This cake can be made by using a checkerboard
cake pan set, one vanilla and one chocolate cake mix, chocolate icing, and your
choice of decorations.
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Have all of the ingredients at
room temperature.
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Grease and flour the three cake
pans. The bottom and top layers will be set up exactly alike.
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Preheat the oven to 25 degrees
less than the cake mix recipe states.
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Set the oven rack to the center
position.
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Using separate bowls, mix the
vanilla cake batter first.
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Then mix the chocolate cake
batter.
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Place the plastic divider ring
into the first pan, and hold it down as you pour the dark batter into the
outer and center rings. Fill them half way up and equal. Pour the light batter
into the middle ring, making sure it is even with the other rings.
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Remove the plastic divider ring
by lifting it straight up and out of the pan. Be careful not to tilt the
divider as you lift it out.
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Wipe the divider off with a
clean paper towel.
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Place the divider into the
second pan, and repeat the procedure. The first two pans are exactly alike.
Remember to fill the pans half way up and keep them level.
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Remove the divider, and wipe it
off again.
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Place the divider into the
third pan and pour the light batter into the outer and center rings. Pour the
dark batter into the middle ring.
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Carefully place the cakes into
the preheated oven, leaving ample space so they are not touching.
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After 20 minutes, gently rotate
and turn the pans so they brown and rise evenly.
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Continue baking for about 10
minutes more, and then test for doneness.
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Remove the cake pans from the
oven, and place them on a cooling rack.
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Run a knife around the edges of
the pan to loosen the sides of the cake.
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When the cakes are cooled down
enough, remove them from the pans, and place them on the rack to cool
completely.
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When cooled completely,
carefully trim the tops of the cake layers to level them.
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Try not to cut away too much of
the cake. Remove all of the cake crumbs from your work area.
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Remember that the bottom and
top layers are identical. Take the bottom layer and place it on a cardboard
cake circle or a serving dish.
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Spread a thin layer of
chocolate icing on the bottom cake. Then place the middle layer on top of it.
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Spread a thin layer of icing on
the middle layer, and place the top layer on top of that layer. Completely ice
the rest of the cake, and decorate it as you choose.
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Try not to overdo it with the
decorations, because they will conflict with the overall checkerboard effect
when you cut the cake.
It's okay if you accidentally mixed up the order of the light and dark
batters or placed the layers in the wrong order when you assembled the cake.
Just pretend you did it on purpose, and call it your "oops" cake. You will still
end up with a unique vanilla and chocolate design for the inside of the cake.
You can also make one two-layer cake from two of the three layers. Then cut the
third layer in half, and stack the halves together to make a half-cake.
Half-cakes are great for giving to friends and neighbors who wouldn"t want a
whole cake. A decorated half-cake is a perfect size for gift giving, and it will
certainly be appreciated.
For those who want a different pattern use different cake flavors and white
frosting.