The Ultimate Checkerboard Cake: A Fun and Delicious Twist on a Classic Dessert

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
For the vanilla cake: In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk, and beat until smooth. Set aside.
For the chocolate cake: In another bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk, and beat until smooth. Set aside.
Assemble the Checkerboard Pattern:

Use a checkerboard cake pan set (or you can make your own using dividers). Spoon the chocolate batter into the four outer sections of the pan, and the vanilla batter into the four center sections, alternating to create the checkerboard pattern.
If you don’t have a checkerboard pan, you can bake each flavor separately in two 8-inch pans and then cut the cakes into rings. Place the vanilla ring inside the chocolate ring, or vice versa, and arrange them on top of each other in the checkerboard style.
Bake the Cakes:

Bake both cakes (or assembled checkerboard cake) in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
Make the Buttercream Frosting:

Beat the butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until fully incorporated.
Add vanilla extract, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt. Beat on high speed until smooth and fluffy. You can add food coloring to the frosting at this point if desired.
Assemble the Cake:

Once the cakes are completely cooled, spread a layer of frosting on the top of one cake layer.
Place the second cake layer on top and cover the entire cake with frosting.
Use a spatula or cake scraper to smooth the sides and top of the cake. Decorate with additional frosting, sprinkles, or other decorations as desired.
Serving and Storage Tips: