Zebra Cake

I bet you are dying to see what lurks under this yummy chocolate ganache. What does a Zebra Cake look like? Before I give you the recipe I wanted to ask you something. Have you tried any baking using the WEIGHT method versus VOLUME (using measuring cups)? Baking is definitely a science that can be unforgiving if your measuring is off. Get a little heavy handed with the flour or scoop it wrong and it won't rise alot or it's too dry/dense. I will tell you get a little scale from Bed Bath and Beyond (about 20-30 bucks) and use it. I've done it a few times and wished all my recipes were in weight form....so much easier. Give it a try?

Zebra Cake
from King Arthur Flour/Baker's Banter

1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup milk (whole, 2% or 1%)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Double Dutch Dark Cocoa

or if you'd like to weigh it out.....

7 ounces granulated sugar
4 large eggs
8 ounces milk (whole, 2% or 1%)
7 ounces vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 1/2 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Double Dutch Dark Cocoa

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9" x 2" round baking pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment, and spritz again. Set the pan aside.

2) In the bowl of your mixer, blend the sugar and eggs until lightened, about 2 minutes. On low speed blend in the oil, milk and vanilla until well combined and smooth.

3) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Combine on medium speed 1-2 minutes or until the batter is smooth and lump free. Be sure to scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing.

4) Remove 2 cups of the vanilla batter and place it in the measure you used for the liquid ingredients. Sift the cocoa over this batter, and stir well to combine. Be sure to use a sifter to avoid cocoa lumps in the batter.

5) Now for the stripes. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of vanilla batter into the center of the cake pan. Next, spoon 3 tablespoons of the chocolate batter into the center of the vanilla batter. This causes the vanilla batter to spread out. Continue to alternate batters, in bulls-eye fashion until all batter is used. You will now have thin rings of each batter on the outer edges of the pan, thicker rings towards the center.

6) Bake the cake in the center of the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost as desired.

Chocolate Ganache
from allrecipes.com

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1. In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips with cream over low heat. Remove from the heat. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally.
2. For a pourable ganache, cool until mixture reaches 85 degrees F-90 degrees F and is slightly thickened, about 40 minutes. Pour over cake, allowing some to flow down the edges to completely coat. Spread ganache with a spatula if necessary to evenly coat, working quickly before it thickens. Chill until set.
3. For spreadable ganache, chill until mixture reaches a spreadable consistency. Spread over cake. Chill until set.
   
   
   

Keep the amounts of each chocolate and vanilla mixture as exact as you can. For you can see that I had more chocolate mixture left and it upset the 'balance' of the stripes. I guess I could have just stopped and didn't put the extra in. But I figured K-man will be so wowed over the stripes (so would your cake eating guests) that it probably wouldn't be noticed. Very fun....easy to do in one pan....Yummy too! The ganache was perfect!

Enjoy!