I don't have a checkerboard cake pan, but here's an idea of how to make one without buying what I consider an expensive pan that you won't use very often. I found the description of the Wilton checkerboard cake pan and it says it comes with 3 nine inch cake pans and a "dividing ring".
You do not bake the cakes with the dividing ring in place. You pour one color of batter into the outer ring, the second color of batter into the center ring, then remove the ring. Clean out the dividing ring. Then pour your batter into the other two cake pans, using the same technique, but alternating the color of batter in the center ring. You'll wind up with two pans filled in the same order (yellow with chocolate center or vice versa). For example: You'll use a yellow cake mix and a chocolate cake mix. In pan #1, pour the yellow batter into the outer ring and the chocolate batter into the center ring. Remove the center ring and clean out. Then in pans #2 and #3 pour the chocolate batter into the outer ring and the yellow batter into the center ring and remove the ring. Try to pour the batters to the same level. Then bake as usual. To assemble the cake, stack the layers so that the centers are "staggered". In other words, don't put the two yellow centered layers one on top of the other. I think you could use any number of round objects to make this cake without buying the "specialty" pans. The trick would be to use the right diameter object. You need to make it as close to being evenly divided in diameter as possible so that the checkerboard effect shows. Maybe a large can of peaches, which has been washed out well, the paper label removed and both ends cut out of the can. I'm not sure on the size of the can. I would just "eyeball" it and see what works. There are any number of different sizes of cans available. Pineapple cans, peaches, green beans, etc. It doesn't have to be heatproof since you won't be baking with it in place. Be creative! I'm sure you can come up with something. If you want to swirl a cake, just take two different colors of batters, plop a few spoonfuls of the second color in the cake pan and take a knife, fork or toothpick, etc. and swirl it in and out of the batter, making pretty swirls or patterns. Don't overmix or you'll ruin the looks or even wind up with a one-color cake. You can start with a yellow cake batter and add food coloring, melted chocolate, chocolate baking powder or even a bright colored Kool-Aid powder or Jell-O powder to make the second color. Thoroughly confused? E-mail me offline and I'll try to help you. Maybe someone else could explain this better. Kathleen On 10 Jul 2006 at 20:03, abecruse wrote: > Hi how are you. I have a question about making a specific type of > cake. there was a picture of a cake I've seen in the store that was a > checkered type cake, when its cut the inside was small squares inside the > cake, it hade chocolate, and Vanilla. it was cool. But I didn't have the > time to but the recipe, so I was wondering if anyone hade any idea how to > make a cake with chocolate and vanilla squares in the middle, or if you > don't have a clue, how do you make a swirl cake? thanks ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Check out the new improvements in Yahoo! Groups email. http://us.click.yahoo.com/6pRQfA/fOaOAA/yQLSAA/QXMplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAKE-RECIPE/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
