Last Updated on May 16, 2021
If you are looking for a fun and delicious cake, look no further than these amazing checkerboard cake recipes from scratch. The beautiful checkerboard design makes for a festive cake for any celebration. Your friends and family will all be impressed by these show-stopping cakes.
These recipes both require some prior baking experience, as they need some skill and there are several steps involved. However, the end result is well worth all the work. You will love how these cakes turn out, as they will be hit at any party.
What You Will Need To Make An Amazing Checkerboard Cake
Ingredients for the Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (1 cup)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup hot water
Ingredients For the Vanilla Frosting
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Ingredients For Strawberry-Lemon Checkerboard Cake Cutters
- pink and yellow food coloring
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves
- 1 batch vanilla frosting
Equipment
- 4 6-inch round cake pans
- Sifter
- 3 Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Wire rack
- 4-inch cookie cutter
- 2-inch cookie cutter
- Serrated knife
- 4 9-inch cake pans
- Cooking spray
- Small mixing bowl
- 2.5-inch cookie cutter
- 5.5-inch cookie cutter
Aucma Stand Mixer,6.5-QT 660W 6-Speed Tilt-Head Food Mixer
Step By Step Instructions
For the Chocolate Checkerboard Cake
Step One: Preheat the Oven and Prepare Your Checkerboard Cake Pan
Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the pans with cooking spray.
Step Two: Cream Butter and Sugar
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for about two minutes. Next, add the eggs in one at a time, beating just enough to incorporate them.
Step Three: Add the Dry Ingredients
Add one cup of flour, baking soda, and salt. Then, add the milk and two cups of flour, alternating between the two. Add the vanilla extract to your mixture and beat for another minute.
Step Four: Divide the Cake
Pour batter into two of the cake pans. Mix the cocoa powder and with the hot water in a small bowl. For the remaining batter, add the cocoa powder mix then pour into two pans.
Step Five: Bake Cakes and Prepare Frosting
Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes and allow them to cool for 30 minutes. Beat the confectioners’ sugar and butter on low for one minute. Then, increase speed to medium for three minutes and add heavy cream and vanilla.
Step Six: Assemble
For each cake, cut a circle with the 5.5-inch cookie cutter. Then cut each 5.5-inch piece with the 2-inch cookie cutter. Place your largest vanilla cake followed by a chocolate ring then vanilla and then a layer of frosting.
For the second ring, start with the largest chocolate ring then vanilla, and then chocolate. Alternate for the next two layers, then place the cakes atop each other with a layer of frosting in between. Decorate with frosting.
For the Strawberry-Lemon Checkerboard Cake
Step One: Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease pans.
Step Two: Sift Dry Ingredients
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Step Three: Cream Butter and Sugar
With an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth and add the sugar, mixing for 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla, eggs, and also egg yolk, mixing until combined.
Step Four: Add the Flour Mixture and Divide
Add half of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the milk. Then, add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Separate the batter into two bowls.
In one of the bowls, mix together the lemon zest, lemon juice, and yellow food coloring. In the other bowl, fold in the strawberry preserves and pink food coloring. Then, pour the two colors into two cake pans each.
Step Five: Bake and Assemble
Bake the cakes for 22-25 minutes and allow them to cool for 15 minutes. Using a serrated knife, carefully trim the tops of the cakes to make them level.
Use the 4-inch cookie cutter to cut out the centers of the cake. Then, use the 2-inch cutter to cut the centers of the 4-inch cakes. For the first and third layer, start with strawberry, then lemon, and then strawberry, alternating for the second and fourth layer.
Place the cakes on top of each other with a layer of buttercream in between each. Decorate the rest of the cake with buttercream.
Servings and Preparation Time
For Chocolate Checkerboard Cake
For Strawberry-Lemon Checkerboard Cake
Tips And Tricks
These cakes should be stored in an airtight container for up to two days at room temperature. They can also be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
This cake can also be frozen for 3-6 months. Place the cake uncovered in the fridge for one hour. Then, cover it in plastic wrap and also aluminum foil, then return to the fridge.
Amazing Checkerboard Cake Recipes From Scratch
Equipment
- 4 6-inch round cake pans
- Sifter
- 3 Large mixing bowl
- Wire rack
- 4-inch cookie cutter
- 2-inch cookie cutter
- Serrated knife
- 4 9-inch cake pans
- Cooking spray
- 2.5-inch cookie cutter
- 5.5-inch cookie cutter
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature (1 cup)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup hot water
Ingredients For the Vanilla Frosting
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 vanilla bean split and scraped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Ingredients For Strawberry-Lemon Checkerboard Cake Cutters
- pink and yellow food coloring
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves
- 1 batch vanilla frosting
Instructions
For the Chocolate Checkerboard Cake
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Your Checkerboard Cake Pan - Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the pans with cooking spray.
- Cream Butter and Sugar - Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for about two minutes. Next, add the eggs in one at a time, beating just enough to incorporate them.
- Add the Dry Ingredients - Add one cup of flour, baking soda, and salt. Then, add the milk and two cups of flour, alternating between the two. Add the vanilla extract to your mixture and beat for another minute.
- Divide the Cake - Pour batter into two of the cake pans. Mix the cocoa powder and with the hot water in a small bowl. For the remaining batter, add the cocoa powder mix then pour into two pans.
- Bake Cakes and Prepare Frosting - Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes and allow them to cool for 30 minutes. Beat the confectioners’ sugar and butter on low for one minute. Then, increase speed to medium for three minutes and add heavy cream and vanilla.
- Assemble - For each cake, cut a circle with the 5.5-inch cookie cutter. Then cut each 5.5-inch piece with the 2-inch cookie cutter. Place your largest vanilla cake followed by a chocolate ring then vanilla and then a layer of frosting.
- For the second ring, start with the largest chocolate ring then vanilla, and then chocolate. Alternate for the next two layers, then place the cakes atop each other with a layer of frosting in between. Decorate with frosting.
For the Strawberry-Lemon Checkerboard Cake
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease pans.
- Sift Dry Ingredients - Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream Butter and Sugar - With an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth and add the sugar, mixing for 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla, eggs, and also egg yolk, mixing until combined.
- Add the Flour Mixture and Divide - Add half of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the milk. Then, add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Separate the batter into two bowls.
- In one of the bowls, mix together the lemon zest, lemon juice, and yellow food coloring. In the other bowl, fold in the strawberry preserves and pink food coloring. Then, pour the two colors into two cake pans each.
- Bake and Assemble - Bake the cakes for 22-25 minutes and allow them to cool for 15 minutes. Using a serrated knife, carefully trim the tops of the cakes to make them level.
- Use the 4-inch cookie cutter to cut out the centers of the cake. Then, use the 2-inch cutter to cut the centers of the 4-inch cakes. For the first and third layer, start with strawberry, then lemon, and then strawberry, alternating for the second and fourth layer.
- Place the cakes on top of each other with a layer of buttercream in between each. Decorate the rest of the cake with buttercream.
Notes
Delicious and Beautiful Checkerboard Cake Recipe From Scratch
These checkerboard cakes may take some time and skill, but they are well worth the end result.
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Ever since she was a young girl, Anna has been a lover of desserts. As an adult, she enjoys
baking a variety of desserts from cakes, cookies, brownies, bread, and more from scratch. She
enjoys sharing her passion for baking with others who also have a sweet tooth. From properly
measuring ingredients to making sure they are the correct temperature, Anna knows the
importance small details can make in baking. She wants to share her experience with others in
hopes they can make the most delicious baked goods. When she’s not busy blogging, Anna
enjoys trying new recipes in the kitchen.
