Zebra Print Cake

When I had visited my hometown few months back, I had carried some pineapple tooti frooti cake and a butterscotch chips cake for my cousins and their kids. My cousin’s little daughter who doesn’t like any thing to bite into in her cakes had strictly told me to get some plain cakes next time 🙂 I had to oblige and so this time when we planned a trip, I decided to make this zebra pattern cake which I was sure would excite her. And as I had thought, she simply loved it and even others enjoyed it and the whole cake vanished within 5 minutes of cutting. The cake was very moist and soft and tasted good even after staying outdoors for more than 30 hours in the hot weather of Chennai, a sleeper class coach ( didn’t get tatkal tickets for third AC 🙂 ) and hot n humid Calicut weather. Plus the zebra pattern was a star attraction for many of my relatives. Though the top pattern could have been more neater and beautiful, but this was good for a first attempt 🙂 Please use good quality cocoa powder and vanilla extract. I have used a 240 ml cup.

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour 200 gm
• Cocoa powder2 tbsp
• Salt a pinch
• Brown sugar 125 gm plus 2 tbsp
• Baking powder 1 tsp
• Baking soda 1/4 tsp
• Oil 1/2 cup
• Vanilla extract 1 tsp
• Milk 1 cup plus 1 tbsp
• Vinegar 2 tsp

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 150-160 degree Celsius for 10 minutes.
• Grease an 8 inch cake tin with some butter and dust it with flour. Remove the excess flour.
• Sieve the flour, salt and rising agents 3-4 times.
• Mix the oil, sugar and 1 cup milk with the vinegar till the sugar dissolves completely.
• Now add the vanilla extract and mix well.
• Slowly fold in the flour and mix gently to form a smooth batter.
• Transfer around half of the batter into another mixing bowl and add the cocoa powder, 2 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon milk and mix well. You can sift in the cocoa powder to make the batter lump free.
• Now take 2 equal sized laddles and first pour a laddle of the vanilla batter into the prepared cake tin. Now pour a laddle of the chocolate batter into the centre of this vanilla batter. Let it flow on it own. Do not try to spread it. I have used a normal steel laddle and 1/4 cup (60 ml) to do this.
• Now pour vanilla batter into the centre of the already poured chocolate batter and repeat the procedure till the whole batter is exhausted. Now take a toothpick and make some pattern on the top. This step is purely optional.

• Now place the tin into the preheated oven and she for 35-40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Take the tin out of the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin itself for 7-8 minutes.
• Transfer the cake carefully onto a wire and allow it to cool completely.
• Slice and serve with love 🙂