Chessboard chocolate vanilla pudding cake that you can easily make at home. With step-by-step instructions, this dreamy pudding cake will easily become a family favorite. Vegetarian, easily prepared at home.
On today’s menu: homemade chessboard pudding cake – a simple yet striking dessert that my kids absolutely love. It starts with a soft cake base, layered with creamy vanilla pudding arranged to look just like a chessboard.
Clever, isn’t it? Personally, I love serving it chilled straight from the fridge, often with a scoop of ice cream on the side. This is one of those cakes that never lasts more than a day in our house – it’s light, rich, and completely irresistible.
If you like quicker cakes that are similarly as delicious try my French Chocolate Peach Cake. It’s as good!
INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIOS
Cake base
- Eggs, medium size – preferably free range organic eggs for better taste.
- All purpose flour (or type 00 flour) – depending what you have on hand.
- Brown sugar – white sugar could also be used.
- Cacao powder – to make things chocolatey.
- Baking powder – to elevate the cake.
Pudding filling
- Vanilla pudding – I use Alnatura’s vanilla pudding that is organic with no added sugar.
- Milk – whole milk, usually up to 30% fat
- Brown sugar – just a few tbsp. to make things sweet.
- Gelatin powder – to get vanilla pudding to be firm.
- Chopped walnuts – for topping the cake with.
The pudding filling can be replaced with pre-made vanilla pudding from the store (like this one on amazon). Just add the gelatin powder in as described below to make it stand firm in the cake.
HOW TO MAKE CHESSBOARD CAKE
1st: Prepare the cake base. Once baked and cooled off, with a sharp knife cut 6 rings within the cake base that are approx. 1 cm (0,40 inch) wide. Remove the 2nd, 4th and 6th piece of cake gently. Set aside and prepare the pudding and mix it with the melted gelatin powder.
2nd: Add some of the pudding mix to the emptied cake ring space – just until the middle, so shape of chessboard cake can be made. Then, transfer previously removed cake rings back to their places, without pressing – to create levels.
3rd: Cover with remaining pudding and let cool in the fridge until pudding gets firm. Top with chopped walnuts and enjoy.
Easy Chessboard Chocolate Pudding Cake
Equipment
- 1 round cake pan 22-24 cm (9 inch.)
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 small ceramic bowl for melting gelatin
- 1 small ceramic cup
Ingredients
Cake base
- 4 eggs, medium size
- 120 g all purpose flour (or type 00 flour)
- 150 g brown sugar
- 30 g cacao powder
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
Pudding filling
- 2 packs vanilla pudding, for 500ml (2 cups + 2 tbsp.) liquid each
- 1 liter milk
- 4 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 sachets gelatin powder for 500 ml (2 cups + 2 tbsp) liquid each
- 100 g chopped walnuts
Instructions
Cake base
- In a large mixing bowl add eggs and sugar and beat until it doubles in size on high speed. Then add flour, cacao powder and baking powder. Beat on low to incorporate.
- Place into oiled cake pan and bake in preheated oven (180C/360F) for about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
- Once cooled down, with a sharp knife make 6 circles (rings) in the cake base, each approx. 1 cm (0.40 inch) wide. Then, gently remove the 2nd, 4rth and 6th cake ring and set aside. Next, prepare filling.
Pudding filling
- Prepare vanilla pudding according to package. OR, in a small mixing bowl add 2 packs of pudding, 4 tbsp. sugar and 10 tbsp. of the milk. Stir to combine well.
- Place remaining milk on the stove and heat up (should be almost boiling). Slowly add the pudding mixture and stir until it gets thicker.
- Next, prepare the gelatin. Place gelatin in a small bowl, then cover with cold water. Let get firm. Then place small bowl with gelatin powder in a larger bowl with hot (nearly boiling) water. Hot water should not be in contact with gelatin, instead make water-bath to make gelatin liquid-y.
- Then, add melted gelatin to pudding and stir. Pour some pudding mixture (I like to use a ladle) into the emptied cake rings. Cake rings should be half full with pudding to get that chessboard effect.
- Finally, gently add the previously removed cake ring onto their places. Pour the remaining pudding over the cake. Place in the fridge and let sit for a few hours so gelatin sets firm. Sprinkle generously with chopped walnuts on top and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe may contain affiliate links, please see full disclosure here.
