Are you looking for a dessert that is both delicious, eye-catching, and rich in flavor? You’ve certainly found it! This Marble Pecan Pound Cake is moist, tender, scrumptious, and pleasing to both the eyes and palette.
Topped with chopped pecans, I found this pound cake to have a delectable nutty flavor that pairs so well with the moist and delicate texture. Marble pecan pound cake is the perfect me-time indulgence for a well-deserved day of self-pampering. Grab your favorite book and enjoy some good old R&R.
A Piece Of Cake!
This Marble Pecan Pound Cake is quite simple to make and comes together in just a few easy steps. Just combine the ingredients according to the instructions, and you’ll be done before you know it and get to enjoy the sweet fruits of your labor.
What Makes This Pound Cake Special?
You can make this decadent pound cake from a handful of inexpensive ingredients, which is fabulous if you’re on a budget but still want to have something delectable for dessert.
If you’re a beginner baker, this recipe shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge; it will make for good practice, and imagine the pleased expressions of the ones who’ll get to taste it first!
How To Serve This Pecan Pound Cake?
Best served at room temperature, you can enjoy this pound cake as is or with a dollop of sweet whipped cream on top. Serve with a drizzle of chocolate ganache or a scoop of ice cream; it all comes down to your preferences.
Serving Size
This recipe will yield one 10-inch pound cake; from this, you can get between 12-16 slices of cake depending on how thick or thin you decided to cut the portions. This serving size is great for small gatherings such as dinner with multiple guests or a picnic with friends.
Equipment Needed
Electric Mixer– You can use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer.
Bowl– To make the filling, you’ll need a large mixing bowl.
Sauce Pan– Use a small saucepan to combine the chocolate and shortening.
Wooden Spoon– Use this to stir the chocolate until it melts.
Knife– Use this to make swirl patterns in the batter before baking.
Baking Pan– You will need a 10-inch tube pan to bake this cake.
Rubber Spatula– Use this to scrape the sides of the bowl in between combining ingredients.
Main Ingredients
Pecans– For this recipe, I used 1/2 cup of chopped pecans on top of the cake for crunch and extra flavor. If you don’t like pecans, switch them out for your preference, or exclude them if you’re allergic.
Eggs– I used 5 large eggs in the pound cake batter. Ensure that your eggs are room temperature as cold one will ruin your cake batter.
Substitutes
Butter– To substitute the butter in this recipe, you can use an equal amount of margarine in its place.
Milk– Need a lactose-free substitute for the milk in this recipe? That’s easy! You can use any vegan-friendly or lactose-free alternative of your choosing! I recommend using 1 cup of soy milk or oat milk as a replacement.
All The Ingredients
- Butter– Beaten with the shortening until combined.
- Shortening– Mixed in a one-to-one ratio with the butter.
- Sugar– Combined with the butter mixture.
- Eggs– Added one by one to the creamed mixture after the sugar.
- Flour– Combined with the baking powder and salt.
- Baking Powder– Leavens the cake
- Salt– Enhances the flavors of all the ingredients in the cake.
- Milk– Added to the creamed mixture alternately with the dry ingredients.
- Vanilla– Gives a yummy flavor and aroma to the pound cake.
- Chocolate– Melted and combined with shortening.
- Chopped Pecans– Sprinkled on top of the cake batter before baking.
How Did We Make Marble Pecan Pound Cake?
- We set the oven to 350 degrees, then greased and flour a 10” tube pan.
- At medium speed, we used an electric mixer to beat the butter and shortening for 2 minutes; then, we mixed in the sugar for about 6 minutes until incorporated.
- We added the eggs to the mixture one by one, properly mixing each egg before adding another.
- We combined the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl, then added it to the wet mixture.
- We did this by alternating with the milk on low speed, starting and ending with the flour mixture, then stirred in the vanilla.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, we combined the chocolate with 1 tablespoon of shortening, constantly stirring until the chocolate melted.
- Next, we scooped out 2 cups of the pound cake batter and combined it with the chocolate mixture.
- I poured a third of the plain batter into the baking pan, then half of the chocolate batter, follow up with the same order of batter, ending with the plain batter.
- Using a knife, I created swirl patterns in the cake batter and topped it with the chopped pecans.
- I baked this for an hour and 10 minutes or until an inserted toothpick came out clean. It took 10 minutes to cool in the pan before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Next, we dug in!
Adding The Eggs?
Once we had creamed the butter, shortening, and sugar, I began adding 5 room temperature eggs, one by one, to the wet ingredients, incorporating each egg before adding another. I did this to prevent the batter from curdling as adding too many eggs at one time can cause this; cold eggs can also curdle the mixture.
Reverse Creaming Method
To make the Marble Pecan Pound Cake, used the creaming method. This method entails beating the fats (butter and shortening) and sugar together until light and fluffy, adding the eggs, dry ingredients, and flavorings to make the cake batter.
An alternate way of doing this is called the Reverse Creaming Method; you can do this by combining the fat and dry ingredients, then mixing with the remaining ingredients. In my opinion, this method yields a slightly more tender crumb.
How To Store Marble Cake
This cake can sit at room temperature for up 3 days when wrapped in plastic and stored in an air-proof container, or you can keep it for up to a week in the refrigerator. To store this cake for more extended periods, wrap it in foil or plastic, place it in an airtight container and freeze for 3 months.
Want to relax and indulge in something toothsome? Enjoy the decadence of this chocolate swirled pecan pound cake at your own risk, for once you take a bite, you’ll soon be lamenting over an empty plate, void of even crumbs!

Marbled Pecan Pound Cake
Easy-to-make Marble Pecan Pound Cake! My deliciously sweet, go-to treat!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cups butter
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbs Unsweetened chocolate
- 1 tbs shortening
- 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and shortening on medium speed for 2 minutes, then added the sugar and beat for 5-7 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending just until the color of the yolk is no longer visible.
- Combine the dry ingredients, then mix it into the wet ingredients at a low-speed, alternately with the milk. Start and end this process with the flour, blending just enough to combine after each addition.
- Stir the vanilla into the batter. In a saucepan, combine the chocolate and 1 teaspoon of shortening over low heat while stirring constantly. Once the chocolate melts, combine 2 cups of the cake batter and stir to combine it with the chocolate mixture.
- Pour out 1/3 of the plain cake batter into the prepared pan, top with half of the chocolate batter, then repeat the process, ending with the plain batter.
- Using a knife, gently create swirls in the batter, sprinkle chopped pecans on top, and bake at 350° for 60 minutes or until a toothpick to the center comes out clean.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the cake pan to cool completely.