Best 4 Chocolate And Vanilla Zebra Cake Recipes

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Indulge in the delightful harmony of chocolate and vanilla with our exquisite zebra cake recipe. This classic treat is a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds, showcasing a mesmerizing marbled pattern that adds a touch of elegance to any occasion. With its moist and fluffy texture, rich chocolate flavor, and sweet vanilla notes, this cake is sure to satisfy your cravings for a decadent dessert. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting out, our carefully crafted recipe will guide you step-by-step through the process of creating this stunning and delicious zebra cake.

Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!

CHOCOLATE-AND-VANILLA ZEBRA CAKE



Chocolate-and-Vanilla Zebra Cake image

Striking stripes of vanilla and chocolate hide beneath a thick coating of glossy chocolate frosting in this dramatic cake. Best of all, it's surprisingly simple to pull off; the pattern is created by alternating spoonfuls of batter in the center of the pans.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Cake Recipes

Time 2h30m

Number Of Ingredients 19

1 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pans
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 large eggs, separated, plus 4 more whites, room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup safflower oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Steps:

  • Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush two 9-inch round cake pans with butter. Line bottoms of pans with parchment rounds; brush parchment with butter.
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined, 30 seconds. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites and granulated sugar until light, opaque, and foamy, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk, butter, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour mixture; whisk until smooth. In another large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, 1/3 cup milk, and cocoa. Add 3 1/4 cups of vanilla batter to cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk remaining scant 3 tablespoons milk into remaining vanilla batter.
  • Spoon 1/4 cup vanilla batter into center of each prepared pan. Spoon 1/4 cup chocolate batter into each center, directly on top of vanilla batter. Repeat, always spooning batter into centers of pans, and occasionally tapping pan firmly on work surface to ensure even distribution, until all batter is used (batters should appear as concentric rings).
  • Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are puffed slightly and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack; let cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack, remove parchment, and let cool completely.
  • Frosting: Meanwhile, whisk together cocoa, espresso powder, salt, hot water, and vanilla until a smooth paste forms. Beat butter with confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in chocolate, then cocoa mixture and corn syrup, until smooth.
  • Trim tops of cakes flat. Transfer one cake, trimmed-side up, to a cake plate or stand lined with parchment strips. Spread 3/4 cup frosting evenly over top. Place remaining cake layer on top, trimmed-side down. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Remove parchment strips; serve. Cake can be stored, uncovered, at room temperature up to 12 hours, or refrigerated, uncovered, up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before serving.

ZEBRA CAKE III



Zebra Cake III image

This easy-to-make icebox cake seems to be as popular today as it was 50 years ago.

Provided by Joanne L. Hayes

Categories     Desserts     Chocolate Dessert Recipes

Time 8h30m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 5

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (9 ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies
¼ cup grated chocolate

Steps:

  • Beat cream in a large glass or metal mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the whipped cream should form a sharp peak that holds its shape.
  • Spread a generous teaspoon of whipped cream on each cookie. Press cookies together to make 3-inch stacks.
  • Spread a 1-inch wide line of whipped cream down center of a serving platter. Assemble cookie stacks into a log on platter following the line of whipped cream.
  • Frost cookie log with remaining whipped cream and sprinkle with grated chocolate.
  • Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
  • To serve, slice diagonally to create striped pieces.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 430.2 calories, Carbohydrate 38.3 g, Cholesterol 83.7 mg, Fat 29.7 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 4.3 g, SaturatedFat 16.5 g, Sodium 269.6 mg, Sugar 18.4 g

ZEBRA CAKE



Zebra Cake image

This chocolate and vanilla swirled Zebra Cake is incredibly moist and delicious. Covered in a sweet homemade buttercream, this cake is a million times better than the pre-packaged zebra cakes!

Provided by Lindsay

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h5m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 17

2 1/4 cups (293g) all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
4 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk*
5 oz bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), chopped**
1/2 tsp black gel icing color
2 1/2 cups (560g) butter
9 cups (1035g) powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
6-8 tbsp (90-120ml) water/milk
1 cup (114g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
Black gel icing color

Steps:

  • Prepare two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
  • Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  • Add the butter, vegetable oil and sugar to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
  • Add the eggs two at a time, mixing until well combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined.
  • Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
  • Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not overmix the batter.
  • You should have roughly 5 1/2 cups of cake batter total. Divide it in half in two separate bowls (about 625g each, if using a food scale) and set aside.
  • Melt the chopped chocolate, then add it to one of the bowls of cake batter that was set aside along with the black gel icing color and gently fold together to combine. Work somewhat quickly so that the chocolate in the cake batter doesn't firm up too much and make the cake batter more difficult to work with. If it thickens too much, it makes it harder to layer the colors of cake batter together easily.
  • Drop alternating heaping spoonfuls of each batter to the cake pans and gently shake the pan side to side to spread it evenly after every 2-3 spoonfuls. So add a large spoonful of the vanilla batter to each cake pan, then add a large spoonful of chocolate batter to the center of the vanilla batter. Shake side to side to spread. Repeat until you've used all the cake batter between the two pans.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
  • To make the frosting, beat the butter in a large mixer bowl until smooth.
  • Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
  • Add the vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of water or milk and mix until well combined and smooth.
  • Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
  • Remove about 1 1/4 cups of the vanilla buttercream and set in another bowl. Add additional water or milk, if needed to get the right consistency of frosting.
  • Add the cocoa powder to the remaining buttercream and mix until well combined and smooth.
  • Add additional water or milk, if needed to get the right consistency of frosting, then add the black gel icing color to get the right shade of black.
  • To put the cake together, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes so that they're flat. These cakes don't have a large dome, but I like to make sure they're completely flat.
  • Place the first cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round.
  • Spread about 1 cup of chocolate buttercream evenly on top of the cake.
  • Add the second layer of cake on top, then frost the outside of the cake with the chocolate buttercream.
  • Use the remaining chocolate buttercream and the vanilla buttercream to create the swirls on top of the cake and the shells along the bottom. To create the two toned swirls, I find it easiest to add each color to their own piping bag, then put both piping bags into a larger piping bag fitted with the piping tip. Squeeze the larger piping bag to do your piping.
  • Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 568 calories, Sugar 60.6 g, Sodium 77.4 mg, Fat 31 g, SaturatedFat 19.8 g, TransFat 0 g, Carbohydrate 73.4 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 4 g, Cholesterol 93.1 mg

ZEBRA CAKE FROM THE KING



Zebra Cake from the King image

Chocolate or vanilla, chocolate or vanilla? It's an eternal debate for bakers trying to please a crowd. This fun and festive recipe combines chocolate and vanilla batter in the pan to create "zebra" stripes satisfying everyone, especially those who love a touch of whimsy. This cake also bakes up light and tender, ready to accept your favorite icing, and is the perfect size for a small gathering or after school snacking. From King Arthur Flour

Provided by Annacia

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h10m

Yield 1 9

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup milk (whole, 2% or 1%)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons double dutched dark cocoa

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F Lightly spray a 9" x 2" round baking pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment, and spritz again. Set the pan aside.
  • In the bowl of your mixer, blend the sugar and eggs until lightened, about 2 minutes. On low speed blend in the oil, milk and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Combine on medium speed 1-2 minutes or until the batter is smooth and lump free. Be sure to scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing.
  • Remove 2 cups of the vanilla batter and place it in the measure you used for the liquid ingredients. Sift the cocoa over this batter, and stir well to combine. Be sure to use a sifter to avoid cocoa lumps in the batter.
  • Now for the stripes:.
  • Spoon about 3 tablespoons of vanilla batter into the center of the cake pan. Next, spoon 3 tablespoons of the chocolate batter into the center of the vanilla batter. This causes the vanilla batter to spread out. Continue to alternate batters, in bulls-eye fashion until all batter is used. You will now have thin rings of each batter on the outer edges of the pan, thicker rings towards the center.
  • Bake the cake in the center of the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost as desired.

Tips:

  • Use quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the cake will taste. Use real butter, not margarine, and use good quality chocolate and vanilla extract.
  • Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature: This will help them to mix together more easily and evenly.
  • Don't overmix the batter: Overmixing can make the cake tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
  • Bake the cake in a preheated oven: This will help to ensure that the cake rises evenly.
  • Let the cake cool completely before frosting it: This will help to prevent the frosting from melting.

Conclusion:

The chocolate and vanilla zebra cake is a classic dessert that is perfect for any occasion. It is easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. With its beautiful marbled appearance and delicious flavor, this cake is sure to be a hit at your next party or gathering.

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