Checkerboard Cake

This cake looks like your playing checkers while eating. The cake turns out great if you spray the pan really good & loosen the sides really good. I don’t think any cake could look cooler.

There is a box set to make this recipe.

Here's the recipe!!

Ingredients

3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

4 cups sifted cake flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 1/3 cups milk, room temp.

Recipe

1) Melt chocolate over hot – not simmering – water. Set aside to cool slightly.

2) In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder & salt. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, cream butter &  sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla.

4) Add milk & flour to butter mixture, alternating each until batter is smooth. Beat at medium-high speed for 30 seconds.

5) Divide batter in half (approximately 3 cups). Stir melted chocolate into 1 half of the batter until uniform in color.

6) Place checkerboard divider into 1 prepared pan. Then pour in the 2 batters (light &dark).

7) Place pans in the center of a preheated 325 degree oven & bake for 25 minutes. Half way through baking, turn pans around. Test for doneness by inserting toothpick into centers – it should come out clean; cakes will also retract slightly from sides when done. Allow cakes to cool in pans, sitting on racks for 10 minutes. Loosen sides with spatula or knife & invert onto greased wire racks to cool completely.

8) When cool, stack cakes so outside colors alternate. Use a very thin layer of frosting  between layers so you won’t upset the checkerboard effect.

Yield: one 9 inch, 3 layer cake.

Chocolate Butter Icing

Ingredients

3 oz. baking chocolate

6 Tbsp. milk

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

6 Tbsp. butter

dash salt

1 Tbsp. vanilla

Recipe

1) Measure all ingredients.

2) Melt chocolate.

3) Heat milk to boiling, remove from heat, add powdered sugar all at once, & beat until smooth.

4) Add melted chocolate & cool to lukewarm.

5) Beat butter until creamy. Add salt, vanilla, & cooled chocolate mixture, & beat vigorously.

6)  Spread at once.

Yield: sufficient for a 3 layer cake.