Crouching Tiger, Hidden Zebra Cake

Update: Since this recipe, I have been experimenting to create a much lighter zebra cake and equally delicious.  And I think I have figured out the recipe. Please check it out here, Zebra Cake 2.0

Ah, don't you just love the name? I do. I am easily amused as you can tell :)  This zebra cake with its distinctive stripy pattern is nothing new actually. I remember my mom baking plenty of this cake when I was a kid.  And now, I am very pleased that I can bake it myself and share this cake with her.

I used to think that there's go to be an intricate technique to create the stripy pattern inside the cake.  But I can tell you, if you haven't made this cake before, it's actually pretty simple.  All that's required is a little patience, which I don't have.  So, If I managed, so can you....

This easy recipe is from the gorgeous Lorraine Pascale.  Previously I got the recipe by watching, pausing and taking notes from the TV programme.  However there must be an editing error that caused the flour to be added twice, causing a thick batter problem.  The ingredients list below has now been updated according to the book. I have also adjusted the method. Sorry for the confusion.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Zebra Cake
Recipe by Lorraine Pascale

250 ml vegetable oil
250 gr caster sugar
100 ml semi-skimmed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 medium eggs
300 gr self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

25 gr cocoa powder

1 orange

Line a 23 cm cake tin and preheat the oven to 180 C.  In a big bowl, add the first five ingredients and mix well to combine.  Then, split this batter into two.

In the first bowl, make the vanilla batter by adding 175 gr self-raising flour and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.  Mix it all together and set aside. 

To the other bowl, add the cocoa powder, remaining 125 gr self-raising powder,  1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and orange zest to create the chocolate mix.

Now put each batter in piping bags, snip off the end and start building the cake.  To begin, put a dollop of the vanilla batter in the centre of the cake tin.  And then inside the vanilla batter, put the chocolate batter.  Followed by the vanilla and the chocolate and so on... creating a target pattern.  Though saying that, mine is a bit wonky as pictured below, but does it bother me? nah...

Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes.  Let it cool slightly, cut into slices and enjoy...