I met my husband 5 years ago today and we have barely been apart since. We were introduced by a mutual friend over an evening of sports. He could probably tell you the exact conversation that brought up birthdays, I just know that it came up. What I learned in that conversation is that just like my parents Tom and I have birthdays that are two days apart, that one of us is two years older than the other and that 16 days into a relationship I was going to need to come up with a birthday present/celebration. For those of you that are math challenged, like myself, Tom’s birthday is October 26th and mine is October 28th.
His favorite NBA team, The Lakers, opened the season on his birthday that year so to celebrate I invited Tom & his roommate over to have dinner with me & my friend Michelle. Dinner I kept simple with chili, but I aimed to impress him with a birthday cake. I made the cake and iced it and was feeling pretty proud as I went to slice it and serve it up. When I cut into it and served the first slice he practically gasped before he said, “checkerboard cake!”
I was certainly hoping he would be impressed, but this was more than I was expecting. Turns out years before his mom let him pick out any cake he wanted from one of her cookbooks. He picked checkerboard cake, the most complicated cake in the book. She made it, but it was never her favorite cake. She didn’t like something about how it turned out and he hadn’t had it since that birthday. I don’t think it is the only reason he decided to marry me, but I am certain that checkerboard cake didn’t hurt my chances.
If you want a cake that will have people in awe checkerboard cake is your cake. It is simple to make, but looks complicated when you cut into the center. There are special pans that will help you make the pattern, but I have never used one and I have always had an impressive checkerboard when I sliced the cake. When I made it last weekend for a celebration at my parents house I used some of my Lindt Chocolate to make a tasty dark chocolate buttercream icing for the cake. Today is your last chance to enter the #choctoberfest giveaway for you chance to win some chocolate, sugar and even more baking ingredients.
For my checkerboard cake I used a Lane cake recipe, which is a sponge cake, from my favorite cake cookbook The Perfect Cake by Susan Purdy. I love so many of the cakes in that book, but not so much the Lane cake. I am sure it is a great recipe, but it requires egg whites to make the cake light and fluffy and I always seem to deflate them when I fold them in. My next checkerboard cake will be made with this recipe from Good Housekeeping or I will make two separate cake batters and make a 4 layer 8-inch cake instead of a 3 layer cake. You could use box cake if you prefer, but it doesn’t save you as much time as you would think.
To make the layers set up 3 cake pans. Pipe the batter in three alternating circles. Two pans will have yellow cake in the center, surrounded by chocolate cake and then a final outside layer of vanilla. One pan will have a layer of chocolate cake in the center, surrounded by yellow cake and then a final outside layer of chocolate. If you make a 4 layer cake you will have two of each. When you assemble the cake the oddball layer will be your center layer. On a 4 layer cake just alternate and you will get a beautiful checkered pattern.
I received Lindt chocolate as part of my participation in #Choctoberfest. All opinions are my own.
- 3.5 oz dark chocolate use more for a darker icing - up to 7 oz
- 2 lbs powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 lb butter
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 6 Tablespoons milk, as needed
- Melt chocolate in the microwave or over a double broiler on the stove. Allow to cool while you make the icing.
- In the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add sugar, frequently scrap down the bowl as you go. Add vanilla and beat until icing is smooth.
- Adjust icing to a spreading consistency. If it is too thick add the milk. If too thin add more sugar. You want it to be easy to spread so it doesn't tear the cake when you ice, but not so loose it drips down the sides.
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