Kirbie's Cravings

Zebra Cake

This Zebra Cake recipe combines chocolate cake and vanilla cake for a fun presentation.

photo of a slice of zebra cake

I’ve been having a lot of fun making creative cakes lately, and zebra cakes have become a bit of an obsession. I’ve made a previous version with chocolate and matcha, so I thought I’d try a black and white zebra cake with chocolate and vanilla.

If you haven’t heard of it, a zebra cake is a type of cake that is made with two different cake batters. They are combined in a way that creates a cake with stripes that look like a zebra. It’s a fun dessert with a creative presentation.

I love how the stripes came out in this chocolate and vanilla version. They are much more defined than the other one I made.

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Eggs
  • Granulated sugar
  • Milk
  • Vegetable oil
  • Vanilla extract
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder

photo of zebra cake

How to Make the Cake

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. In a large bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar until the color is light. It will take about two minutes at high speed. Add the oil and milk and mix until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix just until combined. Add the vanilla.

Pour half of the batter into a separate bowl. Add the cocoa powder to one bowl and mix.

To make the pattern, you will need two ¼ measuring cups to scoop the batters. Scoop ¼ cup of the white batter and pour it in the center of the prepared pan. Pour ¼ cup of the chocolate cake batter on top of it. Repeat this process until you’ve used up all of the cake batters.

Bake the cake at 350°F for 50 minutes. Let it cool completely before slicing.

Recipe Notes

I found the taste of the vanilla chocolate to be a bit bland.  Not much of a chocolate taste, but I love how the cake looks.

I enjoyed my matcha chocolate zebra cake better so next time, I’ll do the vanilla and green tea version.  I think green tea should be strong enough to give this cake the flavor it needs.

photo of a slice of cake on a plate

More Cake Recipes

Zebra Cake

Servings: 1 (10-inch) cake
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
This cake is made by layering two different cake batters in a cake pan so when it bakes you get a zebra strip pattern throughout the cake.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of a 10-inch round pan with oil.
  • Stir the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs and sugar until smooth and light colored, about two minutes on high speed of a hand mixer. Add the oil and milk, and mix for another minute.
  • Add the flour mixture and mix just until blended. The batter will be of pouring consistency but not thin. Stir in the vanilla.
  • Pour half of the batter into another bowl. Add the cocoa powder to one portion and mix until blended.
  • Assemble the cake: Take two 1/4 measuring cups. Pour a cupful of the white cake batter onto the center of the pan. Then, pour a cupful of the chocolate batter directly on top at the center of the cupful of white cake batter. Repeat until all the cake batter has been poured into the pan.
  • Bake the cake until a knife inserted at the center comes out clean. Approximately 50 minutes.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking Rocks

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

 

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4 comments on “Zebra Cake”

  1. I agree, this one definitely looks better. I think maybe if you use a different chocolate cake recipe, you can get a more chocolate flavor. Using melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder is a great idea as it usually creates a deeper chocolate taste. (though sometimes I’m too lazy to melt and chop chocolate)

  2. Hi Carol- As always, you have the most brilliant suggestions. I think a layer of ganache would definitely enhance the chocolate flavor. I’ll try it next time I bake this cake.

  3. Kirbie!! That cake is GORGEOUS! I think it looks better than the green tea/cocoa one (not saying it tastes better thou).
    Is there a way to make it more chocolate-y? Like instead of just cocoa powder, can I add melted semi sweet chocolate into the batter somehow?
    I think Carol’s idea sounds awesome too.
    Wonderful recipe! Thanks!

  4. I love the stripes on this cake. I wonder if a very thin layer of ganache on top would enhance the chocolate flavor?