Do not miss this zebra sponge cake recipe -also called marble sponge cake- A recipe with a spectacular visual finish that combines all the good things about the yogurt sponge cake and the cocoa sponge cake!

It is also a super easy-to-make sponge cake, by using a yogurt pot as a measure (you do not need a weighting scale) and making it in two colours (and flavours), it gives it a very striking appearance. Every time you cut the cake, you will find different shapes.

And why is it called zebra or marble sponge cake? We will see why in a momment, although… I am sure that simply by look at the photos of a piece cake being cut, you will know the reason!

On the one hand, it is called marble sponge cake because the two mixtures we use have different colours, and when cut, the cuts have veins that look like marble veins.

On the other hand, it is also called zebra sponge cake because when cutting, the two mixtures seem to imitate zebras, with their characteristic black stripes on a white background.

You can use the name (marble or zebra) that you like the most! The differences between one and the other are very small and, in my opinion, making a marble sponge cake or a zebra cake is the same, and only depends on the mould we use:

Usually, a zebra sponge cake is made in round moulds, and adding the two mixtures follow concentric circles.

A marble sponge cake is (most of the time) made in long moulds (as shown in the video below), and if you find it in round moulds, the two mixtures will be unevenly shaped with no clear pattern.

In addition to this striking appearance, it is a super easy recipe to make since you will not need a weighting scale: we will only use the yogurt pot as a dosage measure for all the ingredients.

Apart from the yogurt pot (natural, without sugar), in a bowl, we will add 1 yogurt pot of vegetable oil (I normally use olive oil (0,4 º), but you can also use sunflower oil), 2 yogurts pots of sugar (although I use to add little less; 1 or 1 & 1/2 would be enough), 3 wheat flour yogurts pots and 4 eggs (L size). Finally, add a tablespoon of baking powder and mix all the ingredients.

After separating the mixture in 2 bowls, add a teaspoon of cocoa and mix well.

Finally, alternatively, add both mixtures in the mould until finished, bake it, and you will have a delicious and spongy zebra or marble sponge cake.

And remember that, simply using the classic yogurt sponge cake recipe and adding cocoa to half of the mix, you can make this recipe of zebra or marble sponge cake. You only have to choose whether to do it in a rectangular, round or bundt mould!

Let´s go with this easy recipe!

Difficulty: EASY

Preparation time: 1 hour

Baking time: 30 – 35 minutes

ZEBRA SPONGE CAKE OR MARBLE SPONGE CAKE

INGREDIENTS (For 1 sponge cake mould of 26 -28 cm de diameter or 1 long sponge cake mould)

1 natural yogurt (without sugar)
1 yogurt olive oil (0,4 º)
1 and 1/2 yogurts pots of sugar
3 yogurts pots of wheat flour
4 eggs (L)
1 teaspoon of cocoa
1 tablespoon or sachet of baking powder

PREPARATION

Firstly, pre-heat the oven to 180 ºC. Heat up and down, without fan.

After that, grease all the sponge mould (both the base and the edges of the mould) with oil. We do this to prevent the cake batter from sticking to the surface of the mould and making it easier to unmould.

Add all the recipe ingredients (but the cocoa) in a bowl and mix them until everything is well combined.

If you are not sure which flour is best for making this sponge cake, I can tell you that you can use any type of flour (whole wheat, low & high protein) for this recipe. You can find the explanation in the following link.

Once mixed (but the cocoa), split the mixture in two bowls: we leave one of them as it is, and in the other bowl, we add a teaspoon of cocoa and mix the mixture.

And now, that we have both mixtures ready, we begin to add alternatively a little of yogurt sponge cake and a little of cocoa sponge cake.

In the case of zebra sponge cake, as it appears in the following video, we will use a round mould of about 26 – 28 cm diametre.

In the middle of the mould, we add a little of yogurt sponge cake and later a little of cocoa sponge cake. Continue adding both mixtures alternatively until finished them.

Put the mould in the oven. Place it at a medium-low height.

And finally bake the sponge cake at 180 ºC for around 30 – 35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and with the central part slightly higher than the sides. I use the top and bottom heat function and without fan. But if you want to use the fan, remember to lower the temperature by 20 ºC and bake the sponge cake at 160 ºC.

Once baked, remove the sponge cake from the oven, cover it with a tea towel and leave it to cool (this way we prevent the cake from suffering a very sudden temperature change after removing it from the oven. This will help to better maintain its spongy structure).

Now just let it cool and… Enjoy it!

Do you want to have this zebra or marble recipe in Spanish? Check it here!