Did you say Zebra cake?

 

Zebra cake. Photo/FILE 

In Summary

• The secret to baking a good cake lies in understanding the ingredients that make a delicious cake what it is, as well as how to mix them.

By Chef Raphael King'ori

We all love cakes, so we might as well learn how to make them.

The secret to baking a good cake lies in understanding the ingredients that make a delicious cake what it is, as well as how to mix them. Like every other skill, you get better with practice. So, do not get frustrated when the results do not meet your expectations. There are two types of cake: Foam and butter.

FOAM CAKES

They have a high proportion of eggs to flour. They are leavened solely by the air beaten into the eggs. They contain very little, if any, fat and have a spongy texture. 

Examples include sponge cakes, roulades (Swiss roll cake), and meringues.

BUTTER OR SHORTENED CAKES

They contain fat (butter, margarine, shortening) and rely on baking powder or baking soda for their rise. They are delicious and have a good texture and volume.

Examples include fruit cake, marble cakes, and tea cakes. Butter cakes can be prepared in three ways:

Creaming method: It is the easiest and produces a light cake with more volume.

One bowl/quick/blending method: It is quick and produces a melt-in-your-mouth texture. It is denser and has less volume than a cake made using the creaming method. 

Combination method: This is similar to the creaming method, the only difference being that you whip the egg whites separately from the yolks before adding to the batter.

This week, I will teach you how to make a Zebra foam cake. Instead of butter or margarine, I used oil. Follow it step by step and I promise you will enjoy it.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

250g sugar (1 1/2 cups)

200ml vegetable oil (3/4 cup)

250 ml milk (1 cup)

300g self-raising flour (2 1/3 cup)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp cocoa powder

 Method:

1. Set and preheat the oven to 180C/350F Gas 4. Butter and line round/square baking tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Beat the eggs for a minute or until they start to foam then add the sugar and whisk until it turns pale and thick.
3. Gradually add the oil while whisking, and beat until fully mixed.

4. Add the vanilla, milk and mix 

5. Add the sifted flour and mix to form a pourable batter.

6. Divide the batter into two then add cocoa powder in one and mix completely.

7. Get two same sized ladles for each batter portion. Pour one scoop of the white at the centre of the tin and let it spread freely. Take the brown one, pouring at the centre of the white and allow to spread out. 

8. Take the white and repeat, and then the brown. Keep alternating until all the batter is finished.

9. Bake the cake in preheated oven for an hour or until a small knife inserted comes out dry, the cake browned on the outside.

10.Baking time is determined by the size of the tin you use and how deep the cake is. The smaller the pan/tin the longer the cake will take to cook.

11. Allow to cool and serve.

Chef’s Tip

Weighing ingredients before baking is important if you want a perfect product. A scale is simple to use. All you need to do is  “zero” your scale, place the ingredient on it, and add or reduce, depending on the amount you need.