A Chocolate & Orange Checkerboard Cake Recipe

A Recipe: Chocolate and Orange Checkerboard Cake Recipe (taken from The Great Australian Bake-Off recipe book 2013) Original recipe here.

Serves 12-16 (6 hours of preparation and baking time between me and my friend)

For the Orange Cake (makes 2 cakes):

2 and 1/2 cups self raising flour

1 and 3/4 cups sugar

3 free-range eggs

1 and 1/4 cups milk

100g butter, melted

1/4 cup vegetable oil

zest and juice (approximately 140ml) of 1 orange

red and yellow food dye (to make a subtle orange batter)

For the Chocolate cake (makes 2 cakes):

2 and 1/4 cups self raising flour

1/4 cup dark cocoa

1 and 3/4 cups sugar

3 free-range eggs

1 and 1/4 cups milk

100g butter, melted

1/4 cup vegetable oil

zest and juice (approximately 140ml) of 1 orange

few drops of Parisienne essence to colour darker (optional)

For the frosting:

375g butter

45g dark brown sugar

3/4 cup boiling water

600g dark chocolate, chopped

To finish:

additional dark chocolate for decoration

zest of 1 orange

* also need: 4 x 18cm round cake tins, lined with baking paper; 1 baking tray

*Tip: to create a flat and evenly baked cake, wrap a wet folded tea towel around the cake tin, and secure with string before placing it into the oven

*Cool all cakes fully; it will ensure for an even and clean cut when creating rings

*Tip: when making the template, trace around the cake tin to create the foundation, then use a ruler to measure 6cm inwards around the circumference

*Tip: use a long skewer to poke holes closely together around the template to make it easier and even to cut the cake rings when using a knife

*When frosting, be generous with it, to ensure rings stick together

Well, here I present the most technical and challenging recipe I have ever had the pleasure to tackle. Me and my bestie Betty, I don't know, kind of thought it would be fun to do the hardest recipe out of my 'The Great Australian Bake Off' recipe book and we cleared a whole Saturday for it.
And it was the most memorable and most bonding experience, baking this cake.
It took us about 6 hours to achieve - preparation, waiting time, baking time and decorating. I am happy Betty was there, she was full of useful tips and so precise and intelligent about baking.
At the end, it was absolutely satisfying to cut into the cake and get a perfect checkerboard pattern that was even and defined. And we were so damned proud. Even if we have had failed, just spending such quality time with Betty was more than enough to make it a perfect Saturday <3