Marble Pound Cake (5 Ingredients, No Eggs)

This Marble Pound Cake is a plant-based pound cake made with alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla and only 5 wholesome ingredients! It’s a classic French recipe that looks fantastic and tastes even better.

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I love making pound cakes such as my classic Vegan Pound Cake, Orange Pound Cake, or Vegan Lemon Pound Cake, but today I wanted to make my simple version of the classic French marble cake.

This pound cake is made without swirling the batter. Instead, the technique works by layering dollops of alternating dough on top of each other. But the classic recipe has too many ingredients and takes quite a bit of time, so I tried to simplify it as much as possible, and I managed to take it down to just 5 ingredients.

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need 5 ingredients to make the dough.

• Self-Rising Flour – Self-rising flour ensures the cake rises properly. If unavailable, replace it with 2 cups of all-purpose flour plus 3 teaspoons of baking powder. Avoid almond or coconut flour, which will change the texture and make the cake too dense. I haven’t tried gluten-free flour blends yet.
• Vanilla Plant-Based Yogurt – Yogurt adds moisture, flavor, and tenderness. If using plain plant-based yogurt, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to prevent the cake from tasting bland. Soy, almond, or coconut yogurt all work fine.
• Light Olive Oil – Olive oil brings moisture without overpowering the flavor. You can substitute with melted vegan butter, sunflower oil, or vegetable oil. I prefer to avoid high-flavor oils for this cake, like avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil.
• Sugar – Sugar sweetens the batter and contributes to the soft crumb. Use coconut sugar or brown sugar for a richer taste, but note that these will darken the batter slightly.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Cocoa powder is used to make the chocolate swirl. It dissolves easily with warm water to form a smooth chocolate mixture. Dutch-processed cocoa offers a richer color, while natural cocoa has a more intense flavor.
• Vanilla Extract – I use this optional ingredient if my yogurt isn’t strongly flavored or plain. It’s not necessary if the yogurt already has a bold vanilla taste.

How to Make Marble Pound Cake

This recipe is quite easy to make, all you need to do is split the batter and alternate dollops of colors to make the cake!

Combine the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl until it’s sticky.

Split the dough evenly into two bowls.

Add a chocolate mixture made with cocoa powder and water to one of the bowls.

Incorporate the chocolate mixture into the dough and prepare a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Use a cookie scoop to drop a dollop of vanilla dough into the pan.

Add another dollop of chocolate batter, and another one of vanilla batter.

Keep doing this until the two bowls of batter are empty.

Gently shake the pan to flatten the dough.

Bake the marble pound cake at 350 °F (180 °C) for 50-60 minutes

Let the cake cool down on a wire rack or chopping board for a little while.

Carine’s Baking Tips

I have a few additional tips for you that couldn’t fit in the recipe card below.

1. Use Room Temperature Ingredients – Ensure the yogurt and oil are at room temperature to help the batter mix smoothly and promote even baking.
2. Don’t Overmix the Batter – Stir only until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can develop too much gluten, making the cake dense and tough.
3. Prevent Sinking – Tap the filled pan lightly on the counter to release air bubbles and ensure the batter reaches the edges evenly. This will prevent uneven rising.
4. Check the Baking Early – Start checking the cake with a toothpick at the 50-minute mark. If the toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, the cake is ready. Be careful not to overbake, as this can make the cake dry inside.
5. Cool Completely Before Slicing – Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool fully. This prevents crumbling and allows the flavors to set.
6. Add a Glaze or Topping – Drizzle with a simple powdered sugar glaze or melted dark chocolate for a fancier presentation. A sprinkle of powdered sugar also works for an elegant, understated finish.
7. Make Ahead and Store Properly – Store the pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months.
8. Bake Mini Loaves or Muffins – Divide the batter into smaller pans or muffin tins for quicker baking (25-30 minutes). These make great portion-controlled treats or gifts.

More Pound Cake Recipes

If you like pound cakes, you’ll love these!

Vegan Pound Cake

Orange Pound Cake

Vegan Lemon Pound Cake

Marble Pound Cake

This Marble Pound Cake is a plant-based pound cake made with alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla and only 5 wholesome ingredients!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Cooling: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 2 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 206.4 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 2 cups Self Rising Flour - (note 1)
• ▢ 1 ⅓ cup Vanilla Plant-Based Yogurt - (note 2)
• ▢ ½ cup Light Olive Oil - or melted vegan butter
• ▢ 1 cup Sugar - (note 3)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - + 4 tablespoons warm water to dissolve

Optional

• ▢ 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 9-inch pound cake pan with parchment paper. Spray the sides and bottom of the pan with cooking oil. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk vanilla yogurt, oil, and sugar. If your yogurt is unflavored or has a light vanilla flavor, stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
• Fold in self-rising flour and stir to incorporate until the batter is thick and smooth.
• Divide the batter evenly into two mixing bowl. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, prepare the cocoa mixture by whisking 4 tablespoons of warm water and unsweetened cocoa powder
• Pour the chocolate mixture in one of the mixing bowl, stir to evenly incorporate. You now have two mixing bowls, one with vanilla batter and one with chocolate batter.
• In the prepared loaf pan, add dollops of about 1/4 cup of vanilla batter, then chocolate batter, on top of each other, alternating until the bowls with batter are empty.
• Slightly jiggle the pan to make sure the batter runs to the edges of the pan, and the pan is nicely filled.
• Bake the cake at 350 °F (180 °C) for 50-60 minutes. Check if it is ready by inserting a toothpick in the center of the pound cake. If it comes out clean, it means you can remove the pan from the oven. If not, bake longer, in 10-minute increments, until the crumb is set.
• Let the pound cake cool down on a cooling rack before at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

Notes

Note 1: You can also use 2 cups of all-purpose flour and add 3 teaspoons of baking powder. I haven’t tried all-purpose gluten-free flour and can’t guarantee it works. The recipe won’t work with almond flour or coconut flour.

Note 2: You can use any yogurt you like. If you are using plain yogurt, add 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or the pound cake will be bland in flavor.

Note 3: You can use any crystal sweetener, like coconut sugar or brown sugar but the batter won’t be as white

Note 4: You can skip the vanilla extract if your vanilla yogurt has a strong vanilla flavor.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 206.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.4g | Protein: 3.5g | Fat: 7.9g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.2g | Cholesterol: 1.2mg | Sodium: 16.8mg | Potassium: 73.9mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 16.8g | Vitamin A: 10.9IU | Vitamin B12: 0.1µg | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 44.9mg | Iron: 0.2mg | Magnesium: 8.7mg | Phosphorus: 51.3mg | Zinc: 0.4mg