Hello All! I purchased Beyond Buttercream's (Jennifer Bratko) recipe booklet awhile ago, but need to make a marble cake. I don't want to make a chocolate cake and vanilla, then combine them, but instead change the vanilla to part chocolate. Does anyone know how I could do this without changing the structure of the cake? Wondering if it would be ok to add some melted chocolate to a cup of the batter and swirl it in, but the liquid would alter that a bit too. Or if using cocoa powder would that make the chocolate part dry because of not being able to replace some of the flour with cocoa? Not quite sure how to do this. Thanks for any help!

I love Jennifer Bratko's white cake recipe and use it all the time!  It makes about 5 cups of batter as written.  This would work for the yellow or all yolk variations too I would think.  Make the base yellow or white recipe, then remove one to 1.5 cups of batter.  (To make a pretty marble, I like to use more white than chocolate).  Melt and cool about 4 oz of dark chocolate, or mix 1/4 c of cocoa powder with 1/4 hot water or hot coffee and stir until smooth.  Mix one or the other into to the 1 - 1.5 cups of batter until you get the chocolate intensity you desire.  Then you are all set to marble.  HTH.   

Thank you yortma! I think I'll try the melted chocolate and see how that comes out. I was worried about getting the batter too loose by adding the cocoa with water. I have only made the version with 3 whole eggs and its wonderful. Have done vanilla and lemon, but this base recipe is fantastic and so many flavors to choose. Love the ebook! Worth every penny. Wonder why her business closed?! And if she's reopened somewhere else. Can't find any info on it.

if you ever do want to try the cocoa, (or are out of chocolate)  the amount of cocoa and water given above should end up with a thick mixture like sour cream, so it doesn't add much liquid.  Can adjust the amounts to get the right consistency.  I have used the white cake recipe for years and have never found a better more reliable recipe.  I don't know why her bakery closed.  She is very talented and I hope all is well for her.  

yortma, I just looked in my copy of Beyond Buttercream and there it  was on the back page that I printed - marble cake!

She says to "remove 1/2 cup prepared batter and mix in 2 tbsp cocoa powder. If its a little thick, add a little more oil until it has almost the same consistency as the vanilla batter. Swirl into batter. (Beyond Buttercream confirmed.)

I'm a bit confused by this as where does the "oil" come into play? Was the cocoa suppose to be mixed  with oil first and she forgot to say that? Theres no oil anywhere in the recipe itself. hmmm... what do you think? Its good to talk to someone about her recipes! I am having great success with it. First one I made was using egg yolks only and it was so dense (great flavor) and I think I under cooked it so I didn't try it again for  quite some time and now I think I've got it! lol I haven't tried the white cake version yet. I made the base recipe using the 3 whole eggs and its great. Now I'm going to attempt the marble. Love the texture of the recipe and versatility. I have only tried it using buttermilk not milk, and shortening the first time, then 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening the second time, and now all butter. All were great!

I have an old version of her recipe, so I was not aware she had instructions for marble!  Sounds like she means adding oil after mixing in the cocoa of it makes the batter too thick.    I have not tried mixing dry cocoa right into the batter. Seems to me it would mix in faster, without over mixing if the cocoa is mixed first with hot water, hot coffee, or maybe oil, but haven't tried oil.  To be honest, if I am making a big cake, and it is worth making 1/2 recipe of my favorite chocolate cake, then I do mix up a separate chocolate cake to use for the marbling.  But for a smaller cake, it is not worth the effort/waste to make that much.  I use a different yellow cake recipe (Toba Garrett's), but I love Ms. Bratko's white cake recipe.  I used to use buttermilk, but have transitioned to using whole milk as I like the flavor better.  Less tangy.  

When I want a marble cake, I mix 1/4 cup cocoa and 2 tablespoons oil in a 2 cup measure. (Sometimes I also add a tablespoon or so of coffee powder.) Then depending upon how much marbling I want, I'll add yellow batter to the mixture.

even though it's still hot here -- the seasons are changing -- i'm crunching on pecans falling from the trees as i walk my dog -- so when i think of marble cake i think of a lush coffee flavored icing... oh man oh man

but that's all i do is think about it hahahahaha

i got about 20 pounds to go.... and i can't change the way i eat when i get there either -- if i don't stay eating the same i'll gain it right back -- too many lipids in the blood -- 

got off topic ---

back to sweet dreams of marble cake...