Marble Spice Cake

Homemade marble spice cake with a simple powdered sugar frosting. This beautiful marbled cake has the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Although spice cakes are a favorite any time of the year, the holiday season is the perfect time to bring out the warm flavors of a homemade spice cake.

This Marble Spice Cake is soft and moist, and the easy lemon powdered sugar frosting glazed on the top only adds to the comforting flavor. It’s from scratch, but let me give your our hints for how easy it is.

a piece of marble spice cake on a plate with a fork

Why you’ll love this cake:

  • Soft & moist from scratch cake.
  • Two tone marble swirl for a pretty look.
  • Warm flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
  • Easy and light powdered sugar frosting with a hint of lemon.
  • Perfectly portable for picnics and family gatherings.

What are marble cakes made of?

Marble cakes are made by mixing up cake batter, then removing a small amount and adding other ingredients to it to produce a darker color. Sometimes you add chocolate. Other times, and in this case, you add molasses and spices to create a light spice cake flavor.

After you have the two colors of cake batter, you fill a pan and lightly swirl the cake batter to form a “marbled” look.

How to Make Marble Spice Cake

This cake bakes in a 9×13 baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350ºF before mixing the cake so it is ready to go.

  • Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add in the eggs and using a hand mixer on low speed, mix again until smooth. Add in the milk and vanilla extract. Mix well.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Combine the two. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until well mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Marble the cake. Pour ⅓ of the batter into a small bowl. In the small bowl of batter, add the molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Mix well. Pour all of the plain batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the spiced batter on top in small spoonfuls. Use a knife to gently swirl or “marble” the top.
  • Bake. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when you touch it.
overhead view of a cake with cinnamon sticks and rosemary

Frosting Ideas

This frosting is simple and delicious. The lemon flavor pairs wonderfully with our spice cake. If you’re looking for a different option, try one of these:

a piece of frosted spice cake on a plate
a piece of frosted spice cake on a plate

Marble Spice Cake

4.84 from 6 votes
Homemade marble spice cake with a simple powdered sugar frosting. This beautiful marbled cake has the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Servings 15
Prep Time 20 minutes
35 minutes

Ingredients
 

For the cake:

For the frosting:

Instructions
 

Make the cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Grease the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.
  • Add in the eggs and using a hand mixer on low speed, mix again until smooth.
  • Add in the milk and vanilla extract. Mix well.
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until well mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Pour ⅓ of the batter into a small bowl.
  • In the small bowl of batter, add the molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Mix well.
  • Pour all of the plain batter into the prepared pan.
  • Spoon the spiced batter on top in small spoonfuls.
  • Use a knife to gently swirl or “marble” the top.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when you touch it.
  • Cool completely.

Make the frosting:

  • In a small mixing bowl, cream the butter.
  • Then add in the powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Mix well.
  • Add in milk, a tablespoon at a time, until the icing is at a spreading consistency.
  • Frost the cooled cake.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

*You can use butter instead of shortening. It will slightly change the texture and flavor of the cake, but it works well.
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
 
Recipe Source: Pillsbury Bake Off Cake Cookbook

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 295
Keyword 9×13 cake, christmas cake, easy spice cake

Spice Cake Recipes

Try one of our many homemade spice cake recipes.

About Julie Clark

We are Julie, Maddie, and Kinslee – a mother and daughter team sharing with you the best cakes to satisfy any need or sweet craving that you may have. Welcome to our family’s kitchen!

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