Chocolate-Marble Sheet Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

3 tablespoons hot water

Mocha Frosting

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°.

Beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 4 to 5 minutes or until creamy.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Beat in vanilla extract.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with half-and-half, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed.

Spoon 1 1/4 cups batter into a 2-qt. bowl, and stir in cocoa, 3 Tbsp. hot water, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until well blended.

Spread remaining vanilla batter into a greased and floured 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Spoon chocolate batter onto vanilla batter in pan; gently swirl with a knife or small spatula.

Bake at 325° for 23 to 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Spread top of cake with Mocha Frosting.

MOCHA FROSTING

Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

3 tablespoons hot brewed coffee

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 to 4 Tbsp. half-and-half

Preparation:

Whisk together sugar and cocoa in a medium bowl.

Combine coffee and vanilla.

Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar mixture alternately with coffee mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

Beat in half-and-half, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until smooth and mixture has reached desired consistency.