Irresistible Homemade Zebra Cakes
A nostalgic and delicious homemade zebra cake recipe featuring striking black-and-white stripes with a moist vanilla and cocoa batter. Perfect for any occasion and easy to make with simple pantry ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Total Time: 50-55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5g) salt
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (35g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- Optional toppings:
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Chocolate glaze (melt semi-sweet chocolate with a splash of cream)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and position the rack in the middle.
- Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
- Scoop about 1⅓ cups (320g) of batter into a separate bowl and mix in the cocoa powder until smooth to create the chocolate batter.
- In the center of the prepared pan, spoon 2 tablespoons of vanilla batter, then 2 tablespoons of chocolate batter on top. Repeat layering alternately, always spooning in the center, to form rings.
- Gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake springs back lightly and a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optionally, dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate glaze before serving.
Notes
If batter is too thick for layering, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until pourable but not runny. Rotate pan halfway through baking for even cooking. Soften butter well before creaming. Avoid overmixing after adding flour to keep cake tender. Layer batter by spooning in the center without spreading to maintain zebra stripes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cak
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Protein: 3
Keywords: zebra cake, homemade zebra cakes, chocolate vanilla cake, striped cake, easy cake recipe, nostalgic dessert, layered cake