Checkerboard Cake with BASKET Decorating

by Elisabeth Krizsán
(Szeged/Hungary)

My first checkerboard cake for my anniversary

The mold is made up of a basic circular cake mold (there were three in the package actually) and a removable insert made up of two rings and the little “spokes” that keep them in position.

I simply made up a vanilla sponge mix (see below) and spooned it into the medium-sized circle.

Then I mixed in dark chocolate powder before filling in the other two circles.

Once the cake was ready, I took it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing the excess height off with a cake knife.
If the insert has been greased properly, it will then slide out quite easily once you have run a quick knife blade around the sides, leaving you with three rings of cake.

Upturn the cake in the usual way onto a flat plate or a board and leave it to cool.
Then repeat the operation with another batch of cake mix, reversing the colours this time (plain in outer and inner circles, chocolate on the outer ones).

Once the cake has cooled, you will have tree rings of cake, and you will need something to stick them together to avoid too much flopping when serving. gently pull the gap between the rings apart and apply mortar with a rounded knife.

For this, I had no choice but to use Nutella. Sorry.

The perilous part is placing the top cake on the bottom cake, this tends to be a little wobbly and you may want to request a second pair of hands.
Of course a layer of Nutella mortar should be spread on the top of the lower cake
beforehand, you can never be too careful.

Once the cakes were assembled, I prepared a chocolate icing using melted chocolate, sugar and cream.

Spread it around with a cake knife to get it nice and smooth and leave to harden in the fridge until ready to eat. This is what it looks like once cut…

Basic recipe :
2 eggs
100g flour, sifted
100g caster sugar
100g margarine
pinch of salt
flavouring (vanilla extract, cocoa powder)
Blend the margarine and sugar together, then beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add little by little so the mixture doesn’t curdle. Then add the sifted flour and the pinch of salt. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a pre heated oven at
180°C.
For each layer of this cake I used a mixture with double the proportions above.

This flowers I make with MARSHMALLOW fondant

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