black-and-white park avenue cake

A checkerboard cake is nothing new, but the effect is quite dramatic. To make this cake, you will need a checkerboard cake pan set with pans 8 to 9 inches in diameter. These sets, which come in threes, are available in cookware shops, craft stores, and by mail order (see page 214).

MAKES AN 8 ½-INCH TRIPLE-LAYER CAKE: SERVES 12 TO 16

• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
• 4 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 2 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled
• Semisweet Ganache (page 165)
• White Chocolate Buttercream (page 83)
• Dark chocolate candy wafers or chocolate chunks, for decoration

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three checkerboard cake pans, 8 to 9 inches in diameter. Line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.
2. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and 1 cup of the buttermilk and beat just until combined and evenly moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, remaining ¼ cup buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to the batter in 2 or 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and beating only until incorporated after each addition; do not overmix.
4. To make the dark chocolate batter, whisk 1 cup of the vanilla batter into the melted unsweetened chocolate, then gently whisk in another 3 cups batter.
5. For the white batter, whisk 1 cup of the vanilla batter into the melted white chocolate and whisk back into the remaining vanilla batter in the bowl as gently as possible. Using the dividers provided in the set and two 14-inch pastry bags fitted with plain ⅜-inch tips, fill the pans about half full. The cakes will rise to the top when done. You’ll need 2 layers with 2 chocolate rings each and 1 layer with 2 vanilla rings.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks. Peel off the paper and let cool completely.
7. To assemble the cake, place one of the layers with 2 chocolate rings on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spoon half of the Semisweet Ganache onto the cake and spread it evenly over the layer, leaving a generous ¼-inch margin around the edges. Place the only layer with 2 vanilla rings onto the cake. Spread a similar amount of ganache over this layer, again leaving a ¼-inch margin. Top with the final cake layer, aligning the sides carefully so that the pattern will be successful. To make frosting easier, you may want to refrigerate the cake briefly to allow the ganache to set up first. This will ensure that the squares line up smartly.
8. Frost the sides and top with the White Chocolate Butter-cream, carefully smoothing out the frosting. Decorate the cake with chocolate candy wafers or chocolate chunks.