Classic Zebra Cake in the Oven
Moist and airy vanilla and chocolate layers swirl into a striking pattern. Deliciously tender, perfect for any occasion.
Updated : 01 July, 2025
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
285 grams
Wheat flour
200 grams
Sugar
225 milliliters
Milk
125 milliliters
Vegetable oil
75 grams
Sour cream
25 grams
Cocoa
25 grams
Coffee
5 grams
Baking powder
3 milliliters
Vanilla extract
2
Eggs
Decorating
200 grams
Strawberry
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Advices
Advice
Be prepared that you might need more or less flour than stated in the recipe. Focus not on the flour amount, but on achieving the desired batter consistency. To avoid mistakes, read up on flour and its properties!
Preparation
Step 1
Ideally, all ingredients should be at room temperature, so take them out of the fridge in advance. Use refined, odorless vegetable oil. You can substitute coffee with coffee liqueur if you prefer.
Step 2
Before making the batter, weigh the empty bowl. This will come in handy later. In a bowl, combine 200 ml of milk, vegetable oil, sour cream, sugar, and eggs. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 2-3 minutes.
Step 3
Sift 260 g of flour together with the baking powder and add it to the batter. Beat again until smooth.
Step 4
Divide the batter into two equal parts. To do this accurately, weigh the bowl with the batter, subtract the weight of the empty bowl (weighed earlier), and divide the resulting batter mass in half.
Step 5
To one part, add the remaining 25 g of flour, 25 ml of milk, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
Step 6
To the other part, add cocoa powder and pour in the coffee. Beat again until smooth. You should end up with two batters of the same consistency and volume. Both parts should have air bubbles.
Step 7
Line a 16 cm (about 6.3 inch) baking pan with parchment paper and grease it with oil. Pour 2 tablespoons of chocolate batter into the center of the pan, then 2 tablespoons of vanilla batter on top. Continue alternating batters until the pan is filled. To keep the circles even, hold the spoon strictly vertical. Bake the cake at 140-150°C (285-300°F) using the “top and bottom heat” setting for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Exact time depends on your oven and pan size. If you have a gas oven, bake for about 40-50 minutes at 180°C (355°F).
Step 8
If the top starts browning but the cake is still raw inside, cover it with foil. Leave the baked cake, still in the pan, wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 6-8 hours. Then remove the cake from the pan. You can serve it immediately while still warm.
Step 9
If desired, decorate the cake additionally with strawberries. It looks beautiful and impressive.
Step 10
Wash the strawberries, remove the stems, and cut them into thin slices.
Step 11
Decorate the surface of the cake with the strawberry slices and serve. Note that you should decorate baked goods with berries just before serving, as moist strawberries can soak into the top of the cake. Enjoy your meal!