I’m honestly not sure why this is called Marble Chocolate Bars instead of Marble Chocolate Cake, but since it is delicious we will overlook the name and go for it. This classic recipe was one I found in my mom’s recipe collection from her Amish sister, and I was delighted with how simple it was to compile. Not to mention the cake is dwindling quite quickly because my family is scarfing it down so fast. This recipe can be made in a 13 by 9-inch pan, but as you can see in the photos it will have more of a cake form than bars. If you prefer thinner bars, you can make it in an 11 by 15-inch baking dish with sides.
If you love simple cake mix based recipes, you may also enjoy Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies, Black Bottom Muffins, Old Fashioned Ugly Duckling Cake or Reese’s Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies.
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Marble Chocolate Cake Bars
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 13.25 oz. chocolate cake mix *see note
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup water
Cheesecake filling:
- 12 oz. cream cheese
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Topping:
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil and water until smooth. Fold in 1/4 cup chocolate chips *see note. Spread into a greased 11 by 15-inch or 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
- Mix softened cream cheese, sugar and egg with a handheld mixer until smooth and lump free. Using a tablespoon, dollop the cream cheese over the cake mix in the baking dish. You can also pipe the cheesecake filling in thin strips horizontally over the cake. Swirl the cheesecake filling with a skewer or knife.
- Bake the marbled chocolate bars in the preheated oven for around 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over top while the cake is still warm. Allow to cool, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
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Ingredients needed for these chocolate marbled cheesecake bars: sugar, chocolate chips, eggs (will need 4 total, unlike shown in the photo), vegetable oil, cream cheese, chocolate cake mix and water.
Which chocolate cake mix is the best in this recipe?
Honestly, you could use any chocolate cake mix and it would work well. I used dark chocolate because my husband loves dark chocolate. It turned out nice and moist with a rich chocolate flavor, so I was happy with that. You can also use German Chocolate, Devil’s Food, Super Moist or Triple Chocolate Fudge.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil and water until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread into a greased 11 by 15-inch or 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
Note on baking dish sizes:
As mentioned above, I used a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and it produced bars with more of a cake-like height. If you prefer thinner bars with the cheesecake more evenly distributed, I recommend using a bigger baking dish. You can play around with different sizes to figure out which one you prefer.
Step 2: Mix softened cream cheese, sugar and egg with a handheld mixer until smooth and lump free. Using a tablespoon, dollop the cream cheese over the cake mix in the baking dish. You can also pipe the cheesecake filling in thin strips horizontally over the cake. Swirl the cheesecake filling with a skewer or knife.
Tip: The cheesecake swirls do not have to be uniform.
Note on chocolate chips: Traditionally chocolate chips are added to the cheesecake filling, but I am not a huge fan of crunching into chocolate chips in a cake that to me, should have a smooth texture. Feel free to add the chocolate chips to the cheesecake filling instead of the cake mix if you prefer.
Step 3: Bake the marbled chocolate bars in the preheated oven for around 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over top while the cake is still warm.
Last but certainly not least, allow the cake to cool slightly (or enjoy it while it’s hot), then serve and enjoy!
Storage notes for these marbled chocolate cake bars:
Due to the cheesecake filling, these bars should be kept chilled in the refrigerator. You can store them in an airtight container or tightly wrapped for up to 5 days. You can also freeze these bars for several months.
Thank you for stopping by and have a lovely day! Feel free to pin or print this recipe using the icons in the recipe card but be sure to leave a comment and rating in exchange. Thank you! -Marilyn Stoltzfus Peight.
