Gluten Free Zebrakuchen (Zebracake)

A Zebracake never fails to be a huge hit at parties! Just look at those pretty layers of gluten free chocolate and vanilla cake, topped with a delicious chocolate glaze and some Mini M&Ms. Who wouldn't want a slice of this fun gluten free zebracake?

A Gluten Free Zebra Cake is a buttery, lightly-sweetened no-fuss cake and it stands out due to its unique appearance, imitating the stripes of a zebra, which inspired its name. Yes, a Zebrakuchen is a variation of a traditional Marble Cake. But a fun variation everyone will love and totally worth splurging on.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: This Gluten-Free Zebracake is very forgiving. I tested it with my gluten-free flour blend, and King Arthur Measure for Measure. All three flour blends produced a beautiful crumb. The Zebrakuchen made with King Arthur's Measure for Measure stayed fresh the longer. Please be aware that the batter made with Cup4Cup may be on the gummy side but should bake just fine. This is because the blend contains mainly corn starch. All flour blends mentioned do contain xanthan gum.

Oil: Unlike my Gluten Free Marmorkuchen, this recipe for Zebrakuchen is made with unsalted butter and oil. Butter provides the buttery flavor we all love and the added oil keeps the cake moist and tender. I prefer to bake with a neutral oil like vegetable oil or grapeseed oil.

Cocoa Powder: I recommend using dutch-processed cocoa which produces a rich flavor in the chocolate batter. While my go-to brands are DeZaan Crimson Red and Valrhona Pure Cocoa Powder, I understand they are not affordable for everyone. Hershey Special Dark is a great grocery store option. Natural Cocoa Powder on the other hand will give the chocolate part of this Gluten Free Zebracake a lighter color and very dry crumb.

Milk: I have tested this Zebrakuchen with whole milk and low-fat milk as well as dairy-free milk. All three work great here - so any milk you have in your fridge will work. Yes, even fat-free (do NOT use buttermilk!)

Chocolate Glaze: The chocolate glaze is optional. It's the same recipe I use for my Gluten Free Chocolate Bundt Cake. The glaze calls for high-quality chocolate, unsalted butter, corn syrup, and a pinch of kosher salt. The corn syrup will also ensure the glaze will stay soft and not crack when you cut the cake. 

Tools needed to make Gluten Free Zebracake

One can make this Zebra cake recipe with an electric stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl and an electric hand mixer. As for the bundt pan, I recommend using a pan that holds 10-12 cups. I use a 9" Bundt Pan for this cake. You can also make this cake in two 9" round cake pans if you would like to make a layer cake instead of a bundt cake.

You will also need 2 pastry bags (large ziplock bags work great too), of course, a digital kitchen scale, 2 mixing bowls, a small saucepan (for chocolate glaze), a sheet pan, and a cooling rack.

What is a Zebra Cake?

A zebracake stands out due to its unique appearance, imitating the stripes of a zebra, which inspired its name. It's made by layering the two different colored batters in a way that creates a striped pattern when the cake is sliced.

To achieve the zebra pattern, the cake batter is split into two portions. One portion is mixed with cocoa powder and a little milk (and espresso powder if using) to create a darker color. The batters are then alternately piped (or spooned if using a cake pan) into the center of the bundt pan, one on top of the other. As the batter spreads outward, the different colors mix and create a striped effect.

A Zebracake never fails to be a huge hit at birthday parties. Especially when finished with a chocolate glaze and garnished with an abundance of Mini M&Ms.

How to make a Gluten Free Zebra Cake Batter

A Gluten Free Zebrakuchen is made with "Ruehrteig" which literally means "stirred dough". It's a very simple dough you can either make with an electric mixer or a stand mixer. I use a  9" Bundt Pan for this cake which holds 10-12 cups. Make sure the butter, eggs, and milk are at room temperature before starting.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F.

Step 2: In a medium bowl combine the gluten-free multi-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and kosher salt. Whisk together and set aside. DO NOT include the cocoa powder here!

Step 3: Add the room temperature butter, oil, and vanilla extract to the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl. At a medium-high speed mix the ingredients for 1-2 minutes until it appears lighter in color and smooth. 

Step 4: Add the granulated white sugar and mix for an additional 2 minutes. Make sure to stop the mixer halfway through and scrape the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula.

Step 5: Once the butter-sugar mixture is light and airy, add the room-temperature eggs one by one allowing each egg to incorporate for at least 30 seconds. This will ensure that the gluten free zebracake will rise not only properly but also ensures the tender texture of the cake.

Step 6: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, one-third at a time alternating with the milk. Mix until it has a smooth consistency. I recommend stopping the mixer half way to scrape down the sides and the bottoms of the bowl.

Step 7: This step might be the trickiest one when making this Gluten Free Zebrakuchen: Divide the cake batter into half. You can either eyeball this or if you are a perfectionist, weigh the mixing bowl and the paddle attachment before making the cake batter. To do so, tare the kitchen scale to zero and then place the mixing bowl including the paddle attachment on the scale. Write down the weight. After preparing the zebra cake batter, return the bowl to the scale. Make sure to include the paddle attachment. Don't forget to tare the scale to zero before doing so. Take that weight, subtract the weight of the bowl and the attachment and you have the total weight.

Step 7: Remove half of the vanilla cake batter and transfer it to a piping bag or a ziplock bag.

Step 8: To the remaining zebracake cake batter add the cocoa powder (sift if it appears very lumpy), espresso powder (if using), and a smaller amount of milk. Starting the mixer at a low speed, mix until smooth for about one minute. Be certain to scrape the sides of the bowl to guarantee thorough incorporation of the unsweetened cocoa powder. The cocoa powder thickens up the cake batter. To ensure that the chocolate cake batter matches the consistency of the vanilla cake batter, you'll incorporate extra milk.

Step 9: Transfer the chocolate cake batter to a pastry bag or a ziplock bag. The cake batter need to be in TWO separate bags.

How to bake a Gluten Free Zebra Cake

Step 1: Spray the inside of the Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease thoroughly with butter. Make sure to get all the crannies and nooks if you use a fancy bundt pan. 

Step 2: Starting with the vanilla cake batter, snip off a small portion of one corner of the ziplock bag. Pipe one layer of vanilla batter into the bundt cake. This doesn't have to be perfect.

Step 3: Retrieve the chocolate cake batter, snip off a small portion of one corner of the ziplock bag. Pipe some chocolate batter right on top of the center of the vanilla batter.

Step 4: Top the chocolate cake batter with a layer of vanilla cake. The weight of the cake batter will slowly spread and fill the bundt cake.

Step 5: Keep repeating the alternative cake batter flavors until they are used up. This is how this cake gets its zebra stripes.

Step 6: Gently tap the bundt pan against the countertop. By doing this, you'll guarantee the even distribution of the gluten-free zebra cake batter, eliminating any potential air pockets that might be present.

Step 7: Place the bundt cake pan in the preheated oven and bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes. The gluten free zebrakuchen is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are okay). If using a digital thermometer, the internal temperature should be at least 200F. Baking times can vary depending on bundt pan size and ovens. Please adjust accordingly.

Step 8: Carefully remove the bundt pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Allow the bundt cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes which allows the cake to set up enough to hold its shape when you remove it from the pan.

Step 9: Invert the slightly cooled zebra cake onto a wire rack set over a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. If you have sprayed your bundt pan generously, your beautiful zebra cake should slide out of the pan without any issues. Allow the Gluten Free Zebra Cake to cool completely before glazing! This can take an estimate 2-3 hours. Should you have issues getting the cake from the bundt pan, you can find some tips and tricks on how to remove a bundt cake from a pan in this post.

Dark Chocolate Glaze

The dark chocolate glaze is an optional way to dress up this delicious gluten free zebracake. Alternatively, you can just dust the cake with some powdered sugar and serve it.

While most chocolate glazes call for heavy cream, I like to make my chocolate glaze with butter and just a bit of corn syrup. Both ingredients give the finished glaze a smooth, fudgy texture and mouthfeel. The corn syrup will also ensure the glaze will stay soft and not crack when you cut the cake.

To make the dark chocolate glaze, combine the dark chocolate chips, unsalted butter, kosher salt, and corn syrup in a heat-proof bowl. Place it on top of a small saucepan with hot (not boiling) water. Allow the heat of the water to melt the ingredients together.

Once the gluten free zebracake is cool completely, place the wire rack with the cake on top of a sheet tray lined with a piece of parchment paper. Slowly pour the chocolate glaze over the top of the cake. Try to pour as evenly as possible. You may also spoon the glaze over the cake. Garnish with some Mini M&Ms or chocolate curls. Allow the glaze to set up at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before slicing the gluten-free zebra cake.

Storage & Freezing

Since this gluten free zebracake is made with butter and oil, it will stay moist and soft for days if stored properly. You can either store it in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge.

To freeze the entire cake or pieces, wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap. Then place the cake (or cake pieces) into a freezer bag. The gluten-free bundt will keep in the freezer for about 2 months. Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the fridge or thaw at room temperature.

FAQ - Gluten Free Zebrakuchen

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.