This zebra cake is a show-stopper at any event you bring it to. This marble cake with chocolate stripes will wow any guest.
It’s easier than you might think to create the zebra stripe effect in this cake, but no one will be the wiser. Just follow this simple recipe and you’ll have a cake that looks amazing and tastes just as incredible.
The next time you’re looking for a cake recipe that will knock the socks off of guests, this should be your go-to.
Commonly Asked Questions About Zebra Cake
What is a Zebra Cake?
A Zebra Cake is a type of cake that gets its name from the striped pattern that resembles the stripes of a zebra. The cake is typically made by pouring alternating layers of vanilla and chocolate cake batter into a cake pan, creating a striped pattern when the cake is sliced.
What Does Zebra CakeTaste Like?
Zebra Cake typically has a delicious and moist texture, with a soft and fluffy crumb. The vanilla and chocolate flavors in the cake are distinct but complementary, and the striped pattern makes it visually appealing.
The vanilla part of the cake has a sweet and buttery flavor, while the chocolate part has a rich and chocolatey taste. When combined, they create a perfect balance of flavors that is not too sweet or overpowering.
Storage
You’ll need to refrigerate this cake since it has a cream cheese frosting.
Refrigerator: Keep this cake in the fridge for 3-4 days either wrapped with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Keep slices in an airtight container – separate with parchment paper.
Freezing: Freeze this cake for up to 3 months.
Tips
You don’t need too many tips to easily make this great cake.
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature so that they’re easy to mix.
- Avoid over-mixing to ensure the cake is moist.
Ingredients
These easy ingredients will make for the best cake. You’ll likely have most of them, but find the rest in the refrigerated section or baking aisle of your grocery store.
Cake
- White cake mix
- Whole milk
- Vegetable oil
- Egg whites
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
Frosting
- Oreo cookies
- Unsalted butter (softened)
- Cream cheese (softened)
- Confectioner’s sugar (sifted)
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
Kitchen Supplies You’ll Need
Only a few simple supplies are necessary to make this quick cake.
- Cake pans
- Electric Mixer
- Bowls
- Cooling rack
How to Make Zebra Cake
This cake is so incredibly easy to make — Shh! No one has to know!
Cake
- Blend the cake mix, milk, oil, and egg whites using a hand mixer in a medium-sized bowl.
- Set half of the cake mix aside.
- Add cocoa powder to the rest of the cake batter and stir.
- Pour a portion of the white cake batter into the center of the pan prepared with cooking spray.
- Add some chocolate cake batter to the white batter in each pan.
- Keep adding both batters until each are depleted.
- Bake each until they pass the toothpick test.
- Allow time to cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack.
Frosting
- Add Oreos to a food processor and process until they are finely ground.
- Add butter and cream cheese to a large bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Cream the two together.
- Pour in the confectioner’s sugar gradually.
- Add heavy cream and vanilla while continuing to mix.
- Pour in the cookie crumbs. And stir.
Assemble:
- Slice off the top of the cakes so that they are flat.
- Place one on a cake plate and spread frosting over top.
- Top with the other cake and do the same.
- Frost the remainder of the cake and place it in fridge to set.
- Then, do the final frosting of the cake.
What to Serve With Zebra Cake
You can serve anything with this delicious treat.
- Coffee – Who doesn’t love coffee with cake? Make it regular or decaf — either pairs well.
- Milk – A big glass of milk works well with any dessert.
- Whipped cream – Swirl a little bit of whipped cream on top of this gorgeous cake.
- Ice cream – Ice cream is always the perfect pairing with cake.
Why You Should Make Zebra Cake
Why shouldn’t you make zebra cake is the bigger question!
- Pretty – This is such a fun cake — once you slice into it, it has all of the wow factor.
- Delicious – With tons of chocolate flavor and plenty of texture from creamy to crunchy, this cake has it all.
- Versatile – This is a perfect cake for nearly any occasion.
Variations and Add-ins to This Zebra Cake Recipe
You can make so many swaps or additions to make this your own signature cake.
- Extracts – Use coffee or almond or your own favorite to change up the flavor profile.
- Candies and cookies – Instead of Oreos, use your own favorite add-ins.
- Little cakes – Use smaller pans or muffin tins to make mini versions. If you do, use a piping bag to insert creme filling into the cupcakes of smaller cake.
- Garnish – Add dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or a chocolate drizzle over top of the cake.
- Frosting – Change up the frosting on the tops of the cakes and use a chocolate frosting or your own favorite flavor.
Don’t miss these other great homemade cake recipes!
- Salted Caramel Mocha Sheet Cake
- Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Kahlua Ganache
- Blueberry Swirl Pound Cake
- Brownie Cookie Dough Freak Cake
- Homemade Funfetti Cake
- Slow Cooker Carrot Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Best Yellow Cake Recipe
- Spring Cake Roll
If you love this Zebra Cake recipe, you’re going to love these other cake ideas too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
More Creative Cakes
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Zebra Cake with Cream Cheese Oreo Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 15.25 ounces white cake mix 1 box
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 egg whites large
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Frosting
- 16 Oreo cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 8 cups confectioner’s sugar sifted
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Mini Oreos for garnish
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spray TWO 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray.
- Add a circle of parchment paper to the bottom and spray the top with more cooking spray, set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, mix the cake mix, milk, oil, and egg whites for 30 seconds until it comes together. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Take half of the cake batter and put it into a medium-sized bowl.
- To the remaining cake batter, add the cocoa powder and stir it in until just combined.
- Working with both cake pans, add about ¼ cup of the white cake batter to the center of each pan.
- Add about ¼ cup of the chocolate batter into the center of the white batter in each pan. Keep doing this until all of the batters are used up and the cakes should have an even amount of cake batter in each pan.
- If you find the batter isn’t spreading you can tilt the baking pan until it fills out the bottom of the pan, this will not mess up the zebra design.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans.
Frosting
- While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting by placing the Oreos into a food processor and process into crumbs, set aside.
- Place the softened butter and cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and cream together until smooth.
- Add the confectioner’s sugar a little at a time until fully combined, and scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla, and stir it in until combined.
- Place the mixer on medium-high speed and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the cookie crumbs and stir them in until combined. I like to then use a spatula to mix it a little more by hand to make sure the cookie crumbs are evenly distributed.
- Cut any doming off the cakes so the tops are flat.
- Place one of the cakes – bottom side down – onto your serving platter or cake plate.
- Add about 1 cup of the frosting on top and smooth it out to the edge.
- Place the second cake – top side down – onto the frosting.
- Add a thin layer of frosting over the whole cake for the crumb coat.
- Place it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set up.
- Add another layer of frosting around the whole cake.
- Take any remaining frosting and decorate the cake as you wish, and add mini Oreos if desired. Cut and serve immediately.
Notes
- Flavor-wise the star of this cake is the cookies and cream frosting. The cake itself is moist and flavorful with a subtle chocolate flavor. The frosting is very rich and addictive! You can really taste the Oreo and the cream cheese in the frosting.
- If you are making this ahead of time, I would not add the cookie crumbs into the frosting until you are ready to assemble the cake. If you add them too soon, they will soften in the frosting and will end up combining with the frosting completely making it look grey instead of speckled as shown.
- If you don’t want to make the frosting these are other good options: vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, plain cream cheese frosting, peanut butter frosting, caramel frosting, pretty much any frosting you like since the real wow factor of the cake is when you cut it to see the pretty zebra design inside.
- Some other fun toppings instead of mini Oreos, more crushed Oreos, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate shavings, or a melted chocolate drip.
- The frosting recipe makes enough to generously frost the cake plus decorating it. If you do not plan on decorating it and just want to frost the cake completely, you can use half of the recipe for the frosting.
- This cake needs to be refrigerated since it has dairy in the frosting. It is best served at room temperature and it is safe to sit out to come to room temperature to enjoy it then place it back in the fridge. Keeps in the fridge for up to 7 days, freeze for up to 3 months.
- Take this basic concept and use it with other colors and cake flavors!
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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