Giraffe bundt cake

Sweet, eye-catching and just a little bit different – this charming giraffe cake is a classic bundt cake with a playful twist. It’s made from two separate batters: a rich yolk-based batter scented with lemon zest and tinted with a touch of turmeric for that warm golden hue, and a light batter made with whipped egg whites and ground almonds. It may remind you of the much-loved zebra cake – and indeed, the ingredients are very similar – but the method creates a completely different, beautifully patterned effect. Flavour-wise, you can lean towards vanilla or keep it delicately lemony. The cake is wonderfully light and fluffy, making it absolutely perfect with a glass of warm milk.

Note: If you skip the turmeric, the contrast between the layers won’t be quite as striking. The colour of your egg yolks also plays a big role. You can use a small amount of food colouring instead of turmeric, if preferred.

Ingredients for the giraffe bundt cake.

For the yellow batter:

• 5 large egg yolks
• 100 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract)
• 50 ml whole milk
• 50 ml rapeseed oil (or another neutral oil)
• 150 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• a pinch of turmeric (for colour, optional)
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

For the white batter:

• 5 large egg whites
• a pinch of salt
• 100 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract)
• 50 ml whole milk
• 50 ml rapeseed oil (or another neutral oil)
• 100 g plain flour
• 50 g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder

Additionally:

• Cocoa powder, for layering

Prepare the yellow cake:

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the egg yolks and both sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the milk and oil alternately, mixing continuously. Stir in the turmeric and lemon zest (if using). Sift the flour and baking powder directly into the mixture and fold in gently until just combined. Set aside while you prepare the white cake.

Prepare the white cake:

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overwhip (overbeaten whites can look curdled and clumpy). Towards the end of whisking, gradually add both sugars, one tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition. Slowly pour in the milk and oil alternately, continuing to whisk. Sift in the flour and baking powder, add the ground almonds, and fold everything together gently until just combined.

Prepare a 2.5-litre bundt tin by greasing it thoroughly with butter and dusting lightly with flour, tapping out any excess.

Spoon half of the yellow batter into the tin. Generously dust with cocoa powder (preferably through a sieve so the surface is completely covered). Carefully spoon over half of the white batter and dust again with cocoa. Repeat with the remaining yellow batter, dust once more with cocoa, and finish with the remaining white batter (without cocoa on top).

Bake at 170°C for approximately 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool before turning out. Dust with icing sugar or decorate as you wish.

Enjoy!