Vanilla and Chocolate Checkerboard Cake

Hello Everybody!  Happy Fiesta Friday!!

Have you ever made a checkerboard cake?  I am sure lots of you will say you have, which is the answer I would expect with all the talented bakers here attending Fiesta Friday.  I have never made a checkerboard cake and often wondered how it was done.  After a little research from Google, I found that there are several ways to make this cake.  1) You can bake the cake than cut it as directed using a template, there are several video how to’s available or 2) You can buy this neat little divider gadget that should give you the same result.   Of course I bought the divider gadget 🙂   I am not sure my cake was a 100% success …it tasted delicious, but maybe just not as pretty as the ones in the pictures.

 

You’ll need three round cake pans and one cake ring insert to make the checkerboard effect.

For your first two pans you want to pour the chocolate batter into the outer and center sections, filling about halfway.  Pour the vanilla batter into the middle section, filling about halfway.  These two pans will form the bottom and top layers of the cake.

Place the divider in the third pan.  Pour the vanilla batter in the outer and center sections, filling about halfway.  Pour the chocolate batter into the center section, filling about halfway.  This will form the center layer on the cake.

I had a little problem with the divider ring, it did not fit my pan properly.  The kit was an off brand called Sunny Side Up Bakery Checkerboard Cake pan set.  You would think that it would fit snugly and correctly, I guess mine was slightly defective as it did not.  When I poured the batter into the pan, some of it wanted to spread or bleed into the other areas …resulting in a slightly less than perfect pattern.  But hey, you work with what you have so onward ho!   Bake and learn 🙂   Pull the divider out …bake cakes as directed.

Cool and frost with your favorite icing and enjoy!  I used chocolate frosting for the layers and vanilla frosting for the outside of cake.  I added the coconut on top of the cake, it is optional but I love it and more importantly, I love how it hides imperfect cake decorating!

• Servings: 12
• Difficulty: moderate
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Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks (12 Tablespoons) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

Vanilla Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (one stick or 8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup milk

Directions

To make chocolate cake, stir together dry ingredients, than add to wet ingredients. Then mix until smooth.

For vanilla cake, repeat method, stirring dry ingredients together first, than mixing into wet mixture, and then blending till smooth. Grease and dust three round cake pans with flour.

Place cake ring into first pan. Pour cake batters alternating chocolate, then vanilla, then chocolate into rings. Carefully remove insert and place cake ring into second pan. Pour cake batters alternating chocolate, then vanilla, then chocolate again. Rinse cake ring insert and wipe, then place into third pan. Pour cake batters alternating vanilla, then chocolate, then vanilla again. Place three pans on center rack in oven. Bake at 350 for 22 – 30 minutes or until done. Cool for a few minutes, then carefully turn cakes out onto plates to finish cooling completely. Then, stack cakes, alternating patterns.

Frost with your favorite icing

Happy Fiesta Friday and Happy blogging!