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Delicious Zebra Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting

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A visually striking and irresistibly tasty zebra cake featuring alternating vanilla and chocolate stripes, topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for celebrations or a special weekend treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • A pinch of salt (for frosting)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or line with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix.
  5. Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients, mixing gently after each addition until just combined.
  6. Scoop out about 1 1/2 cups (360ml) of batter into a separate bowl. Add cocoa powder to this portion and stir until fully combined to make chocolate batter.
  7. In one prepared pan, drop a spoonful of vanilla batter in the center, then a spoonful of chocolate batter on top. Continue alternating spoonfuls in the center, allowing batter to spread outward to create zebra stripes. Repeat with second pan.
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking at 30 minutes.
  9. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. For frosting, beat cream cheese and softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
  11. Place one cake layer on serving plate, spread a generous layer of frosting on top. Add second layer and cover entire cake with remaining frosting. Smooth or create swirls as desired.
  12. Chill cake in refrigerator for 20 minutes to set frosting before slicing.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients for best texture. Pour batter slowly and steadily to form neat stripes. Rotate pans halfway through baking if oven has hot spots. Chill cake before slicing for clean edges. For dairy-free or gluten-free versions, substitute ingredients as noted. Adding a pinch of espresso powder to chocolate batter enhances flavor.

Nutrition

Keywords: zebra cake, cream cheese frosting, striped cake, chocolate vanilla cake, easy cake recipe, celebration cake, layered cake

Find it online: https://emacrave.com/delicious-zebra-cake-recipe-with-cream-cheese-frosting-easy-step-by-step-guide/