Elliott’s Checkerboard Birthday Cake

I wanted to make a race-car themed cake for my son’s 2nd birthday (more about his birthday and how we celebrated in my Personal November Update). He’s very into anything with wheels right now, so I needed something simple enough to manage during a busy week but still polished once it was sliced. I spread it out over a couple of days, baking the cakes two days before and frosting the day before. This checkerboard cake ended up being perfect, with the checkered pattern inside and out. When you cut into it, each slice shows alternating rings of chocolate and vanilla, and it turned out so great! I also love making homemade cakes because I know exactly what’s going into them and can use all organic ingredients.

You can also switch the colors for any holiday or theme. Red and blue for the Fourth of July, red and green for Christmas, pink and white for a shower. I used a checkerboard cake stencil for Elliott’s cake because it speeds everything up, but I’m including how to make it both ways.

Here’s the video of me making it HERE.