Burnt-sugar Checkerboard Cake – Country Living

1. In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/4 C boiling water,
and the lemon juice to boiling over high heat; reduce heat to medium
and simmer 14 to 16 minutes or until mixture is dark, golden brown.
Let mixture cool 1 minute then carefully stir in remaining 3/4 C
boiling water. Pour sugar mixture into 2-C measuring cup; set aside
to cool to room temperature.

2. Grease and flour the three 9-inch round cake pans of a
checkerboard-cake set. Generously oil checkerboard divider. Heat oven
to 350’F. In medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and
salt. Add enough milk to cooled sugar mixture in measuring cup to
measure 2 C.

3. In large bowl, with electric mixer, beat butter and the remaining
1 C sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until
well combined; beat in vanilla. Beginning and ending with flour
mixture, alternately beat flour mixture and milk mixture into butter
mixture until well combined.

4. Remove 3 1/2 C batter to medium-size bowl; stir in melted chocolate
until well combined. Place well-oiled checkerboard divider into one
prepared cake pan. Fill center and outer circles, half full, with
burnt-sugar batter; fill middle circle about half full with chocolate
batter. Carefully lift divider out of batter. Repeat in one other
prepared cake pan. Clean and re-oil divider. In third pan, fill
center and outer circles with remaining chocolate batter and middle
circle with remaining burnt-sugar batter. (If you do not have
checkerboard pans, divide burnt-sugar batter into 3 greased and
floured 9-inch-round cake pans. Drop spoonfuls of chocolate batter on
top, then run a knife through batter to marbleize.)

5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center of
cakes comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
Remove from pans and cool completely. Prepare Mocha Frosting.

6. To assemble cake, place 1 cake layer with burnt-sugar center on
serving plate. Spread top with 1/3 cup frosting. Place cake layer
with chocolate center on top of first layer. Spread top with 1/3 C
frosting. Place remaining cake layer on top and spread remaining
frosting onto top and side of cake.

Note: A Checkerboard Cake Set (Item #5350, $9.95 plus $2.50 postage)
may be ordered by mail from the King Arthur Flour Baker’s Catalogue,
Rural Route 2, Box 56, Norwich, Vt. 05055, or by calling (800)
827-6836.

Mocha Frosting: In large bowl, with electric mixer, beat 1 C (2
sticks) butter, softened, with 1/2 C vegetable shortening until light
and fluffy. Carefully beat in 1 1/2 t instant coffee granules
dissolved in 2 T hot water, 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder, and 2 t
vanilla extract until well combined. Gradually beat in 2 C
confectioners’ sugar.