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Zebra Cake is the show-stopping striped cake that looks like it came from a bakery but starts with a box of cake mix. I made one for my daughter’s birthday last year and the whole table gasped when we cut into those black and white stripes. If you love a fun layer cake, it is a cousin to our cookies and cream cookies.
Alternating spoonfuls of white and chocolate batter create the dramatic zebra pattern inside, all wrapped in a fluffy cookies and cream cream cheese frosting.
Zebra Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 25 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 45 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 565kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Tender vanilla and chocolate striped cake with cookies and cream frosting
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a fun box-mix layer cake like our brookie Oreo bars
Quick Answer
To make a zebra cake, mix a white cake batter and divide it in half, stirring cocoa powder into one half to make chocolate batter. Spoon the white and chocolate batters alternately into the center of the pans, letting each spoonful push the last outward to form stripes. Bake, then frost the cooled layers with a cookies and cream cream cheese frosting.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cake mix keeps it easy. Starting with a box of white cake mix gives you a reliable, tender crumb with almost no effort.
- Cocoa makes the stripes. Stirring cocoa powder into half the batter creates the dark stripe without changing the texture.
- Spooning from the center. Adding each spoonful to the same center spot pushes the batter outward into clean concentric rings.
- Egg whites for a white cake. Using only egg whites keeps the vanilla batter bright white so the stripes pop.
- Oreo cream cheese frosting. Blending cookie crumbs into a tangy cream cheese frosting ties the whole cookies and cream flavor together.
- Chill to set the layers. A quick chill between coats of frosting keeps the cake neat and easy to slice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It looks impressive with its striking stripes but starts with an easy box of cake mix.
- It is perfect for birthdays and parties, just like our cookies and cream cookies.
- The cookies and cream cream cheese frosting makes every slice rich, tangy, and packed with Oreo flavor.
Key Ingredients
Here is what goes into the cake and the cookies and cream frosting. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- White cake mix: The easy base for a tender, bright white cake that shows off the stripes.
- Cocoa powder: Stirred into half the batter to create the dark zebra stripe.
- Egg whites: Used instead of whole eggs to keep the vanilla batter pure white.
- Oreos: Processed into crumbs and folded into the frosting for cookies and cream flavor.
- Cream cheese and butter: Whipped with powdered sugar into a rich, tangy frosting, like the one on our cookies and cream cookies.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This zebra cake is easy to customize. Here are a few fun ideas.
- Use a chocolate base: Swap the white cake mix for chocolate and use plain batter for the light stripe.
- Color the stripes: Tint the light batter with food coloring for a rainbow zebra effect.
- Make cupcakes: Layer the batters in lined muffin tins for striped zebra cupcakes.
- Add extract: A little almond or peppermint extract changes the flavor profile.
- Different frosting: Use a classic vanilla buttercream if you want to skip the Oreos.
How to Make Zebra Cake
- Mix the white cake batter with the milk, oil, and egg whites. Divide it in half, then stir the cocoa powder into one half to make the chocolate batter.
- Spoon about a quarter cup of white batter into the center of each pan, then a quarter cup of chocolate batter into the center of the white. Keep alternating until the batter is used up to form the stripes.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans.
- Process the Oreos into fine crumbs. Cream the butter and cream cheese, beat in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla, then fold in the cookie crumbs.
- Level the cakes, then stack them with about a cup of frosting in between. Add a thin crumb coat and chill for 1 to 2 hours to set.
- Frost the whole cake with the remaining frosting, decorate as you like, and top with mini Oreos. Slice and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use only egg whites. They keep the light batter bright white so the stripes really stand out.
- Spoon into the same spot. Always add batter to the exact center so the rings push out evenly.
- Do not swirl the batter. Let the spoonfuls settle on their own. Stirring will blur the zebra pattern.
- Cool the cakes completely. Frosting a warm cake melts the frosting and makes the layers slide.
- Chill between frosting coats. A crumb coat plus a chill keeps the final layer smooth and clean.
- Crush the Oreos fine. Fine crumbs blend smoothly into the frosting, much like our no bake Oreo cheesecake.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Zebra cake is a birthday and celebration favorite. Slice it to reveal the stripes and serve with coffee, milk, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
It is a fun addition to any dessert table alongside our cookies and cream cookies and fudgy brownies.
Store leftover slices covered in the fridge and bring them to room temperature before serving. For another Oreo-packed treat, try our brookie Oreo bars next.
Zebra Cake FAQs
A zebra cake is a striped layer cake made by alternating spoonfuls of light and dark batter so it bakes into concentric black and white rings. When you slice it, the inside reveals a striking zebra pattern. This version uses a white cake mix and cocoa powder for the stripes, with a cookies and cream frosting.
The stripes come from spooning the white and chocolate batters alternately into the exact center of the pan. Each new spoonful pushes the previous batter outward, creating rings. Do not stir or swirl the batter, and the rings will bake into clean zebra stripes.
Yes. You can use your favorite white or vanilla cake recipe, divide the batter in half, and stir cocoa powder into one portion. The layering technique is the same. Box cake mix just makes it faster and gives a reliably tender, white crumb that shows off the stripes.
Blurred stripes usually mean the batter was swirled or the spoonfuls were not added to the same center spot. Add each spoonful directly on top of the last in the middle of the pan and let it spread on its own. Batters that are too thin can also run together, so do not over-thin the mix.
Because of the cream cheese frosting, store zebra cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let slices sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving so the cake softens and the frosting is creamy. You can also freeze unfrosted layers for up to 3 months.
Yes. Bake the cake layers a day ahead, wrap them well, and store at room temperature, or freeze them for longer. Make the frosting and assemble the cake the day you plan to serve it. Assembled and frosted, it keeps in the fridge for a couple of days.
Craving more cookies and cream? Try our cookies and cream cookies next.
Need an easy crowd-pleaser? Our caramel corn makes a big batch everyone grabs by the handful.
Bake our German chocolate cake next, a classic layered cake with gooey coconut pecan topping.
Zebra Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
For the frosting:
- 16 Oreos
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 8 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Mini Oreos for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 2 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray. Add a circle of parchment paper to the bottom and spray the top with more cooking spray, set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, stir the cake mix, milk, oil, and egg whites for 30 seconds until it comes together. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Take half of the cake batter and put it into a medium-sized bowl.
- To the remaining cake batter, add the cocoa powder and stir it in until just combined.
- Working with both cake pans, add about ¼ cup of the white cake batter to the center of each pan.
- Add about ¼ cup of the chocolate batter into the center of the white batter in each pan. Keep doing this until all of the batters are used up and the cakes should have an even amount of cake batter in each pan.
- If you find the batter isn’t spreading you can tilt the baking pan until it fills out the bottom of the pan, this will not mess up the zebra design.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting by placing the Oreos into a food processor and process into crumbs, set aside.
- Place the softened butter and cream cheese into the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and cream together until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully combined, and scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla, and stir it in until combined. Place the mixer on medium-high speed and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the cookie crumbs and stir them in until combined. I like to then use a spatula to mix it a little more by hand to make sure the cookie crumbs are evenly distributed.
- Cut any doming off the cakes so the tops are flat. Put one of the cakes bottom side down onto your serving platter. Add about 1 cup of the frosting and smooth it out to the edge.
- Place the second cake top side down onto the frosting. Add a thin layer of frosting over the whole cake. Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set up.
- Add another layer of frosting around the whole cake. Take the remaining frosting and decorate as you wish, and add mini Oreos if desired. Cut and serve immediately.
Notes
- This can be made ahead of time, just do not add the Oreos to the frosting until you are ready to assemble the cake, or they will get soft.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- If you want to make your own homemade white cake, you can.
- Make sure you layer per directions, or you will not get that zebra effect.
- Other frostings and toppings can be used, see above on ideas.
Nutrition
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Love the zebra effect. Thanks for sharing on Sweet and Savoury Sundays, stop by and share with us again this weekend!
wow so that’s how you do it! I have tried making cakes putting the one batter in then putting spoonfuls and swirly and doesn’t usually work out. I love your layering here, I think that will work so much better. And adding cookies to the frosting…why don’t I think of these things!! You are so totally awesome!!