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Danish Marmorkage: Easy Buttery Marble Loaf (Quick Holiday Cake)

  • AI Kitchen
  • 4 minutes ago
  • 4 min read

There’s something quietly comforting about a marmorkage — a Danish marble cake — that makes a rainy afternoon feel intentional. This loaf is all about butter-forward flavor, a tender crumb, and an easy two-bowl method that feels sophisticated without being fussy. It works beautifully in a glass loaf pan (glass holds heat differently — I’ll give you that tip below), and it’s an ideal, no-nonsense bake for the run-up to Thanksgiving: quick to prep, reliably crowd-pleasing, and easy to dress up with coffee or a thin chocolate glaze.

Chocolate-drizzled cake in a glass dish sits on a marbled counter. The cake appears freshly baked, with visible blog text: aikitchen.blog.

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Two glass loaf pans with gray lids, each containing golden-brown baked bread. The top loaf has a swirled crust, while the bottom has a crumbly topping.
Glass pan - not toxic!

Recipe


  • Serves: 12 slices

  • Calories per serving: ~291 kcal

  • Total time: ~1 hour 15 minutes (Active: 20 minutes; Inactive: 55 minutes — includes 50–55 minutes baking)

Danish Marmorkage: Easy Buttery Marble Loaf (Quick Holiday Cake)

Slice of marble cake on a decorative plate, set on a beige cloth with a patterned napkin beside it. Text reads "aikitchen.blog".

Ingredients

  • 200 g (about 1 cup minus 1 tbsp) unsalted butter, very soft

  • 175 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla sugar if you have it)

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

  • 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • ¼ tsp fine salt

  • 100 ml (â…“ cup + 1 tbsp) whole milk, room temperature

For the chocolate swirl:

  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process if you like a rounded chocolate tone)

  • 2 tbsp whole milk

  • 1 tbsp sugar

  • Optional: 30 g (2 tbsp) melted dark chocolate for extra depth


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Butter a 9×5-inch glass loaf pan and line it with parchment so the ends overhang for easy removal. (Glass holds heat longer than metal; baking gently in the center-lower oven rack helps avoid overbrowning.)

  2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla until pale and light — about 2–3 minutes. The air you beat into it gives you a fine crumb.

  3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition so the batter stays smooth and won’t split.

  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

  5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two or three additions, alternating with the milk. Start and finish with the dry ingredients. Mix on low until just combined — you want a silky batter, not overworked.

  6. Scoop roughly one-third of the batter into a small bowl. Stir in the cocoa, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tbsp sugar, and the melted dark chocolate (if using) until smooth. That’s your chocolate batter.

  7. Spoon alternating dollops of vanilla and chocolate batter into the prepared loaf pan — three or four layers is enough. Run a skewer or knife through the batter once or twice to create a gentle marble pattern. Don’t over-swirl; Danish marmorkage looks best with soft, elegant veining.

  8. Bake on the middle-lower rack for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are fine). Because this is a glass pan, start checking at 45 minutes if your oven runs hot.

  9. Remove from oven. Let the loaf rest in the pan for 8–10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment overhang and finish cooling on a wire rack. If you like, brush the top with a little melted butter and a pinch of sugar while warm for a subtle gloss, or drizzle a thin chocolate glaze after it’s fully cool.


Detailed nutritional value (per serving — approx.)

These are approximate values calculated from the ingredient quantities above and intended to guide dietary choices.

  • Calories: ~291 kcal

  • Total fat: ~16.2 g

    • Saturated fat: ~9.0 g (mostly from butter and eggs)

  • Carbohydrates: ~32.6 g

    • Sugars (added & natural): ~15–17 g

    • Dietary fiber: ~1.0–1.5 g

  • Protein: ~4.5 g

  • Sodium: ~140 mg (from butter and added salt)


Key micronutrients (approximate, per slice)

  • Calcium: small amount (milk contributes ≈10–40 mg per slice depending on milk %)

  • Iron: small amount (from cocoa/dark chocolate — roughly 0.2–0.3 mg)

  • Vitamin A: present from butter and eggs (provides some fat-soluble vitamins)

  • B vitamins: eggs and flour provide modest amounts (B12, riboflavin)

Health notes and benefits

  • This is a richer, butter-forward cake (traditional Danish style) — it’s not low-fat, but it’s satisfying in small slices.

  • Butter and eggs supply fat-soluble vitamins (A, D in small amounts) and choline from eggs.

  • Cocoa/dark chocolate adds a small antioxidant boost (flavanols), and using 70%+ dark chocolate for the optional swirl increases that benefit.

  • If you’re watching sugar, you can reduce the granulated sugar by 15–20% with minimal texture change (the cake will be less sweet but still tender).

Practical tips (glass-pan and holiday baking)

  • Because glass retains heat, position the pan on the middle-lower oven rack and check the cake 5–10 minutes earlier than you might with metal. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the remainder of bake time.

  • For a thinner, elegant glaze: melt 50 g dark chocolate with 10–12 g butter and drizzle over the cooled loaf. It keeps the cake moist for longer if you plan to serve it over a couple of days.

  • This loaf scales well: use a wider loaf pan or a bundt for more dramatic marbling, but adjust bake time accordingly.


Storage instructions

  • At room temperature: Wrap the fully cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Keeps well for 2 days at room temperature.

  • Refrigeration: For longer storage (up to 5 days), refrigerate in an airtight container; bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.

  • Freezing: Slice the loaf, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw slices at room temperature or gently warm in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 6–8 minutes.


Prompt

Here's how I used ChatGPT to create this "Danish Marmorkage: Easy Buttery Marble Loaf (Quick Holiday Cake)" recipe:

I got this gorgeous new glass bread loaf pan and I was so excited to try and use it:

Ok so I have a new bread loaf pan that's glass. I want to make a pretty and delicious marble cake. Simple but rich, bonus points if it follows Danish baking style (as in Denmark)

Scroll to the top or click the link below for the final recipe.

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