Checkerboard cake with fondant

It was long time dream to try a fondant covered cake and checker board cake. So this time on my husband's birthday I decided to try both. I baked the cakes (plain and chocolate) in advance. Made the fondant also in advance and kept it in airtight container. On the day I made buttercream and arranged the cake. To get more ideas on designing a checkerboard fondant sheet check here

Ingredients 
for plain cake

1. Eggs -2
2. Maida (all purpose flour)- 1 cup
3. Sugar – ¾ cup
4. Butter – 25 gms
5. Milk – ½ cup
6. Baking powder – 1 tsp

Method

• Sieve together maida and baking powder.
• Beat sugar and eggs over heat until fluffy. (I used a double boiler method. Keep the vessel with egg and sugar over a bowl of hot water. Beat until really fluffy)
• Add vanilla essence. Add ½ of maida and baking powder mix
• Warm milk and add butter into it and mix until butter melts.
• Add this to the batter
• Add the remaining dry ingredients. 

Ingredients 
for chocolate cake

1. Eggs -2
2. Maida- 3/4 cup
3. Cocoa - 1/4 cup
4. Sugar – ¾ cup
5. Butter – 25 gms
6. Milk – ½ cup
7. Instant coffee - 1/2 tsp
8. Baking powder – 1 tsp]

Method

• Sieve together maida, cocoa and baking powder.
• Beat sugar and eggs over heat until fluffy. (I used a double boiler method. Keep the vessel with egg and sugar over a bowl of hot water. Beat until really fluffy)
• Add vanilla essence. Add ½ of maida, cocoa and baking powder mix
• Warm 3/4th of milk and add butter into it and mix until butter melts. Into remaining 1/4th add coffee powder
• Add both to the batter. Mix 
• Add the remaining dry ingredients. 

Butter cream icing

• Softened Butter - 100gms,
• Icing sugar - 200 gms
• Beat well till thick. add a pinch of salt and beat well again

For assembling checkerboard cake. 

• Cut two concentric circles of each cake. 
• Alternate the middle pieces (check pic above). 
• Use buttercream as a glue to fix your pieces. Before fixing the middle piece put buttercream on inner edges. 
• Before covering the cake with fondant cover the cake with buttercream. It acts as glue. 

For the white fondant

• Marshmallow - 150 gm
• Water - 2 tbsp
• Icing sugar - 300 gms + extra

Method

• Butter your microwave bowl. Also butter your wooden spoon and hands.
• Add marshmallow into the bowl.
• Add 2 tbsp water
• Heat marshmallow in the microwave for 30 secs to 1 minute, stirring in between. 
• Once marshmallow has melted well put icing sugar into it stir & mix with a wooden spoon.
• It'll be sticky and you'll feel like mixing with your hands. But instead continue with wooden spoon. Add more sugar. At one point you'll feel it is coming together. Now butter you hands and knead it until it becomes a soft pliable dough. If you need add little more butter to your hands. 

For chocolate fondant

• Marshmallow - 60 gm
• Semi sweet chocolate chips - 1 handful 
• Water - 1/2 tbsp
• Icing sugar - 100 gms + extra

Method

• Butter your microwave bowl. Also butter your wooden spoon and hands.
• Add marshmallow and chocolate chips into the bowl.
• Add 1/2 tbsp water
• Heat the bowl in the microwave for 30 secs to 1 minute, stirring in between. 
• Once marshmallow has melted well put icing sugar into it stir & mix with a wooden spoon.
• It'll be sticky and you'll feel like mixing with your hands. But instead continue with wooden spoon. Add more sugar. At one point you'll feel it is coming together. Now butter you hands and knead it until it becomes a soft pliable dough. If you need add little more butter to your hands. 

Note: Store fondant in zip bags. Use it when you are ready with your cake. If your fondant seems hard, just heat it in microwave for 10 seconds and knead it. Still if your fondant is breaking add 2-3 drops of water