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a checkerboard cake is the most fun to
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cut into the secret to success here is
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to make the checkerboard squares square
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and in this tutorial I'll show you how
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to do that along with every other step
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process my very vanilla cake recipe is
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the perfect size for a checkerboard
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pattern baked into four 6-in pans for
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even layers it's best to weigh the
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batter or you can scoop the batter in
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and do the same number of Scoops for
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each pan I'm tinting half of the batter
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pink with a squirt of pink gel but of
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course you can use any color you like
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make sure you grease your pans so the
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cakes don't stick the recipe is in the
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video description bake the layers and
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let them cool and it's best to use
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cookie cutters for this and the cookie
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cutters should be 2 in apart these are
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four and 2 in and the cake is 2 in
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bigger 6 in so you'll make three rings
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of cake that are 2 four and 6 in wide
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but first we need to make sure that the
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cakes are the right height by using a
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serrated knife use little sawing motions
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as you spin the cake to score a line
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around the cake to trim off the Dome and
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when you've gone all the way around the
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cake slice through it following along
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the line you scored look at this fun
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color I like to flip the cake over and
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do the same for the bottom because the
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cake is darker where it touched the
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bottom of the cake pan and by trimming
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the darker edge off the cake slices will
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look neater when you cut them for a neat
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checkerboard design you want the
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distance between the cookie cutters to
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be the same as the height of the cake so
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here the cookie cutters are about 1 in
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wide which means the cake should be
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about 1 in tall as well now it's time to
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use the cookie cutters it's easiest to
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start with the outer ring positioning it
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so there's the same amount of cake all
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around it and then push that down and do
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the same with the next cookie cutter
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separate the rings of cake and by
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alternating these with the rings of cake
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from the pink layers that's what's going
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to create the checkerboard pattern when
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you're choosing the flavors or colors
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for your checkerboard design the more
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better you don't have to have a
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turntable for the snacks part but it
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makes it a bit easier you will need a
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cakeboard which is at least 2 in bigger
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than your cake my cake is 6 in and the
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cakeboard is 10 in spread some
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buttercream across the cakeboard where
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the cake is going to sit and then Place
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one of the outer rings of cake on top
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pressing it down to attach it to the
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buttercream now use the other color of
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cake for the next ring pushing it down
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and then switch back to the first color
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for the middle piece of cake it will
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look like Target rings at the moment you
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can use any filling between the layers
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I'm using my 4-minute buttercream as the
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filling as well as the frosting because
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it's delicious but also simple just
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plain white so it doesn't distract from
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the checkerboard pattern as you position
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the outer ring of cake you'll need to
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adjust it so that it sits directly on
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top of the cake below spin the cake to
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check it straight and then alternate
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colors as you work your way in to the
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middle as you're layering the Cake The
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key thing to focus on is to make sure
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the outer ring is centered not sticking
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out on any side which will mean the
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inner ring Rings line up above the ones
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below and are centered as well and also
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it means the sides of your cake will be
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straight and not leaning to one side if
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the filling is sticking out anywhere
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smooth that now and I always recommend
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chilling cakes in the fridge for 30
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minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes
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to set the buttercream between the
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layers and the buttercream you spread
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onto the cake board below the cake so
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that it's firm and attaches the cake
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securely in place so it doesn't wobble
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or slide around as you frost it it's
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best to do a crumb coat as a first layer
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of frosting which is just a thin layer
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to trap any crumbs that come off the
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cake and then let that sit in the fridge
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for another 15 to 30 minutes before
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spreading a final layer of frosting on
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top I'm using shades of pink to make
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ombre use a cake comb to smooth the
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frosting and add any decorations you
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like and this will be such a fun cake to
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cut into this tall 6-in cake will serve
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12 to 20 people depending on how you
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slice it look at this gorgeous
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checkerboard pattern the recipe is on
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British G baked and you'll also find my
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cake school there with courses and
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memberships to take your cake decorating
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skills to the next level see you there
