Marble Loaf Cake

Cake-

1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Unsalted Butter, Softened 

1/3 Cup Canola or Vegetable oil

1 1/4 Cups Granulated White sugar 

3 Large Eggs, room temp

1 tablespoon Vanilla bean paste 

1 Cup Sour Cream 

2 Cups Cake Flour (NOT self-rising) (I use Swan brand, it comes in a red box)

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder 

3/4 Teaspoon Fine Table Salt 

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (my preferred cocoa Is Guittard Rouge or Hersheys special dark) 

1/4 cup of hot water mixed with 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder (or 1/4 cup of strong hot coffee)

Glaze- 

1 heaping cup of powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1 tablespoon of dark cocoa powder 

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons of vegetable oil (or neutral oil)

Water as needed

Steps-

Make the Cake: 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with a strip of parchment paper, allowing the excess to hang over the edges of the long sides of the pan. 

2. Using a stand mixer or electric hand beaters, beat the butter, granulated sugar, oil and vanilla paste on medium/low speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. 

3. With the mixer continuing to run at low speed add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated and light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 

4. In a separate bowl, stir the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt to combine. 

5. On low speed add the sour cream alternating with the flour mixture in 3 installments scraping down the bowl in between each addition to ensure everything is incorporated. 

6. Do your best to separate the batter evenly into two bowls (about 1 1/5 cups of batter in each bowl)

7. In a small bowl whisk together the 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of cocoa, the espresso powder and hot water (or hot coffee)

8. Whisk the cocoa mixture into one of the bowls of batter, just until combined.

9. Drop scoops of the batter into the prepared loaf pan alternating the chocolate and vanilla batters.  Use a skewer or knife to lightly swirl the batters together. 

10. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean,  about 55  minutes. 

11. Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes then carefully lift the parchment paper to remove the cake from the pan and place it directly on the rack. 

12. While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 tablespoon of cocoa, pinch of salt and oil. Add a splash of water at a time until it is a thick glaze that barely cascades off the whisk. 

13. Once the cake is mostly cooled, spoon the glaze over the top fo the loaf and the tap the wire rack to help the glaze to slowly cascade down the sides of the loaf. 

14. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes at room temperature and then slice and enjoy!