This Zebra Cake is one master piece. Slathered in decadent chocolate cream cheese frosting, the real visual stunner happens when you cut into it and reveal the whirls and swirls of beautiful batter. Get ready to wow!
Zebra Cake
This recipe is perfect if you want to wow some guests, or even yourself, with your baking abilities. Zebra cake is created by combining vanilla and chocolate batter in your cake pan to create ‘zebra stripes‘. The best part of this decadent dessert after the moist addictive flavor, is how easy it is to make. You just whip up one quick batter and boom, you’re half way there. Let’s get into it!
Easy For All Bakers
No matter how experienced you are within the science that is baking, this recipe is more than accessible. The visuals of this cake are stunning once it’s sliced into and served up slathered in fudgy frosting. My mouth is watering just typing this out, so let’s quit talking and get baking.
Ingredients In Zebra Cake
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Cake batter
- Flour – All purpose is all we need for our cake batter.
- Salt – We all know that our baked goods need salt right? Just checking…
- Leavening agents – Today we’re using both baking powder and baking soda to get volume and tenderness in our Zebra cake.
- Sugar – Just plain old granulated works perfectly fine for this recipe.
- Eggs – The binder in our batter.
- Milk – Feel free to use any kind of milk you have on hand for this recipe, fat content doesn’t matter.
- Oil – A light neutral tasting oil is what you’re looking for today, something like canola works well.
- Vanilla – Both our vanilla and chocolate batter need some vanilla extract, your secret weapon flavor booster.
- Cocoa powder – Any kind you have on hand, this will go in the second half of our divided batter for those dramatic zebra stripes.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese – Softened at room temperature, use any fat content you’d like.
- Butter – Unsalted please, also softened at room temperature.
- Icing sugar – Using this kind of sugar helps us achieve a smooth frosting that binds well.
- Cocoa powder – We’re looking to achieve a rich fudgy chocolate icing here so go wild.
- Almond extract – This will give our frosting such an unexpected toasty, almost fruity flavor.
- Milk – We’re using this to thin out our frosting, add more or less as you see fit but keep in mind the consistency should be thick.
- Salt – Last but not least, don’t forget your salt!!
How To Make Zebra Cake
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Cake
- Preheat your oven: To 350 F degrees. Grease a cake pan in the meantime. I used an 8 inch springform pan and some cooking spray.
- Combine the dry ingredients: The salt, flour, leavening agents, and sugar.
- Combine the wet ingredients: Combine the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet to the dry: Add your wet ingredients to your dry and mix until well combined, do not over mix your batter though! Divide the batter and add the cocoa powder to one half of your batter and combine.
- Layer the zebra cake: Add one tablespoon of each batter to the cake pan, then alternate with batters to create the layers and repeat until finished. If you want thicker layers, add about 1/4 cup of batter at a time. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Soften the dairy: In a large bowl mix together the butter and cream cheese completely to soften it.
- Assemble the frosting: Add the icing sugar, cocoa powder, almond extract, some of the milk, and salt and beat until creamy. Thin out with milk as needed, however keep in mind the frosting should be quite thick.
- Frost your cake: Be sure your cake is completely cool before frosting. Spread the frosting in a thick layer all over the cake. Top with berries if preferred, then slice up and serve!
Tips For Making The Best Zebra Cake
- You can make this cake just as easily in a bundt pan if that’s what you have on hand or if you’d like a different shape to your Zebra Cake.
- You can used boxed cake if you’d like to make the prep time even shorter for this recipe, it will come out moist and scrumptious as long as all the other directions are followed!
- Sour cream can be added to the cake recipe to make the moisture level in this cake go off the charts, just 1/3 of a cup will do. If you find the batter is too wet with this addition, just add a bit more flour.
Storing Leftover Zebra Cake
This cake can be stored in the fridge for 3 – 4 days in an airtight container. If you’d like to freeze this recipe, be sure to wrap the cake unfrosted in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and it should last for up to 3 months, make the icing day of and allow the cake to thaw overnight. Enjoy!
Craving More Cake? Try These Recipes:
- Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake
- Hawaiian Cheesecake Bites
- Apple Pie Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake
- Coconut Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Icing
- Tres Leches Cake
- Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
- Red Velvet Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
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Zebra Cake
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 1 hr 15 mins
Serves: 10
This Zebra Cake is one master piece. Slathered in decadent chocolate cream cheese frosting, the real visual stunner happens when you cut into it and reveal the whirls and swirls of beautiful batter. Get ready to wow!
Equipment
Ingredients
Zebra Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ cups sugar granulated
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened at room temperature
- ½ cup butter unsalted, softened at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups icing sugar
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 tbsp milk or 2
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Zebra Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a 8 inch springform pan with cooking spray or butter.
- In a large bowl combine the flour with the salt, baking powder and baking soda, sugar.
- In another bowl combine the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is well combined and smooth, but do not over mix.
- Divide the batter in half. Mix in the cocoa powder in half the batter.
- Add one tablespoon of each batter to the prepared pan then alternate with a tablespoon of each batter to create the layers. Begin in the middle of the pan, take one spoon of white batter then over it add a spoon of chocolate batter and repeat these steps until all batter has been used.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the butter and beat until combined.
- Add the icing sugar, cocoa powder, almond extract, 1 tablespoon milk, salt and beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy. Add 1 more tablespoon of milk to slightly thin out, if desired, though the frosting should be quite thick. Taste, then add another pinch of salt if desired.
- Assemble the cake: Spread the frosting into a thick layer all over the top and sides. Top with berries, if preferred. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake keep its shape when cutting.
Video
Recipe Notes
This cake can be stored in the fridge for 3 - 4 days in an airtight container. If you'd like to freeze this recipe, be sure to wrap the cake unfrosted in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and it should last for up to 3 months, make the icing day of and allow the cake to thaw overnight. Enjoy!
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 616kcal (31%)Carbohydrates: 89g (30%)Protein: 9g (18%)Fat: 28g (43%)Saturated Fat: 19g (119%)Cholesterol: 84mg (28%)Sodium: 566mg (25%)Potassium: 384mg (11%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 64g (71%)Vitamin A: 550IU (11%)Calcium: 157mg (16%)Iron: 2.6mg (14%)
This looks fantastic and I’d like to try making it. Can I use almond milk instead of regular milk for both the batter and frosting?
Yeah, it should be fine.
Can you tell me if im using a 10inch round pan, should i double or 1 and 1/2 the recipe?
Double!
Thank You, Gonna try this for Daughters 21st Birthday..
That Almond essence is the game changer so rich in taste, I love this recipe!! I am new to baking and your blog inspired me to try different cakes, One thing that is constant in my cakes is the volume, they are not so tall as your cakes shown in the pictures, baking powder is newly purchased what else can be the reason??
Make sure not to over-mix your cake batter or it will come out more dense. Just until the dry ingredients are no longer visible and you’re good!
Thank you!
This looks amazing and I would like to make it at the weekend. You usually put an option for metric measurements, could you possibly add it to this recipe?
Thank you
Sorry about that, they’re there now. 🙂
I just made this!! It turned out absolutely perfect! I cut down the sugar a little bit (I usually do that when I bake) and it was absolutely magnificent. This recipe is EASY to make. I definitely recommend baking this! Everyone who has it will be very impressed 🙂
Hi, looks fantastic. I wouldlove to see the video to see how you do the layering – there is no link. Thanks!
Hi there! The video is in the recipe card right above “recipe notes”. If you use an ad blocker, you’ll have to pause it on our site to view the video.