Toy Story Checkerboard Cake

Instructions

Checkerboard Cake

1. Prepare the cake batter as directed in i am baker's recipe (link above).
2. Instead of the 8in pans in her recipe, grease and flour 2 6in pans. You can also line them with parchment paper if your cakes like to stick to your pans.
3. Using a kitchen scale, measure by weight half of the batter and color it green.
4. Color the remaining half of the batter blue.
5. Spread each color into it's own prepared cake pan.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Baking times vary depending on oven)
7. Allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Buttercream

1. Prepare the buttercream as directed in the recipe in the link above. Just to be safe, you'll want to double the recipe so you have enough to work with. You'll probably have extra, but that's better than not having enough.
2. NOTE: The coloring of the buttercream will happen later in the assembly process.

Assembly

1. Prepare the cake layers by trimming off the domed top of the cake. Cut horizontally into each cake layer to make two even pieces. You'll want two green and two blue layers of the same size.
2. Use the cookie cutters to cut 4in and 2in rings out of each layer of cake.
3. Take the cake pieces apart.
4. Reassemble the cake pieces so that each color is alternating. Blue green blue. Green blue green. You'll have two layers of each pattern once they have been reassembled.
5. 
6. Place a piece of wax paper on your rotating cake stand and set one layer of cake down.
7. With the white buttercream, spread a thin layer on top of the first layer of cake.
8. Place the second layer of cake down, making sure the outside ring is the opposite color of the first layer. Spread another thin layer of frosting on top.
9. Repeat this with the next two layers of cake, making sure the outside rings of cake alternate in color.
10. Crumb coat the entire cake with white buttercream. Freeze for 20 minutes.
11. Spread a ½ inch layer of white frosting over the top of the cake. Reserve ⅓ cup of white frosting for later.
12. Divide the remaining buttercream in half. Color half green & half blue.
13. Prepare 2 disposable piping bags with the large round tips. Fill one with blue and one with green frosting.
14. Use the Petal Cake Frosting technique to frost the outside of the cake. Alternating with green & blue frosting with each petal. NOTE: For detailed instructions on how to frost using the petal technique, CLICK HERE FOR THE TUTORIAL .
15. Color half the reserved frosting yellow and half blue. Fit the piping bags with the small tips and fill them with each color.
16. Pipe a large number 2 on the top of the cake in yellow frosting and outline it in blue.
17. Write Happy Birthday with the remaining blue frosting.
18. Allow the cake to set up in the freezer on the rotating cake stand until firm - about 2 hours.
19. Gently remove the cake from the stand and place it on the stand you will serve the cake on.
20. Store the cake covered in the refrigerator until ready 2 hours before serving when you'll remove it to room temperature.