Pumpkin Marble Loaf
Updated October 29, 2025
- Ready In
- 2 hr 30 min
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Ingredients
½ cup/112 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup/218 grams granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
¾ cup/188 grams canned pumpkin purée
⅔ cup/162 grams sour cream
1 large egg
2 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups/228 grams all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
3 tablespoons warm water
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 10 servings)
43 grams carbs; 52 milligrams cholesterol; 301 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 13 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 218 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 23 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with some melted butter and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the longer sides to create a sling. Lightly butter the parchment paper.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the pumpkin purée, sour cream, egg and vanilla and whisk until combined. Add the melted butter and whisk until smooth.
- Step 3
Using a flexible spatula, mix in the flour until just combined and no dry bits remain.
- Step 4
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together Dutch-process cocoa powder and the warm water until the cocoa has dissolved. Add 1¼ cups/330 grams of the batter to the cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined.
- Step 5
To the large bowl with the remaining pumpkin batter, add the cinnamon and mix until just incorporated.
- Step 6
Use 2 spoons to drop alternating scoops of batter into the prepared loaf pan. Drag a skewer, toothpick or thin chopstick through the batters to swirl, taking care to not swirl too much so the batters stay distinct.
- Step 7
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
- Step 8
Cool the cake in its pan set over a wire rack. When ready to serve, lift the cake by the overhanging parchment paper and transfer to a serving platter or cutting board. The cooled loaf can be stored tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To give the chocolate flavor an extra boost, add ¼ teaspoon espresso powder to the cocoa and warm water mixture before stirring in the batter.
Private Notes
Comments
There weren't any comments when I'd first saved this recipe and given those below I probably wouldn't have bothered. But I made it today and it's a keeper. Added the espresso powder to the cocoa mixture and next time I will add more cinnamon in Step 5. I was pleasantly surprised that the loaf turned out so nicely, given than I went crazy and used gluten-free flour! Definitely don't attempt swirling with a toothpick, just read Step 6 and use a chopstick. Works perfectly.
Wow!! Just made this and I feel like I may need to pick up smoking again…very good!!! I cut the sugar to 3/4 C and subbed Greek yogurt for the sour cream. PERFECTION
Suggested ways to enhance the flavors: 1. Brown the butter 2. Add more warm spices, like nutmeg, cardamom or ginger. 3. Add more cinnamon. 4. Use greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
I baked this yesterday for the first and last time. My only diversion from the recipe was to soak the chocolate in strong coffee. Used a flat baker's spatula for the color swirling which worked out well. But this was a labor intensive recipe despite involving a lot of mise en place and references to the recipe for double checking everything as it came together. The taste, texture, etc. just wasn't worth the labor. Such a disappointment.
If you're like me and realize 45 minutes into bake time that you forgot to add the butter that you melted in the microwave, fear not! The loaf is still edible and actually quite tasty, more of a bread than a cake. But I did go ahead and make a second loaf with that entire stick of butter and it was definitely the superior version.
Not nearly as good as I expected based on the reviews. I added the espresso powder and the extra spices. The problem is that the pumpkin-only batter is unspiced. So half the loaf is terribly bland. It’s also quite dense. It looks cool so I might try it again with crème fraiche for a lighter texture and spicing the whole thing, not just the chocolate side. But that’s a big maybe. Other