Signy is a foreign exchange student from Norway.  Her birthday was Sunday September 22, so I decided to make her a Chocolate Checkerboard Cake (with the help of Ms. Slater).  It took a little more than three hours for me to make the cake–it was my first time making a cake. we celebrated her birthday on Monday, September 23rd.

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker® Super Moist® yellow cake mix

1 cup milk

1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease and lightly flour bottoms and sides of three 9-inch round pans of checkerboard cake set. Place divider ring in one of the pans, following manufacturer’s directions.

2. In medium bowl, beat cake mix, milk, cream cheese, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly, then on medium speed 2 minutes. Divide batter in half; stir cocoa into half of the batter.

3. Spoon batter into each pan and using divider ring, following manufacturer’s directions.

4. Bake 18 to 26 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen side of each cake from pan with metal spatula; turn upside down onto cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

5. Using a thin layer of frosting between layers, stack cake layers so outside colors of cake alternate. Place cake on serving plate; frost side and top of cake with frosting. Store loosely covered.