The checker game

My title reminds me of Johnny Cash's wonderful 'speaking' song - "Cisco Clifton's Fillin' Station" which ends  - "At Cisco Clifton's Fillin' Station there's a howdy, and a checker game."

Well I've had a checker game of sorts today. I decided to bake a cake for Mrs M's upcoming birthday and thought I'd go for a checkerboard cake. I remember making one of these many years ago, piping the alternate chocolate and vanilla rings into three cake tins. The result, when put together, is a checker cake. 

Back in the 90s we were staying with friends in the USA and I saw a checkerboard cake set in a shop called 'Kitchen Kapers'! This set had a plastic triple ring which was supposed to make it easier to put in the cake mix. I think I must have tried it when we came home, but not since. So I checked the ingredients and set about making it. Remember Punch's advice to those about to get married? 'Don't!' I have the same advice to those about to make a checkerboard cake! Basically it's impossible to gauge how much mix to put in each ring and in each tin. The cakes have just come out of the oven - one fat, one thin and one middling! I think that some careful surgery might be necessary to create the final masterpiece!

Quote of the Day:

Julia Child - "A party without cake is really just a meeting."