Zebra Cake

A few weeks ago, I was looking for cool new desserts to make for our girls camp baked goods auction fundraiser. I came across this and have since made it twice. It's super cool, on the inside. The first time I frosted it chocolate (bc that's what I had) and put strawberries on the top to make it look sleek. Today I made it again and frosted it white, then drizzled melted chocolate chips like stripes across the top so it is zebra-like, inside and out. Then I did add a small pile of raspberries into the middle for a pop of color.

I didn't use almond extract: 1) I didn't have it, and 2) I don't really like it.

It's pretty easy for the cool striped inside effect!

Zebra Cake

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

2 ½ tbsp. cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with a circle of parchment paper. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar until mixture is light and creamy and the sugar has been mostly dissolved. Stir in milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and almond extracts. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour into wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Measure out just over two cups of vanilla batter and put it back into the medium bowl. Sift cocoa powder over the bowl and whisk until fully incorporated.

Put 3 tablespoons of vanilla batter into the center of the pan and let it spread slightly on its own. Put 3 tablespoons of chocolate batter in the center of the vanilla. It will push out the other and, as it sits for a moment, will also spread itself. Alternating spoonfuls of the two batters, repeat the technique until all the batter has been used up.

Bake for 38-42 minutes, until the cake is light gold and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out the cake and remove the parchment paper. Reinvert onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Frost if desired.

Before baking:

After baking:

Zebra frosted:


I should have waited a little longer for it to cool. The frosting started to melt, as well as the chocolate. But the young women were getting restless. I also let them do the chocolate stripes, so I would have done them a little more neatly. But, we had fun. We took it to a less active girl who had a birthday yesterday. Sometimes all you can do is show you love them.