White Chocolate-Mascarpone Checkerboard Cake

Instructions

White Chocolate-Mascarpone Cake:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour the bottoms and sides of four 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in mascarpone until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each until well combined. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in another large bowl; gradually add to butter mixture just until moistened. Gradually add melted white chocolate; beat just until combined. Divide batter evenly into two bowls. Add food coloring to one bowl if desired; beat until blended.
4. Pour red batter into two prepared pans. Pour white batter into remaining pans. Bake for 28-33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pans before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Frosting:

1. Cream the butter, mascarpone and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in an extra-large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add remaining confectioners' sugar, beating each addition until combined. Beat in cream and vanilla.
2. Transfer half of the frosting to a large bowl; set aside white frosting. Divide frosting in the other bowl in half again, placing half in another bowl. Beat 5 teaspoons food coloring into one bowl if desired. Beat remaining food coloring into the second bowl if desired.
3. Level one cake layer. Using a plate or bowl (about 4 1/2-inches diameter) as a guide, cut a circle in the center of the cake layer. Remove the inner circle. Repeat step with remaining cake layers.
4. Place one white cake layer (outer circle) on a serving platter. Add a red layer (inner circle) into the center. Using reserved white frosting, spread 1 cup frosting on layer. Place one red cake layer (outer circle) on top. Add a white layer (inner circle) into the center. Spread 1 cup frosting on layer. Repeat step with remaining cake layers. Frost top and sides of cake with a crumb coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Spread heaping 1 cup white frosting on top of cake. Pipe or spread dark red frosting on the bottom third sides of cake, light red frosting on the middle sides of cake and white frosting on the top sides of cake. Using a bench scraper or offset spatula, smooth out frosting on sides to blend colors. Pipe frosting on top of cake.