Checkerboard Cake Recipe
Calories: 32
Adjust Servings Here: 12 servings
Description
A checkerboard cake is impressive and surprisingly easy to make. Four layers of vanilla and chocolate cake frosted with chocolate ganache create this wonderful checkerboard effect. A fun new way to decorate a cake!
Ingredients
Vanilla cake batter
- 3 cups (375 g) All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) Unsalted Butter unsalted, room temperature
- 2¼ cups (450 g) Sugar granulated
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) Cooking oil
- 4 large Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (340 g) Sour cream
Chocolate cake batter
- ½ cup (50 g) Cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Hot water
- 1 tsp Coffee powder instant
Chocolate ganache
- 10 0z (10 g) Chocolate semi-sweet or dark
- 1 cup (240 ml) Whipping cream 38% fat
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake batter
- Oven & Pans - Preheat the oven to 325°F165°C/ Gas Mark 3. Grease and line with parchment paper 4 x 7-inch round cake pans or 2 x 9-inch round cake pans.
- Chocolate paste - combine the hot water, cocoa powder, and coffee powder to make a thick chocolate paste. Set aside to cool while you prepare the batter.½ cup Cocoa powder, 1 tsp Coffee powder, ¼ cup Hot water
- Dry ingredients - Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, Set aside.3 cups All-purpose flour, 2 tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Baking Soda, ½ tsp Salt
- Wet ingredients - In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then, gradually add the oil followed by the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract.¾ cup Unsalted Butter, 2¼ cups Sugar, ⅓ cup Cooking oil , 4 large Eggs, 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- Combine - Next, add the flour mixture and sour cream in three batches making sure to combine well but do not overmix. This will be a thick drop consistency batter so do not add more milk or water unless necessary.1½ cups Sour cream
- Divide - Using two similar size bowls divide the batter into two portions. One for the vanilla and one for the chocolate.
- Vanilla batter - Nothing needs to be done. Divide the vanilla batter between the two prepared baking pans. (2 vanilla cake layers)
- Chocolate batter - Add the chocolate paste mixture to the second batter. Then divide this batter between the other two prepared baking pans. (2 chocolate cake layers)
- Bake - Transfer the pans to the oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool - When baked cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert on a cooling rack and cool completely. At least a few hours before frosting
Frosting
- Chocolate ganache - In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate and cream until melted and smooth. Let cool at room temperature overnight or for a few hours in the fridge until set. You want the ganache to set to about peanut consistency.10 0z Chocolate, 1 cup Whipping cream, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Whipped chocolate ganache - Whip the chilled ganache in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy. DO NOT OVERWHIP.
Checkboard cake
- Level - Once cooled, use a bread knife to cut the domes off the cake layers.
- Cut the circles - For the 7-inch cakes, I used a 5-inch and a 2½-inch cookie cutter. - Using the cookie cutter cut each cake layer into 3 rings as shown in the video. - Do that with all four cakes. Pro tip - you can also use a small plate, bowl, glass, etc. as a guide to cut the cake into even rings.
- Arrange the circles - Rearrange the cake rings so you have chocolate and vanilla in each cake as shown in the video. Now, do the same with all until you have 4 similar cakes with alternate colors.
Assemble
- Simple syrup - Brush each layer with the cooled simple syrup. Which is sugar boiled in water until melted and cooled. It helps keep the cakes moist.
- Stack - Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand. Top with a big dollop of ganache spread evenly using a straight-edge spatula. Top the second cake layer on top followed by more ganache until you have used up all the cake layers.
- Crumb coat - Spread more ganache on the top and sides of the cake with a spatula. Then, place the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes this will prevent the layers from moving while you frost the outside of the cake.
- Frost - When chilled spread more ganache around and on the top of the cake. Use a cake bench scraper to smooth the sides and an offset spatula for the top. Smooth with a bench scraper as best you can.
- Borders - Put any remaining frosting in a piping bag and pipe a border around the cake as well as on top of the cake.
- Garnish with chocolate decorations as desired.
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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