Name: Holiday Checkerboard Cake Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 5 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Cooking spray, for greasing pans; 2 (15.25-oz.) boxes white cake mix; 1 tbsp. cornstarch; 8 large egg whites, room temperature; 2 cups whole milk, room temperature; 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled; 1 cup sour cream or yogurt; 2 drops (or more) red gel food coloring; 3 drops green gel food coloring, divided; 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature; 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract; 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; 8 cups (908 g) confectioners’ sugar; 3 tbsp. heavy cream; Two 9-inch round cake pans; Parchment paper; 6-inch cake pan bottom (for tracing); 3-inch round cookie cutter

Introduction

The Holiday Checkerboard Cake is a festive and eye-catching dessert perfect for special occasions. With its vibrant layers of red, green, and white, this cake brings holiday spirit to your table while delivering classic, delicious flavors.

The image shows a tall round cake with four layers of checkerboard pattern inside, each layer made up of small squares of red, green, light green, and light beige cake, arranged in alternating colors. The outside is covered smoothly with pale cream-colored frosting. On top, there is a ring of creamy white swirls, each decorated with red, green, and white round and rod sprinkles. The lower side of the cake is covered with the same colorful sprinkles. The cake sits on a white marbled plate with a thin gold rim, and the background is a white marbled texture. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 (15.25-oz.) boxes white cake mix
1 tbsp. cornstarch
8 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups whole milk, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sour cream or yogurt
2 drops (or more) red gel food coloring
3 drops green gel food coloring, divided
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (for icing)
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
8 cups (908 g) confectioners’ sugar
3 tbsp. heavy cream
A 6″ cake pan and a 3″ round cookie cutter

Instructions

Step 1: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two 9″ round cake pans with parchment paper, then grease with cooking spray.
Step 2: In a large bowl, mix the cake mix and cornstarch. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites, milk, melted butter, and sour cream. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mix and stir until well combined.
Step 3: Divide the batter evenly into four medium bowls. Add red gel food coloring to one bowl and stir until you reach your desired shade. In a second bowl, stir in 2 drops of green gel coloring; in a third bowl, add the remaining 1 drop of green. Leave the last bowl white.
Step 4: Pour the light green and dark green batters into the prepared pans and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Wipe out the pans.
Step 5: Re-line the pans with fresh parchment, grease them, then pour the white batter into one pan and the red batter into the other. Bake again for about 20 minutes or until done. Cool completely on wire racks.
Step 6: Wrap all four cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to firm up for easier cutting.
Step 7: Using the 6″ cake pan bottom as a guide, place it centered on the red cake and trace around it with a paring knife. Then use the 3″ round cutter in the center to cut out circles carefully, separating rounds. Repeat for the white and green cakes. You will get circles of 3″, 6″, and 9″ rings from each layer. Refrigerate the pieces until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Step 8: On a serving platter, reassemble the rings to form the checkerboard pattern as follows: Layer 1 with red outer ring, white middle ring, dark green center; Layer 2 with light green outer ring, red middle ring, white center; Layer 3 with dark green outer ring, light green middle ring, red center; Layer 4 with white outer ring, dark green middle ring, light green center. Refrigerate until ready to frost.
Step 9: For the icing, beat the 2 cups softened butter, vanilla extract, and salt in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.
Step 10: Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and heavy cream, beating on low speed first then increasing to medium until soft peaks form.
Step 11: Spread the frosting evenly over the top and sides of the assembled cake. Chill briefly before serving if desired.

Tips & Variations

Use gel food coloring instead of liquid to keep batter consistency smooth and vibrant colors.
For a tangier flavor, try substituting sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.
Chill the cake layers thoroughly before cutting to achieve clean, precise rings.
Decorate the frosted cake with fresh cranberries or edible gold stars for extra festive flair.

Storage

Store the iced cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best texture. Leftover cake can also be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

How to Serve

A slice of checkerboard cake with three vertical columns and three horizontal rows, creating nine square cake pieces in total, each square alternating between red, white, and green colors. The cake is covered in smooth white frosting, with thin layers separating the colored squares. The cake slice sits on a white plate surrounded by red, green, and white round and stick sprinkles scattered on a white marbled surface. A metal fork with a red handle is holding a small piece of green cake on the left side of the plate. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use homemade cake batter instead of box mix?

Yes, homemade white cake batter can be used if you prefer; just divide and color the batter as directed to maintain the checkerboard pattern.

How do I ensure the layers bake evenly?

Make sure to preheat the oven fully and use pans of the exact same size. If needed, rotate pans halfway through baking for even heat distribution.

Holiday Checkerboard Cake Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.5 from 60 reviews

This festive Holiday Checkerboard Cake features four colorful cake layers in red, white, and two shades of green, arranged in concentric rings to create a stunning checkerboard pattern when sliced. The cake is made with moist white cake layers enhanced with sour cream for richness and layered with a creamy vanilla buttercream frosting. Perfect for holiday celebrations, this visually impressive cake brings a fun and delicious centerpiece to your dessert table.

Author: Ella
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 12 to 16 servings 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Batter

Cooking spray, for greasing pans
2 (15.25-oz.) boxes white cake mix
1 tbsp. cornstarch
8 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups whole milk, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sour cream or yogurt
2 drops (or more) red gel food coloring
3 drops green gel food coloring, divided

Buttercream Frosting

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
8 cups (908 g) confectioners’ sugar
3 tbsp. heavy cream

Equipment

Two 9-inch round cake pans
Parchment paper
6-inch cake pan bottom (for tracing)
3-inch round cookie cutter

Instructions

Prepare pans and preheat oven: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, then grease with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Mix dry and wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the white cake mix and cornstarch. In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, whole milk, melted butter, and sour cream until well blended. Gradually pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly to combine into a smooth batter.
Divide and color batter: Divide the batter evenly into four medium bowls. Add red gel food coloring to one bowl and stir to achieve a rich red shade, adding more drops if necessary. In the second bowl, stir in 2 drops of green gel food coloring for a darker green tone. Stir 1 drop of green gel food coloring into the third bowl for a lighter green. Leave the fourth bowl as plain white batter.
Bake green cakes: Pour the light green and dark green batters each into one of the prepared pans. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool slightly in the pan, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely. Wipe out the pans for reuse.
Bake red and white cakes: Line pans again with fresh parchment and grease with cooking spray. Pour the white batter into one pan and the red batter into the other. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool slightly, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.
Chill cake layers: Wrap all four cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This chilling firms up the cakes and makes cutting easier and cleaner.
Cut concentric rings: Working with one cake at a time, place the bottom of a 6-inch cake pan centered on the cake layer and trace the edge with a paring knife. Then place the 3-inch cookie cutter centered inside the 6-inch circle and press down to cut out a 3-inch circle. Carefully separate the rounds to create three concentric pieces from each cake layer: a 3-inch circle, a 6-inch ring, and the outer 9-inch ring. Refrigerate cut pieces until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.
Assemble checkerboard layers: On a serving platter, reassemble the cake layers by stacking the rings in the following pattern:
Layer 1 (bottom): red outer ring, white middle ring, dark green center
Layer 2: light green outer ring, red middle ring, white center
Layer 3: dark green outer ring, light green middle ring, red center
Layer 4 (top): white outer ring, dark green middle ring, light green center
Refrigerate the stacked layers until ready to frost.
Make buttercream frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and kosher salt on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
Add sugar and cream: Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and heavy cream, starting on low speed then gradually increasing to medium. Beat until soft peaks form and the frosting is fluffy.
Frost the cake: Spread the prepared buttercream evenly over the top and sides of the assembled checkerboard cake, smoothing with an offset spatula or knife as desired. Chill briefly if needed to set the frosting before serving.

Notes

Ensure eggs and milk are at room temperature to create a smooth, lump-free batter.
Chilling the cake layers before cutting is important to avoid crumbling and to get clean, precise rings.
Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning the batter.
Wrap leftover cake tightly and refrigerate to keep fresh for up to 3 days.
This intricate checkerboard pattern looks impressive but is easier to assemble than it appears when following step-by-step instructions.

Keywords: Holiday cake, checkerboard cake, colorful cake, festive dessert, layered cake, buttercream frosting