Chocolate Marble Bread (aka Zebra Cake)

Doesn't marbling in baked goods intrigue you? I don't know why I am so drawn to pictures of breads and cakes that have marbling and layers. Maybe it is the fact that it looks like you did something complicated when it was really just the act of swirling an extra large toothpick through your batter. Or maybe it's because there is always a surprise in every slice you cut. Who knows.

I do need to admit right up front that this is really cake masquerading as bread. Really, it is. Even in the description on the original post the author explains that it is a basic vanilla cake batter to which you add chocolate. This goes back to the discussion during our Daring Bakers challenge of what a quick bread really is, cake or bread. Most people agreed that many quick "bread" recipes were just cakes in loaf form. Hence, the Chocolate Marble Bread otherwise known as Zebra Cake by my son.

While I certainly won't feed this to my family for breakfast (as maybe I would with a banana bread), it is a very tasty loaf of bread/cake. Definitely more in the realm of dessert though. Enjoy!


Chocolate Marble Bread
Source: Joy of Baking

4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup milk, divided
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan.

Melt the chocolate along with 1/4 cup of milk over the lowest heat setting on the stove top. Remove from heat and set aside.

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

In a small bowl whisk the sour cream with the remaining milk, and the vanilla extract.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream/milk mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

Spoon half of the batter into a separate bowl. Add the chocolate mixture to one half of the batter and fold in.

With two spoons, place spoonfuls of the two mixtures into the prepared loaf pan alternately (chocolate, vanilla, chocolate, etc). Run a wooden skewer or knife through the two batter to achieve the marble affect.

Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely.

Makes one 9x5 loaf