Where the Wild Things Are

(Don't you wish you had a beautiful food model like my daughter-in-law?)

I'm taking a break from cinnamon today. Instead, we'll go to Africa. Land of lions, hyenas, cheetahs, impalas and... zebras. Okay, so this is a lame way to introduce today's recipe: Zebra Cake. I like making Zebra Cake because it feels like playing... like making a mess when you were a kid. Pouring things on top of each other and seeing what happens. Zebra Cake is fun to slice and serve. Guests aren't expecting what they get.

Zebra Cake
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature (I've also used 2% and had it turn out)
1 cup canola oil
2 drops almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed dark cocoa powder (I don't recommend using Hershey’s natural unsweetened cocoa. It is a bit too bitter and takes away from the sweetness of the cake.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan with oil then line it with parchment paper cut in a circle to fit in the pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar and beat until the mixture is creamy and light in color. Add milk, oil, and almond extract. Continue beating until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine and mix flour and baking powder. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat just until the batter is smooth and the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. DO NOT OVERBEAT. You do not want air pockets forming in the batter.

Divide the mixture equally 2 mixing bowls. In one of the bowls, add the cocoa powder to the batter and mix well.

Using two ladles or two 1/4 cup measuring cups, pour 1 scoop of the plain batter into the middle of the baking pan. Then pour 1 scoop of the cocoa batter in the center on top of the plain batter. IMPORTANT! Do not stop and wait until the previous batter spreads. It isn't necessary to spread the batter or tilt the pan to distribute the mixture. It will spread by itself and fill the pan gradually. Continue alternating the batters until you finish them.

Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove from the oven. Immediately run a small thin knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert the cake onto a cooking rack and immediately turn the cake back over and let cool. When cool, sprinkle cake with confectioner's sugar.

Okay, so I hope you are all so dazzled by my daughter-in-law's photogenic playfulness that you haven't noticed the dish rag hanging from the kitchen faucet in the background. Move along... move along... Nothin' to see here, folks. Geesh!