Easy Chocolate Zebra Cake made easy by layering chocolate & vanilla batter in a bundt cake pan! Simple homemade cake that looks incredible, especially topped with a chocolate glaze.
Chocolate and vanilla come together to create a Zebra Bundt Cake that will get everybody talking. With this marble bundt cake and chocolate glaze on the table, there’s no way anyone can resist getting a slice. It’s so delicious and impressive, but you’d be surprised by just how easy it is to make!
Nothing is better than a homemade bundt cake but one that combined the best (and most iconic) flavors into one has got to be a winner. With chocolate and vanilla in every moist and tender bite, this cake is a dessert everyone will rave about. Keep this zebra bundt cake recipe on hand because you’ll want to use it over and over again.
What is Zebra Cake?
Zebra cake is a fun name given to a marble cake due to the white and black stripes throughout the cake it is said to resemble the stripes of a zebra. This easy bundt cake is a combination of vanilla and chocolate in every cakey bite and topped with a rich and creamy chocolate icing as easy to make as it is delicious to eat.
Zebra Cake Ingredients
-Flour: We need 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour for the base of this cake batter.
-Butter: We need 3/4 cups (one and a half sticks) of softened unsalted butter.
-Oil: Adding in a little more fat to the cake batter is 1/4 cup of canola oil.
-Milk: 1 cup of room temperature milk will add moisture and richness to the cake batter.
-Sugar: We want to use 1 3/4 cups of granulated sugar to create a sweet cake.
-Eggs: 4 room temperature eggs will act as the binder in the cake to hold it together. It also helps to give it the cakey texture we know and want.
-Baking powder: Adding 2 teaspoons of baking powder into the cake will help it to rise and become fluffy.
-Salt: We need 1/2 teaspoon of salt to help enhance the flavors in this cake recipe.
-Vanilla: With one tablespoon of the vanilla extract we can really feel that vanilla flavor come through in one incredible cake.
For the chocolate cake batter
-Cocoa powder: We need 5 tablespoons of cocoa powder to give us a rich-tasting chocolate flavor to pair well with the vanilla batter.
-Milk: 5 tablespoons of room temperature milk will help to thin down the chocolate batter and get it to turn out great.
Chocolate glaze
-Chocolate: We need 1 ounce of semi-sweet chocolate to give us a rich chocolate icing. You can use chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars.
-Butter: With 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter we can add a little richness in flavor and a nice shine to the glaze.
-Hot water: We only need 1-2 teaspoons of hot water to help us bring this icing together.
-Powdered sugar: With 1/2 cup of powdered sugar we can thicken the icing and make it creamy and sweet. Just make sure to sift the powdered sugar to remove clumps first.
How to Make Zebra Bundt Cake
Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F and prepare your bundt pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray and lightly dusting it with flour to prevent the cake from sticking. Set cake pan aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add in the canola oil, and milk until combined. Then mix in the milk and vanilla.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix again, until just combined.
Divide the cake batter in half into two bowls. Mix half of the dough with the cocoa powder and once incorporated, add in the milk and mix again.
Use an ice cream scoop (or a 1/4 cup measuring cup) and pour 2 scoops of vanilla cake batter into your bundt pan. Let it spread for a few seconds before pouring two scoops of chocolate batter on top of the vanilla, right in the middle.
Let the batter spread slightly. Continue alternating like this until the bundt pan is filled. As the cake batter spreads it creates layers that will look like stripes once baked.
Bake the bundt pan in the oven for 50-60 minutes, covering with foil for the final w10 minute to keep it from browning too much (only if necessary).
The cake is finished when a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it over to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
To make the chocolate glaze, melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl in the microwave for about 40-60 seconds or until melted and smooth.
Stir in the powdered sugar and then beat the mixture, adding in hot water until thinned to desired consistency.
Pour the glaze over the top of the cake and allow to set before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Zebra Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 cup milk room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the chocolate cake batter
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoons milk room temperature
Chocolate glaze
- 1 oz semisweet chocolate
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1-2 teaspoons hot water
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bundt pan and sprinkle with flour.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix to combine.
- Add the canola oil, mix until combined. Then add the milk and vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix just until combined.
- Divide the cake batter in half. Mix half of the dough with the cocoa powder. Once that's incorporated, add the milk and mix it in as well.
- Using an ice cream scoop (or a 1.4 cup measuring cup), pour two scoops of vanilla mixture into the pan. Let it spread for a few seconds. Then pour 2 scoops of the chocolate batter on top of the vanilla, right in the middle. Let that batter spread slightly. Continue to alternate between vanilla and chocolate layers until the bundt pan is filled.
- Bake the bundt cake for 50-60 minutes. Cover with foil in the final 10 minutes, if necessary. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before overturning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 40-60 seconds, or until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Stir the powdered sugar into the melted butter and chocolate. Beat the mixture, adding small amounts of hot water until thinned as desired.
- Pour the glaze over the bundt cake.
Nutrition
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How long is Zebra cake good for?
This cake will be good covered at room temperature for up to a few days. I recommend eating it within 3-5 days for maximum freshness.
Can Zebra cake be made into a layered cake?
If you want to make this cake into a layered round cake then follow the steps as directed but divide the batter in half between the two cake rounds. Baking time will vary and possibly be less time in the oven so keep an eye on it after 35 minutes to prevent over baking.
Check out these other great cake recipes
- Iced Lemon Bundt Cake
- Pink Cake Pops
- Key Lime Cake
- Easy Pineapple Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Poke Cake
- Christmas Jello Poke Cake
- Glazed Strawberry Bundt Cake
- Peppermint Oreo Poke Cake
- Honey Gingerbread Cake
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Easy Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Spiced Cranberry Breakfast Cake
- Easy Vanilla Cake Bites
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
Chocolate and vanilla cake batter, swirled together to make a deliciously simple cake! Topped with chocolate glaze, this Zebra Bundt Cake is fun to make, and the results are impressive. Along with a cup of milk, Zebra Cake always makes a delicious treat.
Easy Chocolate Zebra Cake made easy by layering chocolate & vanilla batter in a bundt cake pan! Simple homemade cake that looks incredible, especially topped with a chocolate glaze.
PR says
Please review the instructions….several references about adding milk.
Jessica says
I’m confused- I see milk in the ingredients & directions.
Larry says
Milk is added with the Coco mix, or the batter will be to thick
Cheryl says
This cake looks delicious! How come you aren’t showing ingredients in grams and mliters? It’s much more accurate and easier.