This recipe was generously shared with us by Lucie Franc de Ferriere, from her new fabulous book, Cake by Lucie! We could not be more excited about this new baking bible!
I try to avoid generalizations, but I promise you that almost any French person will tell you they grew up eating marble loaf. With its signature swirls, this cake is a beloved part of daily life—whether it’s for breakfast, an after-school goûter, or even a birthday cake. While there are already countless classic recipes out there, I’ve given my version a twist by adding creamy tahini, aromatic Earl Grey tea, and nutty, rich black sesame.
Makes one 9 × 5 × 3-in / 23 × 13 × 7.5cm loaf
INGREDIENTS
Marble Loaf
Canola oil spray or canola oil, for the pan
1¼ cups / 175g all-purpose flour
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons / 150g whole-milk yogurt (not Greek), at room temperature
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons / 135g well-mixed tahini, at room temperature
1 cup / 200g granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon grated orange zest (from 1 medium orange)
¾ cup / 180ml canola oil
6 tablespoons / 25g loose Earl Grey tea leaves, finely ground
3 tablespoons black sesame seeds, finely ground
Earl Grey Milk
¼ cup / 60ml whole milk
1 tablespoon loose Earl Grey tea leaves
Earl Grey tea leaves and small edible flowers (to garnish)
Method
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For the Marble Loaf: set a rack in the middle of the oven and pre-heat to 300F. Spray or brush a 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan with canola oil, then line the pan with parchment paper leaving about 1 inch hanging over the sides.
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Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl. Add the fine salt.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and tahini. .
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In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla and orange zest on medium high speed until pale and thick (about 3 minutes). Scrape down the the bottom and sides of the bowl. On medium speed, slowly add the canola oil. Once all the oil is added, scrape the bowl, then meat on medium high speed to fully emulsify.
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On low speed, add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the yogurt mixture in two batches, scraping the bowl before each addition. Mix just until there are no streaks - do not over mix!
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Remove half of the batter from the stand mixer and set it aside.
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Add the ground early grey tea and ground black sesame seeds to the batter in the stand mixer, and beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl, as needed just until incorporated, about one minute. Scrape the bowl.
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Dollop or pipe a few large scoops of each batter into the prepared pan, alternating between the two batters. To create a dramatic swirl, insert a long skewer or long thin knife into the batter making sure the tip reaches the bottom of the pan. Drag it through the batter in a long single figure eight motion but do not swirl it too much or you wont get the marble effect. Gently tap the pan on the counter top to remove any air pockets between the two batters. Bake until a skewer comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes.
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Set the pan on a wire rack inside a baking sheet and let the loaf cool for 30 minutes. Carefully wiggle the parchment paper to release the loaf from the pan, then lift the parchment and use it to place the loaf directly on the rack. Let cool completely.
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For the Earl Grey Milk: In a small saucepan, warm the milk over low heat just until steam starts to rise from the surface; do not let it come to a simmer or bubble. Remove from the heat, then stir in the whole Earl Grey tea leaves, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes.
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Pour through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl, pressing on the tea to extract as much flavor as possible (discard the tea leaves). Let the milk cool completely.
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For the Earl Grey Glaze: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, mix the powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of the cooled Earl Grey milk, the ground Earl Grey tea, salt, and orange zest and whip on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and whip until fully combined, thick, and opaque—it should be the consistency of royal icing-about 30 seconds. If the glaze seems too runny, let it stand for a few minutes to firm up. If it's still runny, gradually add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency. The glaze should be quite thick, but if it's too stiff to spread on the cake, gradually drizzle in more of the Earl Grey milk.
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With the loaf still on the wire rack set inside the baking sheet, slowly pour the glaze over the cooled loaf, pushing it to completely cover the top and slightly drip down the sides. Before the glaze sets, sprinkle the top with Earl Grey tea leaves, then press the flowers (see Tips for Working with Flowers, page 85) into the loaf. Enjoy right away. The loaf (without flowers) keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.