Zebra Marble Layer Cake Recipes

ZEBRA CAKE RECIPE (THE CLASSIC)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix the softened butter with 3/4 cup of sugar.
• Using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs with 1 cup of sugar.
• Add the butter mixture into the egg mixture.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the sour cream, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the sour cream mixture into the egg and butter mixture.
• Working slowly, add the flour into the batter until well-combined. Next, split the batter in half in two separate bowls. Add cacao powder to one of the bowls to create the chocolate cake and whisk until well-combined.
• Spray a 7-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Alternating the different colors of batter, place two tablespoon of batter at a time into the cake pan until you run out. This will create the zebra stripe effect.
• Bake the cake at 350°F for 40 minutes. To check if the cake is done, stick a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it's ready. Once the cake completely cools at room temperature, slice it into 2-3 equal sized layers with a serrated knife.
• Soak each cake layer with about 1/2 cup of whipping cream (use a squirt bottle if you have one).
• Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar together just until it reaches stiff peaks.
• Apply the cream between each layer and use the remaining cream to frost the outside of the cake.
• In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Next, pour it over the chocolate chips in a medium size bowl and stir the mixture until smooth. Give the ganache a couple of minutes to cool.
• Apply the ganache all over the top of the cake. If you wish, decorate the top with chocolate shavings, sprinkles, or whatever else you'd like. Eat immediately or let the cake set overnight in the refrigerator for best results. Enjoy!

ZEBRA CAKE

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.

ZEBRA MARBLE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your fan oven to 160°C (325°F). Grease and line with parchment paper three 6" round cake tins.
• In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until combined and set aside.
• In a measuring jug combine sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract. These are your wet ingredients.
• In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on a medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. (approx. 3 min) Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
• Turn the mixer to medium-low speed and add eggs one at a time - making sure it's fully incorporated after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
• Add your dry and wet ingredients, alternating between one another, starting and finishing with dry ones. (3 additions of dry and 2 of wet ingredients)
• Divide the batter in half and add cocoa powder in one to make a chocolate batter.
• Divide the batters evenly among the 3 tins using spoons - putting a spoonful of one batter in the middle of the pan and then spoonful of the other batter on top of it. (Check the information in the post above)
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until skewer inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.
• Once they're done, let the cakes cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire rack before removing them from the pans to cool completely.
• In a small saucepan combine flour, sugar, salt and milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until it thickens.
• Once it's done, put a cling film over it touching the surface to prevent "skin" forming and let it cool to room temperature. This is your pudding base. You can do this in a fridge, but before using it let it come to room temperature.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 5 minutes until it's pale and fluffy. Then add spoonful by spoonful of previously made pudding. Mix until it's all nicely incorporated and with no lumps. Add the vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds.
• Place finely chopped chocolate in a bowl. Bring heavy cream just barely to a simmer and pour over chopped chocolate. Cover it with a plate and leave it 1-2 minutes. Stir with a spatula until combined and smooth.Cover in cling film and put it in a fridge for an hour or until it thickens to spreadable consistency.
• Place finely chopped chocolate in a bowl. Bring heavy cream just barely to a simmer and pour over chopped chocolate. Cover it with a plate and leave it 1-2 minutes. Stir with a spatula until combined and smooth. Make it 10 minutes before pouring over the chilled cake so it has time to cool and thicken a bit.
• Using a cake leveler or a long serrated knife level the tops of your cakes if needed.
• In the middle of your cake board or a serving plate put some buttercream to stop the cake from moving around.
• Spread a nice layer of buttercream on top of the first layer and pipe a border around the outside to hold the ganache in. Repeat with the next layer.
• Place final layer on top, upside down, and do a thin crumb coat on the cake. Chill for 20-30 minutes in the fridge before final decorating.
• Use the leftover ganache filling to make a chocolate buttercream, mixing it with some vanilla buttercream. If it's too loose, put it in the fridge to thicken a bit.
• Place both of your buttercreams in piping bags. For a vanilla buttercream I used a Wilton 1A tip and for a chocolate buttercream I used a Wilton #12 tip. But you do you. :)
• Place the chilled cake on a turntable and alternately put the stripes of buttercream on the cake. Once you're done, fill the top with vanilla buttercream and smooth the sides using a cake scraper.
• Every time you use a cake scraper be sure to get rid of the buttercream that you've scraped down so you don't mess up the stripes.
• Chill the cake for a half an hour to an hour before putting the chocolate drip on top. It has to be cold so the drip doesn't go all the way down.

CHOCOLATE-AND-VANILLA ZEBRA CAKE

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 LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms and sides of 3 (8- or 9-inch) round pans with shortening. Line pan bottoms with waxed paper or cooking parchment paper; grease again and lightly flour. Make dark chocolate cake mix as directed on box using water, oil and eggs; set aside. Make white cake mix as directed on box using water, oil and egg whites.
• Place 1/4 cup of the chocolate cake batter into center of each pan. Do not spread batter. Place 1/4 cup white cake batter on top and in center of chocolate batter in each pan. Do not spread batter. Let batter in each pan spread on its own. Repeat placing remaining batters, 1/4 cup at a time, in center alternating between chocolate and white batter.
• Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Carefully remove waxed paper. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• If necessary, using serrated knife, cut rounded top off cakes to make a level surface. Place 1 cake layer on cake plate, top side up. Spread frosting over top. Top with another cake layer, top side down; spread with frosting. Top with remaining cake layer, top side down. Reserve about 1/2 cup remaining frosting for garnish. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Use metal spatula to smooth frosting. Using #9 writing tip, pipe reserved 1/2 cup frosting around bottom of cake.
• Knead fondant to soften. Lightly sprinkle smooth surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar. Roll out fondant to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut strips from fondant of various lengths and widths to make black stripes. Place strips on cake side and top forming striped pattern on cake, leaving about 1/2 inch of frosting between stripes. Store cake loosely covered.