This Vegan Mocha Marble Cake is a coffee-lovers spin on a classic marble cake recipe. It makes a great sweet afternoon snack or indulgent breakfast treat and just look at those gorgeous swirls! Gluten-free option included!
Here’s a coffee lover’s take on an absolute classic – Marble cake! For so many of us, this cake is an absolute childhood classic. It typically describes a cake in which two distinctly colored batters are swirled together , and often baked in a loaf tin or bundt cake tin.
This vegan mocha marble cake is indeed a sight for sore eyes with its beautiful chocolate mocha and vanilla cake batter swirls creating that signature marble cake look. But more importantly, it tastes amazing!
Instead of classic chocolate and vanilla marble cake, I added some coffee to the chocolate layer for a luscious mocha layer!
Don’t worry, you don’t have to make 2 separate cake batters! This vegan mocha marble cake uses just one batter to make both the vanilla and mocha portions and is very easy to make using simple ingredients.
At the bottom of the post, I will also give you an option to make this gluten-free.
More Vegan Cake Recipes:
- Rasmalai Tres Leches Cake
- Gluten free Chocolate Cake
- Date Nut Cake
- Self Saucing Black Forest Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Tiramisu sheet cake
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Vegan Marble Mocha Cake
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) plus 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk such as almond milk, oat milk, soy milk
- 3 tablespoons non-dairy yogurt or apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) oil (use 3 tablespoon applesauce for Oilfree)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour (see gf option in notes below)
- ⅓ cup (66.67 g) sugar (2 tablespoons more for sweeter)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the chocolate mocha layer:
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (60 m) hot coffee or use hot water for just chocolate layer
For the ganache:
- ¾ cup (135 g) vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup (125 ml) full fat coconut milk
- Few drops of vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix all wet ingredients until well combined.
- In another bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well. Then add all the wet ingredients and mix until all of the mixture is incorporated.
- If the batter is too thick, add in 1-2 teaspoons milk at a time until it is somewhat flow-y. You don’t want it to be too thin but it shouldn’t be too stiff when mixing it.
- In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder and coffee and set aside.
- Divide batter into two bowls. In one of the batters mix in the cocoa coffee mixture until mixed in.
- Line 8×8 inch or 9×9 inch glass or ceramic baking dish or grease it really well. If you’re greasing it dust it with some flour as well
- Alternate pouring in the vanilla and the mocha batter into the pan. You can pour it however you like, if you want to keep it organic just spoon it organically into the dish (like in the pictures). Or you can put a large spoonful of mocha batter in the middle then another spoonful of the white batter on top. This will give you a zebra effect.
- Once all the batter is in the pan, tap it lightly to even it out. bake at preheated 350ºF (170ºC) for 30 minutes. Check at the 25 minute mark if the cake is done in the center, or continue to bake for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 15-20 min then tap it out of the baking dish.
- Make the ganache while the cake it baking. Heat the coconut milk in a small sauce pan or skillet over medium heat. Once the coconut milk is boiling, rapidly switch off the heat. Add in the chocolate chips, vanilla and mix in. Continue to mix in until the chocolate is melted evenly.
- Keep this chocolate mixture in the fridge to chill for 15-30 minutes, depending on the consistency of the frosting that you like. Then spread it all over the marble cake.
- Chill the cake again for 10-15 minutes for the frosting to settle in then slice and serve.Store covered on the counter for the day, refrigerate for upto a week.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients:
- for the wet ingredients, we use a combination of non-dairy milk, non-dairy yogurt, and oil
- A bit of vinegar helps with the rise
- vanilla extract gives the base cake batter plenty of flavor
- this cake is made with all purpose flour
- we add some baking powder and baking soda to add rise to the cake
- I sweeten this cake with regular cane sugar
- for the chocolate mocha layer, we stir some cocoa powder and hot coffee together and add that to the cake batter
- the ganache glaze is made with vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips, full fat coconut milk and vanilla extract
Tips:
- for a classic chocolate vanilla marble cake, use hot water instead of coffee
- You can use apple sauce instead of yogurt
- Non dairy milks like almond milk soy milk or oat milk work best
How to make Vegan Marble Mocha Cake:
In a bowl, mix all wet ingredients until well combined.
In another bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well. 
Then add all the wet ingredients and mix until all of the mixtures are well combined.
If the batter is too thick, add in 1-2 teaspoons milk at a time until it is somewhat flow-y. You don’t want it to be too thin but it shouldn’t be too stiff when mixing it.
In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder and coffee and set aside.
Divide batter into two bowls. In one of the batters mix in the cocoa coffee mixture until mixed in.
Line 8×8 inch or 9×9 inch glass or ceramic baking dish or grease it really well. If you’re greasing it dust it with some flour.
Alternate pouring in the vanilla and the mocha batter into the pan. You can pour it however you like, if you want to keep it organic just spoon it organically into the dish.
Or you can put a spoonful in the middle and then another spoonful of the white batter on top. This will give you a zebra effect.
Once all the batter is in the pan, tap it lightly to even it out and bake at 350ºF (170ºC) for 30 minutes. Check at the 25-minute mark if its done or continue to bake for another 10 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 15-20 min then tap it out of the baking dish
Make the ganache while the cake it baking. Heat the coconut milk in a small sauce pan or skillet over medium heat. Once the coconut milk is boiling, rapidly switch off the heat.
Add in the chocolate chips, vanilla and mix in. Continue to mix in until the chocolate is melted evenly.
Take the dish off the stove so that the heat from the burner does not keep heating up the chocolate.
Keep this chocolate mixture in the fridge to chill for 15-30 minutes, depending on the consistency of the frosting that you like. Then spread it all over the marble cake.
Chill the cake again for 10-15 minutes for the frosting to settle in then slice and serve.
MAKE IT GLUTENFREE
To make this gluten-free, use 1 cup of almond flour, ¾ cup of oat flour and ½ cup of potato starch mixed in.
Use ¾ cup of milk in the marble cake. Once you mix in the milk into the dry mixture add in ¼ to ⅓ cup of club soda and lightly mix in. Then proceed with making the two batters and alternatively layering it into the marble effect.
STORAGE
This cake is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. That way will keep for about 2 days. Refrigerate for the week.
Paula Rothman
trader joes has an amazing vegan heavy cream!
didnt think that applesauce and yog were interchangeable
i have found that forager drinkable plain youg is amazing vegan buttermilk.
wonder if you have tried it.
so much better than milk and vinegar
Vegan Richa Support
Haven’t tried it. I’ll check it out.
Brigida Marovelli
Such a perfect recipe! It turnout great even using spelt flour!
Vegan Richa Support
So glad to hear it!
JoAnn Buel
Wont the mocha choc part of cake be much thinner than the white mixture?
Vegan Richa Support
When preparing the cake with these recipe steps it has never been an issue.
Danielle
This recipe looks amazing! I am happy that it’s for a smaller size. I love that it’s a mocha layer instead of just chocolate. I’ll make this for Christmas festivities. Thanks!
Anna
Hi Richa! This sounds amaIng and I’d love to make it for my mom’s birthday, but she can’t stand the taste of coconut. Would you be able to recommend any substitutions for the coconut milk?
Vegan Richa Support
Your favorite dairy-free heavy cream can be used. You want something creamy and thick to get a smooth ganache.
lea
Shades of my childhood……must try this…….
catherine
Hi VR, would I double this recipe to fill a bundt pan? Thanks! Looks yummy!
Vegan Richa Support
I have not made this in a bundt pan, but the recipe as-is should be enough batter for a small pan.
Donna
The recipe looks wonderful! I do have a question about making the cake gluten-free. Do you think I could use the gluten-free flour that is considered a 1 to 1 baking flour with this recipe? Like Bob’s 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour?
Also is there enough batter to bake in a Bundt cake pan?
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes! I’m loving your latest cookbook!
Vegan Richa Support
Yes you can use a 1:1 flour. I have not tried in a bundt pan but there should be enough batter. Let me know how it turns out!
Catherine
I can’t wait to make this. I love all your recipes! Can all purpose gluten-free flour be used?
Vegan Richa Support
Absolutely.
Kelli
Is GF option part instead of all the dry ingredients in the regular? Lime no baking powder of baking soda? Are all of the other ingredients then the same?
Kelli
That is “like” not lime… hahaa
Vegan Richa Support
To make this gluten free, use 1 cup of almond flour, 3/4 cup of oat flour and ½ cup of potato starch and use instead of all purpose flour. You will still need the baking powder and baking soda.
James
Does it work with GF flour?
Vegan Richa Support
It does! To make this gluten free, use 1 cup of almond flour, 3/4 cup of oat flour and ½ cup of potato starch and use instead of all purpose flour. Add 3/4 cup of milk in the marble cake. Once you mix in the milk into the dry mixture add in 1/4 to 1/3 cup of club soda or carbonated water and lightly mix in. Then proceed with making the two batters and alternatively layering it into the marble effect.