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Whether you’re planning a romantic night with your sweetie or a “Galentine’s” Day girls-only fiesta this Feb. 14, there’s always a need for cake.
So we enlisted the help of Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro to create a sweet treat to impress your date(s).
Valastro, who has a full line of Cake Boss Cake baking products, shared a checkerboard red velvet and vanilla cake that holds special place in his heart — since he served it at his wedding!
Now, don’t be scared off by what may appear to be a very complicated dessert: The recipe is easy to master.
By cutting out circles of each layer, you’re able to create a checkerboard effect when you slice the cake open. Plus, there’s no need to bake from scratch — the recipe will work with your favorite red velvet and vanilla cake boxed mixes.
Checkerboard Cake
2 boxes red velvet cake mix
2 boxes vanilla cake mix
6 cups cream cheese frosting
1 package chocolate morsels
Red sprinkles
1. Bake and cool two 9-inch red velvet cakes and two 9-inch vanilla cakes as per box instructions.
2. Using a knife, trim off the top of all four cakes so each is flat and measures 1-inch thick; place in the freezer for 30-40 minutes.
3. Remove cakes from the freezer. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut the center out of one vanilla cake. Continue to cut cake rings using a 5-inch and then 7-inch cookie cutters until you have four vanilla cake circles of varying sizes. Repeat the circle cutting in the remaining vanilla cake and the red velvet cakes until all cakes have been cut into cake rings.
4. Beginning with the 9-inch vanilla cake ring, begin assembling the checker pattern by interlocking the smaller red velvet cake circles inside smaller vanilla cake circles, alternating in flavor until you get to the center.
5. Repeat for the second layer, but start with the 9-inch red velvet cake circle and continue interlocking the smaller sized vanilla circle and so on. Repeat step 4 with the remaining pieces, beginning with the 9-inch vanilla cake circle.
6. Layer your cake beginning with the bottom cake layer, which will have a vanilla edge. Using a cake spatula, top the bottom cake layer with a layer of cream cheese frosting. Place the next cake layer with the red velvet cake edge on top and add another layer of cream cheese frosting.
7. Finish layering your cake with the remaining cake layers. Cover and smooth the top of the cake and the sides with cream cheese frosting.
8. Melt the chocolate morsels in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until fully melted and drizzle chocolate over the top of the cake using a fork or spoon. Finish the cake with red sprinkles.
—Ana Calderone, @anacalderone
