9x13 Zebra Cake

This Zebra Cake recipe is just like my original homemade Zebra Cakes, only easier! Plus, you can make it in standard 9x13" cake pan, so it's perfect for a crowd!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword homemade zebra cakes, little debbie, zebra cake 9x13

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 22

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 1 12

Servings

Calories 266kcal

Author Melissa Rose

Ingredients

Yellow Cake

15.25 oz dry yellow cake mix (don't use instructions on back) I like Betty Crocker "Super Moist"
½ cup unsalted butter melted
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk i.e. you'll be using 3 whole eggs + 1 extra egg yolk

Creme Filling and Frosting

¾ cup unsalted butter softened
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract use clear vanilla for a bright white buttercream
4 ½ cups powdered sugar
3-4 teaspoons milk (as needed) If frosting is a still a bit thick after beating for 5-8 minutes, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time

Stripes

¼ cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips (for stripes) melted
1 teaspoon shortening optional, to help thin out chocolate

Instructions

Be sure to read through the blog post above for important tips & tricks (and step-by-step photos!).

Making The Cake

In a large mixing bowl, stir together boxed dry yellow cake mix (15.25 ounces), melted unsalted butter (½ cup), milk (¾ cup), vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), eggs (2 large), and extra egg yolk (1 large). Pour in greased and parchment-lined 9x13 light-colored metal baking pan, spread until smooth, then tap pan on counter about 20 times to remove the air bubbles.
Bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes, then flip over onto a wire rack or piece of parchment paper. If your cake has a bit of a dome, press the pan on top as "weight" to help it flatten while it continues cooling.
Once cooled, freeze cake for 30-60 minutes. This will help the cake firm up so that you can cut it into circles without it crumbling.

Make Buttercream

Using an electric mixer (if using a Kitchenaid stand mixer, use the whisk attachment), cream unsalted butter (¾ cup) and salt (¼ teaspoon) on high speed for 2 minutes until soft and creamy.
Slowly mix in powdered sugar ½ cup at a time (4 ½ cups total), add vanilla extract (1 tablespoon), then beat for 5-8 minutes at medium-high speed. It’s important that you beat this for at least 5 minutes for it to be fluffy & creamy. If your frosting is thick, you can add additional teaspoons of milk (3-4 teaspoons) until desired consistency.
Put frosting in a piping bag with large round tip or ziploc bag with the large corner cut off, then set aside for next step.

Cut Cake & Pipe Filling

Remove cake from the freezer then immediately cut it lengthwise into two layers with a serrated knife.
On the bottom half, pipe half of the frosting and spread. Place the other half of the cake on top and gently press down.

Topping

Pipe the rest of the frosting on top of the cake, then use a spatula to spread it into an even layer.
Finish it off by melting chocolate chips (¼ cup) and shortening (1 teaspoon, optional) in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments, then put it in a ziploc bag with a tiny corner cut off to pipe on “zebra” stripes on top.

Notes

Storage: This 9x13 Zebra Cake will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Cover it tightly, or transfer the individual pieces to an airtight container.

Freezing: Zebra Cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap it well or freeze it in an airtight container. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Nutrition