Slow Cooker Zebra-Striped Vanilla and Chocolate Cake

As it is World Baking Day I baked a cake this evening after a busy day out. My favourite flavours are currently vanilla and chocolate, so I decided to try baking a chocolate and vanilla zebra-striped cake in the slow cooker.

You’ve probably seen zebra cakes before, they are everywhere, with videos showing how to make them doing the rounds on Facebook. A zebra cake is basically a spin on a marble cake, where you layer up two different colours of cake batter to make zebra stripes!

Why not see if they work in the slow cooker I thought?! I wasn’t sure it would work because cakes don’t rise as quickly in the slow cooker as in the oven, and I thought this might mean the stripes could lose definition.

Happily my slow cooker zebra cake worked well!

I was amazed to see that the stripe effect worked even in a slow cooker.

Simply spooning the different colours on top of each other creates this great marble-like pattern. You have to be fast!

I’ve adapted this recipe from a recipe from BBC Food for zebra cake. The key, from the videos I’ve seen, seems to be using a runny cake batter containing oil and milk so it can be spooned, piped or poured quickly into the case using the vanilla and chocolate mixture alternately.

I used my round, 3.5 litre slow cooker to make this cake. So if you are using a bigger one, you might want to amend the quantities.

Ingredients needed

For the quantities see the recipe card at the end of the post.

• eggs
• caster sugar
• milk
• sunflower oil
• vanilla bean paste/vanilla extract
• self-raising flour
• baking powder
• cocoa powder

Step by step instructions

1. Place the eggs, sugar, oil and milk in a large bowl, and mix until smooth using a handheld mixer (I use a K-Mix).
2. Fold in half the flour and mix until combined.
3. Pour half the mixture into a second bowl. Add the vanilla bean paste or extract, half of the remaining flour and half the baking powder and stir it in.
4. To the first bowl, add the cocoa powder, rest of the flour and the rest of the baking powder. Stir until combined.
5. Line your slow cooker either with baking paper or a large cake case (I use two cakes cases to add an extra layer of protection for the sides of the cake).
6. Using two dessert spoons, spoon in first a large spoonful of the vanilla cake mixture, followed by a large spoonful of the chocolate cake mixture directly on top of it. Keep repeating until you have used all the cake mixture from each bowl.
7. Turn your slow cooker onto high, place a clean tea towel under the lid (fold up the sides so it doesn’t hang down) and put the lid on. Bake for approximately 1.5 hrs on high, or until a skewer or cake tester comes out clean from the deepest part of the cake. Watch out for burning, if you think it might be burning, rotate the bowl inside the slow cooker and/or turn to low for the rest of the time.

Slow cooker cake recipes

If you love this I think you’ll love my guide to baking cakes and puddings in your slow cooker which has recipes for giant cookies, giant scones, all kinds of cakes, saucy desserts and even more!

My most visited crockpot desserts are:

slow cooker mint aero bubble cake

slow cooker cream cheese brownies

slow cooker giant Nutella scone

slow cooker lemon and white chocolate cake

slow cooker chocolate chip scone

Recipe

Slow Cooker Zebra Cake

A fun marbled zebra cake you can bake in a slow cooker, really fun to make with your kids

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Baking

Cuisine: British, Slow Cooker

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 479kcal

Author: Lucy Allen | BakingQueen74

Ingredients

• 3 medium eggs
• 175 g golden caster sugar
• 100 ml milk
• 175 ml oil I used sunflower oil
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
• 350 g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 25 g cocoa powder

UK Measurements - US Measurements

Instructions 

• Place the eggs, sugar, oil and milk in a large bowl, and mix until smooth using a handheld mixer (I use a K-Mix).
• Fold in half the flour and mix until combined.
• Pour half the mixture into a second bowl. Add the vanilla bean paste or extract, half of the remaining flour and half the baking powder and stir it in.
• To the first bowl, add the cocoa powder, rest of the flour and the rest of the baking powder. Stir until combined.
• Line your slow cooker either with baking paper or a large cake case (I use two cakes cases to add an extra layer of protection for the sides of the cake).
• Using two dessert spoons, spoon in first a large spoonful of the vanilla cake mixture, followed by a large spoonful of the chocolate cake mixture directly on top of it. Keep repeating until you have used all the cake mixture from each bowl.
• Turn your slow cooker onto high, place a clean tea towel under the lid (fold up the sides so it doesn't hang down) and put the lid on. Bake for approximately 1.5 hrs on high, or until a skewer or cake tester comes out clean from the deepest part of the cake. Watch out for burning, if you think it might be burning, rotate the bowl inside the slow cooker and/or turn to low for the rest of the time.

Did you try and love this recipe?Then please leave a review and rating in the comments at the bottom of the post. If you post your creation on Instagram, tag me @bakingqueen74 or use hashtag #bakingqueen74!

I’m linking this recipe up with #CookBlogShare which is guest-hosted by Angela from Patisserie Makes Perfect this fortnight on behalf of Lucy from Supergolden Bakes.

I’m also linking up with We Should Cocoa from Choclette from Tin and Thyme, which is hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage this month. The theme for May is vanilla and chocolate.