Is Marble Cake Acidic or Alkaline?
Marble cake (baked) is acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Marble cake is clearly acid-forming at +7.4 because the eggs and flour in the batter supply a lot of protein and phosphorus, which the dark cocoa part offsets only slightly. The value says nothing about sugar and butter. A 70 g slice adds about +5. By comparison, plum cake is almost at zero.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, marble cake (baked) ranks #84 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Cream puff (+6.6), Rusk / Twice-baked bread (+6.3), Cheesecake (+6.2). More acid-forming are Oatmeal cookies (+7.8), Peanut flips (+8.0), Cupcake (+8.1).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
What balances marble cake
A small serving (40 g) of marble cake adds +3.0 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is marble cake acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Marble cake (baked) has a PRAL of +7.4 per 100 g, so it counts as acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much spinach offsets a small serving (40 g) of marble cake?
A small serving (40 g) of marble cake adds +3.0 to your daily balance. Spinach (fresh) has −12.2 per 100 g, so about 20 g of spinach offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid marble cake on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Marble cake is acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Marble Cake logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Sweets & Snacks: Sweets & Snacks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.