Checkerboard Cake

Total Time: 3 hrs Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 3 ounces dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 10 ounces dark chocolate
• 1 cup whipping cream

Recipe

• 1 grease and flour three 9" round cake pans.
• 2 trace three 9-inch circles on parchment paper; cut out. draw 6-inch circle, centered, on each cutout; draw 3-inch circle, centered, on each cutout.
• 3 line bottom of each pan with 1 paper circle, pencil side down.
• 4 in large heatproof bowl set over hot (not boiling) water, melt chopped chocolate. stir in cocoa powder. let cool to room temperature.
• 5 in separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. set aside.
• 6 in large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. beat in eggs,one at a time, beating well after each addition, add vanilla.
• 7 beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of buttermilk.
• 8 stir 3 1/2 cups of the batter into melted chocolate.
• 9 spoon and chocolate batters into separate large piping bags(or spoon into 2 large resealable plastic bags and cut 1-inch hole in 1 corner of each).
• 10 pipe chocolate batter to fill outer ring of each of 2 of the pans.
• 11 pipe batter over middle ring, then chocolate batter over inner ring.
• 12 in third pan, pipe batter over outer ring, chocolate over middle ring and over inner ring.
• 13 bake in centre of 350°f oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
• 14 let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. turn out onto rack; let cool completely.
• 15 for the filling, place chopped chocolate in bowl.
• 16 in saucepan, heat whipping cream over medium heat just until steaming. pour over chocolate, whisking just until melted.
• 17 refrigerate until thickened but still spreadable, about 30 minutes.
• 18 whisk just until color lightens.
• 19 using serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to make level, if necessary.
• 20 starting with 1 of the cake layers with chocolate outer ring, spread with 1/3 cup of the ganache.
• 21 top with cake layer with outer ring; spread with another 1/3 cup of the ganache.
• 22 top with remaining cake layer.
• 23 cover top and side with remaining ganache.
• 24 refrigerate before serving.
• 25 some people may find it easier to use one of "checkerboard cake pan sets" available online or in local stores.
• 26 http://www.amazon.com/s/102-7283235-2715300?ie=utf8&keywords=checkerboard%20cake%20pan&search-type=ss&index=kitchen.