Sunday 14 April 2013

Zebra Cake 2.0

To be honest, there's nothing wrong with the previous zebra cake recipe.  It is a delicious dense cake.  But that's also the problem.  With denser cake like this, I find that I can only eat one slice at one seating and that's just not ideal for someone greedy like me.  

I don't know about you, but I find greed to be a great source of inspiration and motivation.  So after playing about with the recipe and experimenting... a total of five cakes; Mom and I, we came up with the recipe which will give you a moister and lighter cake.  Using my mom's own recipe for zebra cake, I updated the flavour a little bit.  I was a bit skeptical when I first read the recipe, but who am I to question my mother, who was a pastry chef.

The base for the cake batter is basically a meringue, with ovalette added to the egg whites.  Ovalette is a gel type stabiliser which gives extra volume and stiffness to the egg whites.  But if you can't find it, cream of tartar can be substituted.  To the meringue, the rest of the ingredients are then added.

To create the distinctive zebra stripes pattern inside the cake, I've given up using piping bags.  Patience is virtue I just don't possess.  I use soup ladles which is much quicker and it works just fine!

And one last note, the cake isn't too sweet which I like, but do add more sugar if you want it sweeter.


Zebra Cake 2.0
Recipe by Mom

250 ml egg whites, approximately from 5-6 large eggs
1 tsp ovalette
180 gr caster sugar
125 gr plain flour
100 ml water
125 ml vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon instant espresso

Grease, line, grease again and flour a 23 cm round cake tin.  Preheat the oven to 180 C.

In a free standing mixer, whisk the egg whites and the ovalette until they are holding soft peaks.  Keep whisking and gradually add the sugar a little at a time.

When you have a firm meringue, put the mixer on low and slowly add the flour and water.  When everything is incorporated, stop the mixer and fold in the vegetable oil using a spatula or a big spoon.

Divide the batter into two.  To one batter, add the vanilla extract; and to another, fold in the cocoa powder and instant espresso.  Using two ladles of the same size, one for each batter, ladle one batter in the middle of the cake tin.  Then ladle the other batter right in the middle of the first batter, and keep alternating the batter, creating a loosely speaking target pattern.


Bake in the preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes.  When the cake is done, let it cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning it out.  Make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy the cake.  I stop eating after three slices, just so you know.



37 comments:

  1. That looks like huge fun. Before this the only animal-related "baked" goods I knew were what are called over here "meadow muffins." LOL

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    1. It is actually really fun baking this cake. And you are too funny! :)

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  2. Good grief man, I don't think you could get those stripes more perfect. excellent work.

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    1. Thanks Gary. Well I had some practise from all the previous cakes...

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  3. simply stunning... almost too perfect. I can just imagine how patiently you created this... it's beautiful x

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    1. Thank you Dom! I am actually an impatient person, but I will take that compliment :)

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  4. Michael, it's such a perfect and beautiful cake...love the name for it; it does resemble the 'zebra' stripes! Thanks for sharing your sweet mom's delicious cake recipe...and yes, be as greedy as you want to be eating the cake; you don't have to worry about gaining weight...lol!

    p.s. the 'ovalette' is probably the same ingredient that we have here, which is called 'cream of tarter, or tartar' can't remember which way it is spelled, but it does wonders to beating egg whites! xo
    I think google+ did not have me signed in;
    Elisabeth@foodandthrift

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    1. Thank you Elisabeth... well, I pay my time at the gym regularly, so ups and downs :)

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  5. I love this cake! You'd swear you were eating the side of a zebra. :) it looks very good.

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    1. I love it too. I am slightly obsessed I think. I just found a recipe variation that I really want to try, so watch this space!

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  6. Great job getting the strips Michael! It looks spectacular and well worth the effort :D

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  7. looks awesome! I will never trust myself with making such a technical cake... oh and GOOD ONE ON THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL! :)

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    1. I'm sure you can! and THANK YOU! It's a lot of fun!

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  8. Your mum is a pastry chef? How lucky are you?! This is an amazing cake - thanks for the tip about cream of tartar. Do you use the same amount as the Ovalette? I really want to make this for my little girl and her friends...

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    1. Hi Lucy. I am very lucky indeed, but it can be intimidating baking for her :)
      Yes, just use the same amount. I hope your little girl and her friends enjoy the cake!

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  9. lol... ahhhh, yes, greed... it is definitely a form of inspiration!! And, hey, if it can inspire things like this cake, well than by all means I am all for it!! YAY FOR GREED!!! :)

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    1. Thank you Jenn! Yay for greed indeed! :)

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  10. this cake looks awesome in Scotland in June but not really near you could meet in Edinburgh maybe? feel free to facebook me

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  11. Love this cake, Michael. Never have made anything like it. You did a super job with the stripes. I'm definitely going to try this.

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    1. Thanks Barbara. Please give it a try, I'd love to know what you think :)

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  12. Wow, this looks absolutely delicious! The presentation is really remarkable and unique too, I'm very impressed. Really enjoyed this post as well as your other fantastic recipes here. I work for a new social blogging site called glipho.com, and was just wondering if you would be up for sharing these with us? It won't affect your existing blog at all, and I know our users would love to read through your work. Let me know what you think!

    All the best,

    Teo

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    1. Hi Teo. Thank you for the kind comment. I'll have a look at the website and will get back to you :)

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  13. Hi Senka, thank you for the comment. I have just signed up with Alldishes :)
    Have a fab day.

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  14. Beautifully defined stripes, love it!

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  15. Hi Michael, this cake is clearly 'easier' in technique than LP's. I was wondering what the adjustments would be for a serving of say 50? Eva

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    1. Hi Eva. For some reasons, I thought I have already replied to your comment... errr.. sorry... my bad.
      Well, instead of baking a giant cake for 50, I'd just bake 3 cakes. I managed to get I think about 20 slices per cake.
      Or, bake the cake in a square tin and cut it into squares. That way, you'll get more serving but it'll be different visually.

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  16. Hi Michael! The cake looks lovely. Can't wait to try it . I just wanted to know is cream of taster a must? Can I omit using it?

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    1. Hi! Thanks for stopping by. I am sorry for the very late reply. Just got back from holiday :)
      To be honest, I haven't tried baking the cake without using cream or tarter or cake emulsifier. It would certainly help if you can get hold of some.
      Without it, I'm afraid the cake might collapse and you won't get a beautiful rise.

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  17. Sorry typo error..I meant cream of tarter :p

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