The Cake Slice July 2011 - Zebra Cake

It is Cake Slice Baker's time and this month we are baking a Zebra Cake from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman. We have been baking from this book since October of 2010 and I have to say that I have had so much fun and each of the cakes has been something special, and I have yet to need a cake keeper since they are gone in no time.

When I heard that this cake had been chosen I was a little nervous.  It is one of those cakes that I have seen in magazines and wondered how did they do that? As the time got closer to making the cake I asked myself if I was up to the challenge? After reading through the recipe I kept thinking can it be that simple?  And before I embarrass myself more by telling you about more of the conversations I have with myself, let me say that this cake could not be any easier and you will wow people with it.

This cake gets its flavor from a vanilla and a chocolate batter that is intertwined.  To make the chocolate even more intense I used one tablespoon of  Black Cocoa that I purchased from King Arthur Flour, along with one tablespoon of the regular Dutch-process cocoa.  My chocolate batter seemed a little thick so I had to add a little more of the vanilla batter to it because it was not spreading out as it should in the cake pan.

Once again the Cake Keeper Cake got an excellent rating from my family.  Everyone loved that the cake had both vanilla and chocolate flavors, and it was nice and moist.  I could really see this cake working well with other flavors too.

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Zebra Cake

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk, whole or 2%
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. Grease a 9 inch pan, line with a circle of parchment paper, grease the parchment and dust with flour. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. 
3. Combine the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. 
4. With the mixer on low speed, stir in the milk, butter, oil and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary. 
5. Stir in the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time.  
6. Transfer a third of the batter into another bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder.  
7. Place a quarter cup of the vanilla batter into the centre of the pan and let it stand for a few seconds so it spreads out slightly. 
8. Place 2 tablespoons of the chocolate batter right on top of then vanilla and wait another few seconds until it spreads. 
9. Continue alternating vanilla and chocolate until you have used up all the batter and it has spread to the edges of the pan.  
10. Bake until the cake is set and a toothpick comes out clean, about 40 minutes. 
11. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. 
12. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a cutting board. Peel away the parchment paper and re-invert onto a wire rack and cool completely. Slice and serve. 
13. Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for 3 days.

Cake from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman.