Pretty Checkerboard Cake Food

CHECKERBOARD CAKE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Slice the top of both cakes to create a flat surface.
• Cut both cakes in half widthwise to create four cakes.
• Place a small plate on top of the cake and cut around to create a smaller circle.
• Place a glass in the middle of the cake and cut around to create an even smaller circle.
• Assemble the first layer by placing the outside chocolate ring on a plate or cake stand. Insert the next yellow cake ring and then the inner chocolate cake ring.
• Frost the cake with a thin layer of frosting in between each layer.
• Continue forming layers alternating the colors on the outside.
• After the fourth layer frost the entire cake and cool in the refrigerator.
• Slice and serve.
• Enjoy!

CHECKERBOARD CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour three 9" round cake pans.
• Trace three 9-inch circles on parchment paper; cut out. Draw 6-inch circle, centered, on each cutout; draw 3-inch circle, centered, on each cutout.
• Line bottom of each pan with 1 paper circle, pencil side down.
• In large heatproof bowl set over hot (not boiling) water, melt chopped chocolate. Stir in cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.
• In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs,one at a time, beating well after each addition, add vanilla.
• Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of buttermilk.
• Stir 3 1/2 cups of the batter into melted chocolate.
• Spoon white and chocolate batters into separate large piping bags(or spoon into 2 large resealable plastic bags and cut 1-inch hole in 1 corner of each).
• Pipe chocolate batter to fill outer ring of each of 2 of the pans.
• Pipe white batter over middle ring, then chocolate batter over inner ring.
• In third pan, pipe white batter over outer ring, chocolate over middle ring and white over inner ring.
• Bake in centre of 350°F oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
• Let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack; let cool completely.
• For the filling, place chopped chocolate in bowl.
• In saucepan, heat whipping cream over medium heat just until steaming. Pour over chocolate, whisking just until melted.
• Refrigerate until thickened but still spreadable, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk just until color lightens.
• Using serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to make level, if necessary.
• Starting with 1 of the cake layers with chocolate outer ring, spread with 1/3 cup of the ganache.
• Top with cake layer with white outer ring; spread with another 1/3 cup of the ganache.
• Top with remaining cake layer.
• Cover top and side with remaining ganache.
• Refrigerate before serving.
• Some people may find it easier to use one of "Checkerboard Cake Pan Sets" available online or in local stores.
• http://www.amazon.com/s/102-7283235-2715300?ie=UTF8&keywords=Checkerboard%20Cake%20Pan&search-type=ss&index=kitchen.

PRETTY CHECKERBOARD CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F Line bottoms of 3 9-inch round pans of a checkerboard set with parchment paper, or grease bottoms. Place divider ring into one of the cake pans, following manufacturer's directions.
• In a medium bowl, beat cake mix, milk, cream cheese, vanilla, and eggs with electric mix on low for 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly. Beat for 2 minutes longer. Divide batter in half. Stir gelatin into half of batter.
• Spoon batter into pan with divider ring, following manufacturer's directions. Repeat for other 2 pans.
• Bake 25 to 28 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen cake from side of pans with metal spatula. Turn cake upside down on cooling rack. Cool completely.
• Tint icing with yellow food coloring until a deep yellow color. If using the same icing for decorating, make sure to reserve enough to decorate cake. Using a thin layer of yellow icing in between cake layers, layer cake so the outside colors are alternating. Place cake on serving plate, and frost top and sides with yellow icing. Decorate cake with white icing and garnish with candy flowers. I used royal icing to make my candy flowers and the drop flower technique.

CHECKERBOARD COOKIES.

Steps:

• Cream the buttery spread and the sugar. Add the applesauce and vanilla and continue to mix.
• Add the gluten free flour blend and salt and mix until combined. If the dough seems too wet, add a bit more gluten free flour. (I find that with gf flour blends, some of them soak up the wet ingredients more than others. If your dough seems too wet for sugar cookies, add some more flour. The dough should be pretty stiff).
• Place the dough on plastic wrap and shape into a log, about two inches square. Wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
• Cream the buttery spread and the sugars. Add the applesauce and continue to mix.
• Add the gluten free flour blend, cocoa, and salt and mix until combined. Same as above, if the dough seems too wet, add a bit more gluten free flour.
• Place the dough on plastic wrap and shape into a log, about two inches square. Wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
• Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, remove the dough logs from the refrigerator. While they are still wrapped, press them down on a hard surface on each side so that you get the edges nice and square.
• Unwrap and with a very sharp knife, cut each log into three even slices. Then cut each slice into three pieces. Try to get the pieces pretty even, so that you can have a nice neat checkerboard. I was not as careful as I should have been, so my checkerboard was not perfect.
• Take the dough pieces and arrange them into the checkerboard pattern. Your cookie will be three rows tall and three rows across. So bottom row, choc/van/choc, middle row, van/choc/van, top row, choc/van/choc. You will be making two logs, so the other log will have the opposite pattern.
• Use your hands to kind of press the log, making sure the pieces stay together, then wrap each log in wax paper and twist the ends closed. You want to make sure the log is square, so press each side against the table to make a nice sharp edge.
• Refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove dough from refrigerator, and unwrap. With a very sharp knife, slice the cookies, about 1/4 inch thick. In between each slice, wipe off the knife, and turn the dough over, so a different side is against the cutting board for each slice. This will keep the log nice and square.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. (Keep the remainder of the dough refrigerated in between batches. Keeping the dough very cold makes it easier to slice and keeps it from spreading).