This Almond Flour Chocolate Marble Loaf features beautiful swirls of gluten-free vanilla and chocolate cake with a perfectly moist and tender crumb. It's dairy-free and hits that 'not too sweet' sweet spot without requiring a long list of specialty ingredients. Just a simple base of almond flour and cornstarch paired with kitchen staples like eggs, cocoa and granulated sugar.
If you're feeling extra, you can top this one with homemade chocolate ganache (option included in the recipe card) or pair it with this decadent sour cream chocolate frosting!
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Table of Contents
Why this is the best almond flour marble loaf
All of my almond flour recipes go through multiple rounds of testing. I share a lot of recipes for almond flour cakes and cookies, and with every new recipe, I love to try different ingredients and techniques to achieve the best texture possible.
After baking five different variations of this marble loaf, here are the three things I landed on to make the best version possible:
- Bake low at 325F. I tested this loaf at 350F multiple times, and the top always expanded too quickly and it browned too much before the middle was baked. Once I reduced the temperature to 325F, it baked up perfectly golden with just enough rise.
- Use a mixer to beat together the eggs and sugar. To get that rise and to enhance the fluffy texture, I used an electric mixture to beat together the eggs and sugar until foamy. This dissolves the sugar and also helps aerate the eggs, in turn, improving the leavening and structure of the loaf.
- Use cornstarch. Combining cornstarch with almond flour creates a tender and lighter loaf. It absorbs some of the excess oil from the almond flour so the cake isn't too dense and it contributes to the cake's structure as well.
Notes on ingredients and substitutions
You just need 10 ingredients for this loaf cake!
- Almond flour - I always recommend fine blanched almond flour for cakes as almond meal is coarser and can create a grittier cake batter.
- Cornstarch - As mentioned above, this helps absorb oil and moisture. While tapioca flour and coconut flour can also do this in almond flour recipes, I haven't tested this recipe with those as substitutes. They would likely need differing amounts to achieve the same result.
- Cocoa - I almost always use Dutch-processed cocoa, especially when the recipe relies on baking powder for leavening. (Baking soda is often paired with natural cocoa). Dutch-processed is darker in color and richer in flavor, so I prefer to use it in cakes, frostings and brownies. I haven't tested this loaf recipe with natural cocoa.
- Eggs - You'll need four room temperature eggs for moisture and structure. Since we're using so many eggs, I haven't tested this recipe with an egg replacement.
- Oil - It seems odd to add oil to an almond flour cake since almond flour is naturally moist and oily, but almond flour is also highly absorbent and can overbake quickly and dry out. Adding oil helps prevent drying out.
- Milk - For this recipe, I'm also adding a touch of milk for added moisture. I used almond milk to keep the cake dairy-free, but feel free to use another type of milk.
- Sugar - To keep things simple, the recipe is made with granulated sugar. Cane sugar will also work, but I haven't tested the loaf with any other types of sweeteners.
Helpful tips before you get started
- Use a lighter colored loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. This will help prevent the bottom and sides from browning too much (because of the high fat content, almond flour browns quicker than traditional flour).
- Room temperature ingredients. This is especially important for the eggs. At room temperature, they will beat together with the sugar easily and help it dissolve quickly. I also store my almond flour in the fridge, so I let it come to room temperature before I get started.
- Be careful not to overbake. Even though we're baking this loaf at a lower temperature, ovens differ and almond flour browns quickly. Keep an eye on the loaf as it approaches the 40 minute mark and test for doneness with a toothpick.
Measuring your ingredients
For convenience, US cup measurements are included in the recipe card for this recipe. To ensure greater accuracy, however, weight and volume measurements are also provided. So, if you see grams (g), you'll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, and if you see milliliters (ml), you'll want to use a liquid measuring cup. Smaller quantities of ingredients are provided in teaspoons and tablespoons.
How to make gluten-free chocolate marble loaf
For a fancy looking marble cake, this recipe is quite easy to assemble and bake!
Frequently asked questions
Just store it covered at room temperature and it will stay soft and moist for 2-3 days.
Absolutely! Once fully cooled, wrap the loaf in a few layers of plastic wrap and seal it in a freezer bag. It should keep stored in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Given the amount of batter, this loaf is best made in a 9x5 inch pan. If you try to make it in a smaller loaf pan, it will likely be too much batter. The cake may brown too much on the outside before the middle is done, and it could also sink in the middle.
Using a pan that is too small for the about of batter may cause the loaf to sink. It could also sink if the loaf is underbaked or if the ingredients were over mixed.
More almond flour loaf cakes
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Almond Flour Chocolate Marble Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (260 g) fine blanched almond flour
- ½ cup (60 g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup (165 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the chocolate cake portion:
- ¼ cup (24 g) Dutch-processed cocoa, sifted if lumpy
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line the bottom and sides with overhanging parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer on medium high speed to beat together the eggs and sugar until foamy, about 1 minute.
- Add the oil, milk and vanilla and mix until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix again until just combined.
- Transfer a little less than half of the batter to a separate bowl. Add the cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix until just combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop to layer portions of the batter into the prepared loaf pan, alternating between the vanilla and chocolate batters. Once done, use a knife to swirl the batters around. (Just up and done the pan a few times should do it).
- Bake for 39-42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before using the sides of the parchment paper to lift the loaf out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use a lighter colored loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. This will help prevent the bottom and sides from browning too much.
- Room temperature ingredients. This is especially important for the eggs. At room temperature, they will beat together with the sugar easily and help it dissolve quickly. I also store my almond flour in the fridge, so I let it come to room temperature before I get started.
- Be careful not to overbake. Even though we're baking this loaf on a lower temperature, ovens differ and almond flour browns quickly. Keep an eye on the loaf as it approaches the 40 minute mark and test for doneness with a toothpick.
- Optional ganache topping. Chop up 4 ounces of dark chocolate and place in a glass bowl. Heat ¼ cup of heavy cream (on the stove top or in the microwave). Pour over the chopped chocolate, cover and let sit for a few minutes. Stir until all of the chocolate is melted. Pour over top of the cooled loaf and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.
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Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
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