Chocolate and Vanilla Zebra Cake

The only word for this is Chocolate and Vanilla Zebra Cake is SCRUMPTIOUS. I adapted the cake base from a mouthwatering Red Velvet Cake recipe by lovingitvegan.com by increasing the amounts and keeping the chocolate and vanilla separate. I don't own any piping bags (yet!) so it was very much a make-shift job, using plastic bags and cutting the corners off!
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The original plan was to make a checkerboard cake but it ended up stripey...so I've labelled it a zebra cake 🦓

Recipe (for 2, 8" cake tins):
The basic cake mix is the same for both flavours. For the chocolate, the cocoa powder is added to the dry ingredients. For the vanilla, the vanilla essence is added to the wet ingredients. Make the buttermilk by adding 3/4 tbsp lemon juice to the 180ml milk (I used soya milk) and let rest for 1 minute.

Choc:
190g plain flour
140g white sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
3tbsp cocoa powder
180ml buttermilk
60ml olive oil
3/4 tbsp white wine vinegar

Vanilla:
190g plain flour
140g white sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
3 tsp vanilla essence
180ml buttermilk
60ml olive oil
3/4 tbsp white wine vinegar

​Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c, line and grease cake tins.
2. Sift flour into mixing bowls (I kept both flavours separate from the beginning).
3. Add dry ingredients and mix.
4. Add wet ingredients and use a hand whisk to gently combine and remove any lumps.
5. Fill each flavour into a piping bag and pipe into your first cake tin, in 1" circles, alternating flavours. I had 4 circles in total
   When piping the second cake tin, begin with the opposite flavour
6. Bake for 30mins or until a skewer comes out clean
7. Once cooled, frost, stack and decorate as you wish!

I used chocolate frosting in between the layers and on top. I was limited for decorative options so used fresh fruit - it worked really well, particularly the blueberries!

Tips:

• Measure out the ingredients EXACTLY. This might sound like a ridiculous tip, but if you're anything like me and are used to bunging in a bit-of-this and a bit-of-that willy nilly then it's not going to work out! I've learnt that the hard way...
• I used a lighter chocolate frosting through the centre of the cake, and a thicker more chocolatey frosting on the outside (by adding extra cocoa powder)
• This cake keeps well for 3 days (maybe more but I wouldn't know as ours didn't last that long). Store in an airtight container in the fridge

Enjoy! If you have tried this recipe then please feel free to comment below and let me know how it went. If you have any questions then please ask and I'll do my best to answer!

For more recipe's, inspiration and general musings follow me on Instagram @jemplusthree ​