - Place finished cake in an airtight container. For best texture and flavour, serve within 3-4 days.

# Additional Notes:

01 - For optimal tenderness, use buttermilk instead of regular milk. Powdered buttermilk is an acceptable substitute.
02 - Bittersweet chocolate ensures the chocolate layer maintains depth of flavour and ideal texture.
03 - Weighing cake batter ensures evenly marbled layers and proportional baking.

Go Back