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Holiday Checkerboard Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

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.

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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

Find it online: https://ellaeatsdaily.com/holiday-checkerboard-cake-recipe/