Calling all snack cake lovers, I have the BEST copycat recipe for you! My husband always teases me because, even though I’m a baker, I love store-bought zebra cakes when I crave something sweet. They’ve always been my favorite, so I decided to make them from scratch. Oh my gosh, they are absolutely delicious and this recipe makes way more than the little packets!
Recipe Tips
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Always use room temperature ingredients unless specified otherwise. This ensures they mix together smoothly.
Sheet Pans: Divide the batter between two 1/2 sheet pans. The batter will be thin, but trust the process. You want thin layers because they will be stacked.
Freeze the Cakes: After assembling the cakes with filling, freeze them until solid. Don’t skip this step! If they’re soft, they’ll move around and be hard to work with.
Almond Bark: This is a type of artificial chocolate made with vegetable fats instead of cocoa butter, making it easy to melt. You can use real white chocolate, but it can be tricky and may not work as well for coating these cakes. You can find almond bark in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
Chocolate Topping: After dipping and hardening the cakes, melt 1/3 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate. Pipe on four lines and let them harden before serving.
Cookie Cutters: To get the classic shape, use a hexagon cookie cutter. I bought a set on Amazon, but they aren’t required.
Zebra Cakes
Ingredients
#### For the Cake:
- – 1 box vanilla cake mix yellow or white, I like Betty Crocker Super Moist Vanilla Cake
- – 1 tablespoon corn starch
- – 1 cup granulated sugar
- – 1 1/3 cups water
- – 3 eggs room temperature
- – 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- – 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- – 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- – 1 cup all-purpose flour
- – 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
#### For the Filling:
- – 7 ounces marshmallow creme or marshmallow fluff
- – 3/4 cup salted butter room temperature
- – 2 cups powdered sugar
- – 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- – 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- – 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream room temperature
#### For the Coating:
- – 32 ounces almond bark
- – 3 tablespoons Crisco or vegetable oil or butter
- – 1/3 cup milk chocolate melting wafers or chocolate chips or baking bars
Instructions
#### For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray and line two 18×13-inch half sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, combine the cake mix, corn starch, sugar, water, eggs, vanilla, and oil until mixed, about 1 minute.
- Add flour, salt, and sour cream. Mix on medium until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
- Divide the batter evenly between both pans and smooth it out. These cakes will be thin. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until fully cooked. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
#### For the Filling:
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat marshmallow creme and butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Add more cream if needed until it’s spreadable but not too thin.
#### For Assembly:
- Once the cake has cooled, cut out 32 hexagons using a 2-inch cookie cutter. Dip the cutter in flour between cuts to avoid sticking.
- Spread filling on half of the hexagons and top with another. Place on a lined jelly roll pan and freeze for 1 hour or up to 24 hours. The longer they freeze, the easier they are to work with.
#### For the Coating:
- In a large heatproof bowl, melt the almond bark in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until fully melted. Stir in Crisco until smooth. Let cool for 3-5 minutes before dipping the cakes.
- In a small bowl, melt the chocolate wafers and pour into a piping bag with a small round tip.
#### To Decorate:
- Dip the frozen cakes into the melted almond bark and place on a cookie rack covered in wax or parchment paper. Let set for 10 minutes.
- Drizzle with melted chocolate in arched lines to create the classic design.