Zebra Cake
Zebra cake is a plain sour cream sponge that one simple trick turns into something that looks straight out of a patisserie. You pour vanilla and cocoa batters alternately into the very centre of the tin and they spread themselves into concentric rings. The secret to even stripes is matching the thickness of both batters, which is why the cocoa half gets a splash of milk.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Rest
- 2 h 30 min
- Total
- 3 h 55 min
- Servings
- 12
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 370 kcal
Ingredients
For the batter
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What to use instead
Skip the ganache and simply dust the cake with icing sugar — the striped slice is the real showpiece anyway.
For the ganache
Makes: one 22 cm cake, 12 slices
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Prepare the tin
Heat the oven to 170 °C (340 °F). Line the base of a 22 cm springform tin with sides at least 7 cm tall; leave the sides ungreased so the batter can cling and climb.
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Step 2: Mix the batter
Beat the eggs and sugar for 4–5 minutes until pale and thick. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla and melted butter. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and fold until smooth and lump-free.
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Step 3: Colour half of it
Divide the batter into two equal portions. Sift the cocoa into one and stir in the milk gradually. Both batters should fall from a spoon in an equally thick ribbon — this matters more than anything for neat stripes.
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Step 4: Layer the stripes
Spoon 2 tablespoons of vanilla batter into the very centre of the tin, then 2 tablespoons of cocoa batter right on top, then vanilla again, until both are used up. Don’t spread or shake the tin: each new spoonful flows outwards and pushes the rings towards the edge.
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Step 5: Bake
Bake for 50–55 minutes, covering loosely with foil after 35 minutes if the top browns too fast. It’s done when a skewer from the centre comes out dry and the top springs back.
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Step 6: Cool
Leave in the tin for 15 minutes, run a knife around the edge, release the ring and cool completely on a rack, about an hour and a half.
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Step 7: Pour over the ganache
Heat the cream until almost boiling and pour it over the chocolate. After 2 minutes, stir from the centre outwards until glossy. Let it thicken for 10 minutes, pour over the cake, nudging it over the edges with a spatula, and leave 30 minutes to set.
Tips & variations
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Tip
For thin, frequent stripes, use one spoonful of batter at a time. The bigger the dollop, the wider the stripe.
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Variation
For a chocolate-orange zebra, add the zest of one orange to the vanilla batter and finish the ganache with fresh zest.
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Swap
Skip the ganache and simply dust the cake with icing sugar — the striped slice is the real showpiece anyway.
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Storage
Keep under a cake dome at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 12 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 370 kcal | 4,440 kcal |
| Protein | 6 g | 72 g |
| Fat | 19 g | 228 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40 g | 480 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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