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.