Zebra cake
Zebra cake is an oil-based sponge cake that looks ordinary on the outside, but when you slice it, alternating rings of vanilla and chocolate appear like a zebra's stripes. The secret lies in pouring spoonfuls of batter on top of one another in the center of the pan, and the soft, moist crumb is a huge favorite with kids.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rising or chilling
- 30 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 45 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Vanilla batter
Cocoa mix-in
Instructions
Step 1
Heat the oven to 175°C, line the bottom of a 22 cm round pan with parchment paper and brush a thin layer of oil around the sides. The pan needs to be ready beforehand because you will pour the batter one layer at a time, and the batter should not sit around waiting. The oven is ready when its heating light has gone off.
Step 2
Put 200 g eggs and 200 g granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on high speed for about four minutes. The lightly whipped eggs are the source of the air that makes this oil cake rise and stay fluffy. The mixture is ready when it is pale, doubled in volume and thick.
Step 3
Turn the mixer down and slowly pour in 180 g vegetable oil, followed by 200 g whole milk and 5 g vanilla extract, beating for a few more seconds to combine. Pouring slowly lets the oil blend into the eggs instead of floating on top. The mixture is ready when it is thin and smooth, pale yellow and has no droplets of oil.
Step 4
Sift 320 g all-purpose flour with 10 g baking powder and 2 g salt into the bowl and whisk until the flour has disappeared. Zebra cake batter needs to be fairly loose so the layers spread out into rings by themselves. The batter is ready when it is smooth and flows like drinkable yogurt when you lift the whisk.
Step 5
Divide the batter into two equal portions, mix 22 g cocoa powder with 25 g whole milk into a paste and stir it into one portion. The extra milk keeps the chocolate batter as loose as the vanilla one despite the added cocoa. This step is done when both bowls of batter have the same consistency, one pale yellow and one dark brown.
Step 6
Pour three tablespoons of vanilla batter into the very center of the pan, then pour three tablespoons of chocolate batter right into the middle of that, and keep alternating like this until all the batter is used. Each new layer pushes the previous one outward into concentric rings. The pan is ready when the batter has spread across the whole bottom and the top shows rings like a target.
Step 7
Gently set the pan in the oven and bake at 175°C for about 45 to 55 minutes, without shaking or tapping the pan so the pattern stays intact. The cake is quite thick, so it needs a long bake for the center to cook through. It is done when the top is golden and slightly cracked and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 8
Leave the cake in the pan for about ten minutes, then turn it out onto a rack and let it cool for about twenty minutes more before slicing. Cutting the cake while hot can squash the crumb and smear the stripes together. It is ready when it is just slightly warm and the slices show crisp zebra rings.
Equipment
- Oven
- Round cake pan
- Hand mixer
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Sieve
- Kitchen scale
- Mixing bowl
- Parchment paper
Tips
- For thinner stripes and more rings, use a smaller spoon; for wider stripes, use several spoonfuls each time.
- Pour the batter from the same height and always into the exact center of the pan so the rings are even.
- You can replace the cocoa powder with matcha powder for a green and vanilla zebra version.
Storage
Because it is made with oil, the cake stays soft for a long time; keep it covered at room temperature for three days. In the fridge it keeps for five days and stays soft, just let it sit out for a few minutes before serving.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The stripes blur and do not form clear rings.
- The two batters have different consistencies or you poured off-center. Adjust the two batters so they are equally loose and always pour right into the center of the previous layer.
- The cake cracks deeply and domes high in the middle.
- The oven is too hot, so the edges set first. Lower the temperature to 165°C and bake a few minutes longer.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
