Slice this cake to reveal zebra stripes inside! Making it is fun, and the technique is easier than you might expect. Chocolate and vanilla batters are layered in the centers of two cake pans. As the batters spread they create concentric circles. Once baked, assembled, and sliced, those circles create a zebra-like stripe inside the cake.I use unsweet black cocoa powder, but regular dark cocoa powder (such as Hershey’s Special Dark) will also work for a bold stripe. The effect will also work with regular cocoa powder, but the stripe will be brown instead of black.Stock up on eggs, because this cake uses many egg whites! I often use carton egg whites for my Swiss meringue buttercream recipe. If you do this, be sure the carton says 100% egg whites.
½cupmini rainbow confetti sprinklesplus more for garnish
Swiss meringue buttercream
5egg whites
1cupgranulated sugar
Pinchof salt
1lb.unsalted butterat room temperature
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
Chocolate ganache drip
1/2cupsemisweet chocolate chips
¼cupheavy cream
1tablespoonlight corn syrupadded for shine, this is optional
Instructions
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 large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a separate large bowl, beat together the egg whites and granulated sugar. Mix on medium-high until foamy and well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Beat in 1 1 /2 cups of the milk, melted butter, sunflower oil, and vanilla, until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth and lump-free, about 2 minutes.
In another large bowl, beat together the egg yolks, remaining ½ cup milk, and the black cocoa powder. Add 3 ¼ cups of the vanilla batter to the cocoa mixture and beat until smooth and uniform in color.
Fold the rainbow sprinkles into the vanilla cake batter using a rubber spatula.
Using ¼ cup measures, or trigger ice cream scoops (2 oz. capacity), portion ¼ cup of vanilla-sprinkle dough into the center of the pans. Next, spoon ¼ cup of chocolate batter into each center, directly on top of the vanilla-sprinkle batter. Continue this process, spooning the batter into the center of the pans and occasionally rapping the bottom of the pan on the countertop to level the batters together. Do this until all the batter is used and they appear as concentric rings in the pans.
Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes (mine too slightly longer, at 45 minutes) until the centers are domed and puffy. A toothpick tester should come out mostly clean (mine had some color on it due to a melted confetti sprinkle.) Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes, then turn out to cool completely on wire racks. After cooling the cakes, level them with a serrated knife. They can also be wrapped in plastic film and transferred to the refrigerator to stand overnight. I find that the crust softens and they are easier to level after a night in the refrigerator.
Swiss meringue buttercream
Place a saucepan filled 1/3 full of water over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
In a large stainless-steel bowl, combine the egg white, sugar, and salt. Set the bowl over the simmering water and cook while whisking intermittently. Cook until the mixture is hot (110°F) and you can no longer feel sugar granules when the mixture is rubbed between your finger and thumb. Transfer the hot mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed for 5-7 minutes or until a thick, shiny meringue forms that holds stiff peaks. The bowl should feel cool to the touch. If it doesn’t, refrigerate the meringue in 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 cube at a time on medium-low speed, waiting to add the next cube when the previous cube disappears. The batter will deflate with the butter addition, and may even look curdled (if the butter was the slightest bit cold this happens), but this is normal. When all of the butter is added, beat the mixture on high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in 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. Top with a second cake. Cover the entire cake with the buttercream, and smooth evenly over the tops and sides. Refrigerate the frosted cake until the buttercream firms, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the ganache drip.
Ganache drip
Place the chips and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at 100% power for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Allow the mixture to stand 1 minute, then whisk together to create a smooth ganache. Add the corn syrup, if using. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and spoon some of the ganache over the sides of the cake. Use the spoon to nudge the chocolate over the edges to drip down the sides. Pour the remaining ganache in the top center of the cake and smooth to cover it completely.
Garnish the top edge of the cake with more rainbow confetti sprinkles. Top with a cute zebra figurine, if you’re so inclined.
Store the cake in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
The recipe for the cake layers is adapted from Martha Stewart's Cake Perfection book. The Swiss meringue buttercream recipe and ganache drip are original to Sprinkle Bakes.
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