This easy chocolate swirl cake will quickly become a family favorite. A two-layer simple vanilla cake with a fun chocolate swirl that runs through the layers!
Hi friends!
One of my favorite things to do with my kids in the kitchen is to let them develop their own recipes. When they were little I gave them veggie scraps and a pot and let them go to down. Now that they’re older, they’ve actually successfully developed a few recipes.
That’s not to say there haven’t been failures. This cake took 4 tries to get right but my daughter did it all by herself! She started by writing down all the ingredients she thought should be in a cake and looked at measuring cups to determine the amounts.
Once we baked it, though edible, it needed some tweaks. There was not enough liquid, it was too dense, it was too sweet etc. So we talked through the changes and tried again. And repeat.
On the fourth try she was happy with it!
What is chocolate swirl cake?
Chocolate swirl cake is simply the name my daughter came up with. This is really just a simple vanilla cake that we split into two layers and it has a fun little swirl of chocolate running through the layers to make it more fun!
It’s similar to a marble cake. You could also try this Marble Cake or this Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Cake.
How to make chocolate swirl cake
This cake isn’t hard to make but it does have a few steps:
- Start by creaming the butter and sugar.
- Then add the eggs and vanilla.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients (except cocoa powder) and the milk.
- Remove a little of the batter and mix in some cocoa powder.
- Split the batter into two pans and swirl in the chocolate batter.
- Bake and let cool.
- Frost with your favorite frosting!
Easy Vanilla Chocolate Swirl Cake
Watch my seven year old make her recipe!
Chocolate Swirl Cake Recipe
PrintHow To Make Chocolate Swirl Cake
This easy chocolate swirl cake will quickly become a family favorite. A two-layer simple vanilla cake with a fun chocolate swirl that runs through the layers!
- Yield: 1 cake 1x
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup milk + 2 Tbsp milk, divided
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 T cocoa powder
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time beating after each egg. Add vanilla with the last egg.
- Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
- Alternate adding half the flour mixture with half the milk (reserve 2 Tbsp). Mix between additions and repeat.
- Scoop 1/3 cup of batter into a bowl and add cocoa powder and 2 Tbps milk. Stir until well combined.
- Divide batter evenly between two 8-inch cake pans that are greased and lined with parchment paper.
- Add three scoops of chocolate around each cake pan.
- Use a knife to swirl the chocolate blobs around through the vanilla batter.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
- Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack.
- Frost using your favorite frosting. Frost the top of one cake, stack the second cake on top and then frost the top and sides.
Chocolate Swirl Cake FAQs
What kind of flour should I use?
All-purpose flour is best for this recipe. We’ve also made it with white whole wheat flour.
Can I make this without the chocolate swirl?
Yes! Just leave out the cocoa powder and bake after dividing into two pans.
Can I make just one cake?
Yes, if you want a thicker cake, you can put all the batter into one pan and increase the baking time!
What kind of frosting is best for chocolate swirl cake?
We like ours with a simple buttercream frosting like this one – Favorite Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. But we’ve also made this with a jar of storebought frosting!
How to store chocolate swirl cake?
We store ours on the counter for a day or two and then move to the fridge.
Can you freeze chocolate swirl cake?
Yes, cool completely after baking, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in a freezer-safe bag. When you’re ready to eat it just remove from the freezer, let it thaw, frost and enjoy!
Looking for other baking recipes? Try these:
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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