Chocolate & Raspberry Zebra Cake

This delicious Chocolate & Raspberry Zebra Cake is the perfect way to end a meal and delight your guests with it's fun stripey inside! It's so easy to make too, you just spoon blobs of the batter on top of each other before baking and that's all it takes to create the effect. I've smothered the cake with a rich chocolate buttercream, and added a fruity raspberry jam inside. Fresh raspberries and dark chocolate shavings on top complete the cake and give it a pretty finish!

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Chocolate & Raspberry Zebra Cake

I made the sponges the same time in separate bowls. First I creamed the butter and sugar together, then I added eggs and milk to the chocolate sponge bowl, and eggs and vanilla to the pink sponge bowl. Then I added self raising flour and pink food colouring to the pink sponge bowl and whisked well. To the chocolate sponge bowl I added self raising flour, cocoa powder and milk and whisked well.

I spooned the batter in alternating colours into the lined cake tin, I gave them a shake when I was done to spread the mixture out.

They baked for 30 minutes until golden, I left them to cool fully. I made a chocolate buttercream by mixing butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder and milk together until smooth.

Using a piping bag with a circular nozzle I piped a ring of buttercream around the bottom layer, then filled the middle with raspberry jam. Then I added the second sponge, smoothed buttercream over the top and did another ring of buttercream 'blobs' which I topped with raspberries.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How long does this cake last for and can you freeze it?

The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3 days in a cool place. You can freeze the sponges either alone, or decorated (but do not freeze the raspberries). Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. You can freeze the buttercream on it's own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled.

To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container. Or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don't it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.

Can this cake be made in different size tins?

Yes! If you would like to make this cake in different size tins, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the recipe.

More tips for making the Chocolate & Raspberry Zebra Cake:

• I used a vegetable peeler to shave some dark chocolate in the centre, or you could use a grater, or some ready made chocolate curls
• The food colouring I recommend using for the pink part of the cake is Pro Gel or Sugarflair

Recommended equipment & ingredients*

• 8" cake tins
• Mixing bowls
• Cooling rack
• Kitchen scales
• Piping bags
• Electric hand mixer
• Pink food colouring
• Round piping nozzle

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More chocolate & raspberry recipes

Chocolate & Raspberry Zebra Cake

Chocolate and raspberry marble cake with chocolate buttercream and raspberry jam

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Keyword: Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 14

Author: thebakingexplorer

Ingredients

For the pink sponge

• 175 g Butter or baking spread
• 175 g Caster sugar
• 3 Eggs large
• 175 g Self raising flour
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• Pink food colouring I use Pro Gel

For the chocolate sponge

• 175 g Butter or baking spread
• 175 g Caster sugar
• 3 Eggs large
• 150 g Self raising flour
• 25 g Cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp Milk

For the chocolate buttercream

• 200 g Butter or baking spread
• 350 g Icing sugar
• 50 g Cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tbsp Milk

For decoration & filling

• Fresh raspberries
• Dark chocolate curls/shavings
• Half a jar of Raspberry jam

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and grease and line two 8" cake tins (that are at least 2" deep)
• Make both the sponges at the same time in different bowls
  
• For both sponges mix the butter and caster sugar together, ideally using an electric mixer
• For the pink sponge add the eggs and vanilla extract, and whisk well
  
• For the chocolate sponge add the eggs and milk, and whisk well
  
• For the pink sponge, add the self raising flour and mix in, then add the pink food colouring until you get the desired shade
  
• For the chocolate sponge, add the self raising flour, cocoa powder and milk and mix in
• Add the batter to the cake tins in alternate spoonfuls, place each spoonful on top of the previous one. Continue until all of the batter is used up. The batter will spread out and fill the tin as you add it, but you can give them a little shake if needed to encourage it
• Bake them for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave them to fully cool either in the tins or on cooling racks
• To make the chocolate buttercream mix the butter, cocoa powder and icing sugar together. Once it starts to come together add the milk and mix until smooth. I use my electric hand whisk to do this but you can also do it by hand with a spoon
• If the cakes have domed on top, level them off with a cake leveller
• Put one of the sponges on your cake stand and pipe a circle of buttercream blobs around the edge using a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle, then fill the centre with raspberry jam. You can fill the middle with just the raspberry jam too if you prefer
  
• Add the second sponge, and spread chocolate buttercream all over the top
  
• Pipe another circle of chocolate buttercream blobs around the edge and top them with the fresh raspberries
  
• Use a vegetable peeler to shave dark chocolate into the centre, or use shop bought chocolate curls or sprinkles
  
• Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days

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Nutrition

Calories: 601kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 1088IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

If you like this, check out more of my Cake recipes!

Recipe inspired by BBC Good Food.