Marble Cake

Sometimes, there is nothing better than baking something special for absolutely no reason at all. I firmly believe that you do not need any excuse for cake whatsoever. Especially when it involves (dark) chocolate. I have baked this cake twice in the last few weeks and it has disappeared quickly.
Marble cake, with its balanced swirls of intense chocolate and vanilla, is the perfect way to create some variety in a usually monotonous dessert. This cake is very simple and basic, and is buttery and soft with alternating bites of chocolate and vanilla.

Addition of Vegetable Oil makes this cake light and moist, while butter provides flavor.

Ingredients
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
½ cup Whole Milk
½ Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 ¼ Cups All Purpose Flour
¼ Cup Cacao Powder, I used Valrhona Chocolate Cocoa Powder for intense chocolate flavor
½ tsp of Salt
¼ Teaspoon Instant Espresso (optional)

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, grease a 9 X 5 loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, butter and sugar until very creamy, add the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until the mixture has a nice thick and pale color.
4. Add the milk and mix it in quickly, add the flour mixture and mix until it is incorporated, be careful not to over mix.
5. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan and set aside.
6. Add the cacao powder and the espresso to the reserved 1/3 of the batter and fold it using a spatula until you have a smooth chocolate batter.
7. Spoon the chocolate mixture all over the top of the cake batter. Take a skewer and swirl it around the mixture in the pan a few times to create a marbled effect.
8. Bake the cake for about 45 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before taking it out of the pan.

Enjoy!