Zebra Layer Cake – Sprinkle Bakes

Slice this showstopping Zebra Layer Cake to disclose chocolate and vanilla stripes inside. The marbling approach is surprisingly simple to grasp, and I’ll present you ways!

Zebra Layer Cake

It was round 2012 once I first noticed Zebra Desserts making the rounds on standard meals websites and baking blogs. (To not be confused with these well-known Zebra Desserts.) Slice the cake to disclose graphic stripes of chocolate marbled towards vanilla. The impact is so eye-popping, it appears to be like one thing akin to zebra stripes.

Greater than a decade later, I’m making an attempt it for myself. Again then, there have been so many iterations floating round, I simply didn’t see the necessity for yet another. It wasn’t till lately that I discovered acquainted inspiration for a brand new spin on this cake. A sprinkle-tastic, funfetti-fied model made with rainbow confetti sprinkles folded into the vanilla batter.

Zebra Layer Cake
Zebra Layer Cake
Occasion animals!

This was a suuu-uuper enjoyable cake to place collectively, and the marbling approach is just not as complicated because it appears to be like. I used to be actually stunned that my first try turned out in addition to it did. I’m already planning to make one other! Remember to take a look at the video on the finish of this weblog put up. You could discover it to be a useful information for making and assembling your personal zebra layer cake.

Make the vanilla batter.

Replenish on eggs! As a result of this cake makes use of an entire bunch of egg whites. (Not solely within the cake batter, but in addition within the frosting!) This white-vanilla batter comes collectively rapidly and simply. It makes a big quantity, so use an enormous bowl!

Make the chocolate batter.

Whisk up a chocolate batter base with darkish cocoa powder, egg yolks, and milk. Then combine in 3 cups of the white vanilla batter. I used black cocoa powder to get the boldest stripe potential. It’s the identical cocoa I used for these Oreo Cupcakes, and the flavour is great. Common darkish cocoa powder will even work effectively.

Combine in some sprinkles!

Mini rainbow confetti sprinkles make this cake so cheerful! You may go away them out of this recipe in the event you want. Nonetheless, in the event you’re like me and can’t resist a pop of colour towards a daring graphic stripe – fold in about 1/2 cup.

Layer the batters collectively.

Utilizing 1/4 cup measures or set off ice cream scoops for every batter, portion the vanilla-sprinkle batter within the heart of the pan. Proceed with 1/4 cup of chocolate batter positioned immediately on high of the vanilla. Proceed, repeating this method, and infrequently tapping the underside of the pan on the counter to assist unfold the batters. The layers ought to seem as concentric rings. My first try is much from good, nevertheless it nonetheless turned out fairly cute on the finish. I feel my subsequent try will look even higher, now that I do know what to anticipate.

Bake and stage.

Place the pans in a preheated 350° F oven. Because the muffins rise they’ll type a dome within the heart. After they cool, stage the them flat. Doesn’t that look cool? Hypnotizing, even!

Swiss meringue buttercream.

Swiss meringue buttercream provides simply the correct amount of sweetness to the marbled sponge. In case you’re a novice at making this buttercream, then you’ll be able to view my how-to video on this weblog put up.

Ganache drip.

I’ll all the time love a drip cake! The chocolate ganache drip on vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream actually ties collectively the flavors of the cake layers.

Zebra Layer Cake

Add a celebration mascot!

How cute is that this zebra topper? It’s only a small figurine that yow will discover at most low cost shops within the toy division (or right here). We dressed it with a home made mini pom-pom necklace and cardstock get together hat.

Zebra Layer Cake

Throw on some extra confetti sprinkles, and also you’ve obtained your self a fantastic get together cake!

Zebra Layer Cake

Certainly one of my favourite issues about this zebra layer cake is that each slice is exclusive! No two the identical! Every serving is like an unique piece of edible artwork.

Zebra Layer Cake

The cake recipe is tailored from Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection guide (which I really like). The cake’s crumb is tight but nonetheless moist. It jogs my memory just a little of pound cake, however barely lighter. Along with the Swiss meringue buttercream, it slices like a dream! The sponge is flippantly chocolaty – the darkish chocolate effectively balanced with its vanilla counterpart. I hope you adore it as a lot as I do!

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Zebra Layer Cake

Heather Baird

Slice this cake to disclose zebra stripes inside! Making it’s enjoyable, and the approach is less complicated than you would possibly count on. Chocolate and vanilla batters are layered within the facilities of two cake pans. Because the batters unfold they create concentric circles. As soon as baked, assembled, and sliced, these circles create a zebra-like stripe contained in the cake.I take advantage of unsweet black cocoa powder, however common darkish cocoa powder (akin to Hershey’s Particular Darkish) will even work for a daring stripe. The impact will even work with common cocoa powder, however the stripe might be brown as an alternative of black.Replenish on eggs, as a result of this cake makes use of many egg whites! I typically use carton egg whites for my Swiss meringue buttercream recipe. In case you do that, be certain the carton says 100% egg whites.

Prep Time 35 minutes

Prepare dinner Time 24 minutes

1 hour resting 1 hr

Complete Time 1 hr 59 minutes

Course Dessert

Delicacies American

Zebra cake layers

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 7 egg whites
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 cups entire milk divided
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1/3 cup sunflower oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup unsweet black cocoa powder
  • ½ cup mini rainbow confetti sprinkles plus extra for garnish

Swiss meringue buttercream

  • 5 egg whites
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 lb. unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate ganache drip

  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon mild corn syrup added for shine, that is elective

Zebra cake layers

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray, and line the bottoms with parchment circles.

  • In a big bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking powder and salt.

  • In a separate giant bowl, beat collectively the egg whites and granulated sugar. Combine on medium-high till foamy and effectively integrated, about 2 minutes. Beat in 1 1 /2 cups of the milk, melted butter, sunflower oil, and vanilla, till easy. Add the flour combination and beat till easy and lump-free, about 2 minutes.

  • In one other giant bowl, beat collectively the egg yolks, remaining ½ cup milk, and the black cocoa powder. Add 3 ¼ cups of the vanilla batter to the cocoa combination and beat till easy and uniform in colour.

  • Fold the rainbow sprinkles into the vanilla cake batter utilizing a rubber spatula.

  • Utilizing ¼ cup measures, or set off ice cream scoops (2 oz. capability), portion ¼ cup of vanilla-sprinkle dough into the middle of the pans. Subsequent, spoon ¼ cup of chocolate batter into every heart, immediately on high of the vanilla-sprinkle batter. Proceed this course of, spooning the batter into the middle of the pans and infrequently rapping the underside of the pan on the countertop to stage the batters collectively. Do that till all of the batter is used they usually seem as concentric rings within the pans.

  • Bake the muffins for 35-40 minutes (mine too barely longer, at 45 minutes) till the facilities are domed and puffy. A toothpick tester ought to come out principally clear (mine had some colour on it as a consequence of a melted confetti sprinkle.) Switch the pans to a wire rack to chill 10 minutes, then end up to chill utterly on wire racks. After cooling the muffins, stage them with a serrated knife. They will also be wrapped in plastic movie and transferred to the fridge to face in a single day. I discover that the crust softens and they’re simpler to stage after an evening within the fridge.

Swiss meringue buttercream

  • Place a saucepan stuffed 1/3 filled with water over medium warmth. Deliver to a simmer.

  • In a big stainless-steel bowl, mix the egg white, sugar, and salt. Set the bowl over the simmering water and prepare dinner whereas whisking intermittently. Prepare dinner till the combination is scorching (110°F) and you’ll now not really feel sugar granules when the combination is rubbed between your finger and thumb. Switch the new combination to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on excessive pace for 5-7 minutes or till a thick, shiny meringue varieties that holds stiff peaks. The bowl ought to really feel cool to the contact. If it doesn’t, refrigerate the meringue within the bowl for 10 minutes. Return the bowl to the mixer and swap the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment.

  • Beat the room temperature butter into the meringue one dice at a time on medium-low pace, ready so as to add the subsequent dice when the earlier dice disappears. The batter will deflate with the butter addition, and should even look curdled (if the butter was the slightest bit chilly this occurs), however that is regular. When all the butter is added, beat the combination on excessive pace till mild in colour and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat within the vanilla extract.

  • Place a cake layer on a cake board or serving plate. Fill the cake with about 1 ¼ cups of the buttercream. Prime with a second cake. Cowl the whole cake with the buttercream, and easy evenly over the tops and sides. Refrigerate the frosted cake till the buttercream companies, about half-hour. In the meantime, make the ganache drip.

Ganache drip

  • Place the chips and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and warmth at 100% energy for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Enable the combination to face 1 minute, then whisk collectively to create a easy ganache. Add the corn syrup, if utilizing. Enable the combination to chill barely. Take away the cake from the fridge and spoon a number of the ganache over the edges of the cake. Use the spoon to nudge the chocolate over the perimeters to drip down the edges. Pour the remaining ganache within the high heart of the cake and easy to cowl it utterly.

  • Garnish the highest fringe of the cake with extra rainbow confetti sprinkles. Prime with a cute zebra figurine, in the event you’re so inclined.

  • Retailer the cake within the fridge. Deliver to room temperature earlier than serving.

The recipe for the cake layers is tailored from Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection guide. The Swiss meringue buttercream recipe and ganache drip are unique to Sprinkle Bakes. 

Key phrase black cocoa powder, canine birthday cake, egg whites, funfetti cake, ganache drip, get together cake, swiss meringue buttercream, zebra cake, zebra layer cake, zebra stripe cake

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