Customer Reviews

Chicago Metallic Non-Stick Checkerboard Cake Pan Set

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

We celebrated our son's first birthday with a cake made with this checkerboard pan set. It generated quite a bit of interest among our guests - everyone wanted to know how it was created. People thought I had to divide the layers into many pieces and reassemble the cake. Heavens, no. Use the divider that comes with the set, clip it securely onto each of the pans, pour alternating batter in each of the rings, and remember to remove the divider before baking. Note the divider is made of plastic, and not metal, and that there is one divider and not three for each of the pans. It certainly doesn't affect the outcome of the final product, of course. I keep everything in the original box so the pieces are always in one place. Oh yes, and the pans are of very good construction - no warping, and easy to clean. A practical, solid tool for achieving a classic checkerboard cake.

I used to have a checkerboard cake pan that I loved. I finally returned it to my sister after "borrowing" it for about five years, so I am ordering this one to replace it. The old one was metal, so I'm pleased with the new plastic separators that come with this one. I experimented a lot with different cake mixes, and discovered that the thicker the batter the less the two flavors bleed into each other--for a more even checkerboard look. The best mix I have found was Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Golden for the light part and Butter Recipe Chocolate for the dark. They taste great too. I'm sure other butter recipe cake mixes would work well too.

A lifelong cake lover, I bought these pans about a month ago and have been using them ever since. They're sturdy, but not so heavy that that they're hard to lift. And the nonstick surface is great for quickly getting cakes out of the pan without tearing the bottoms.

I used my pan for the first time today and was quite pleased with the results! I expected that I would have to make it at least twice to figure out where I went wrong. It worked quite nicely the first time around. I would offer these tips to help make it easier. While I did use the box's recipe, you really do have to pay attention to what "half full" really is when you put the batter in. I was a bit short on the white batter on the last pan, but was able to dip out a bit of the chocolate batter to make it nicely even. Also I used a cooking spray on the divider on two of the cake layers and did one without just to see and it was much better with the cooking spray. I also decided to use a large piping bag for each of the batters to help me to fill up the rings. It seemed much faster that way. My checkerboards came out perfectly! I was really pleased! I might add more chocolate next time. I wish that there were 3 different dividers to make it faster, though.

Am I the only person who ever bought this and tried to use regular boxed cake mixes with it? For anyone who hasn't tried it yet, guess what, you may end up with a huge mess. First, about half of a batch of boxed mix is all that will fit into these very shallow pans. (Remember you need two colors for a checkerboard effect.) Second, you really have to use the same brand and type of cake mix for both colors. If they don't rise and bake at the same rate, your checkerboard will look more like marble cake. My suggestion is that instead of using two different flavor cake mixes, just use a white cake mix and divide it into two parts. Color half with food coloring to give you the checkerboard effect. The directions say to fill pans no more than half-way, and they aren't kidding. I cut off and threw away more than was left in the pan on my first try. Maybe it depends on the mix, and how much it rises. The third problem should have been obvious, but I'm not that clever. This is a THREE LAYER CAKE so it won't fit into any of my domed cake plates, and a single batch of icing was not enough. Anyway, I cook more for pleasure than necessity, and this was just a little more annoying than I had planned. I'm not giving up, but the pursuit of the perfect checkerboard cake has so far eluded me.

I have a checkerboard cake pan set, and I love it! The design after it has been baked and put together is very fun. People are always asking me how I got the cake to look that way. Plus the pans are really good non-stick pans. I have a very unevenly heated oven but anything I bake in them never burns on one side more than the other. It's great!

I got this pan set a few years ago. I love making checkerboard cakes--they are so simple with this set. You can use boxed mixes, but I find the thicker consistency of the sample recipe makes a more distinct checkerboard design.

My favourite variation is to make blue and pink for baby showers instead of brown and white. (I make the white cake and just use food colouring).

I was very pleased to finally find the checkerboard cake pans similar to the ones my mother used to use when I grew up. I started thinking about them, looking in department stores, etc. and no one had them. I looked on the web and saw Amazon had them so I asked my daughter in DC if this was a good website. She assured me it was so I proceeded to order. It was only 3 days later I received the pans and they were much better quality than I had ever expected. Amazon and this company - Chicago Metallic Gourmetware Non-Stick (Checkerboard Cake Pan Set) deserves much credit!!! I will continue to go to Amazon for items I want to buy. THANK YOU!!!!! i'M 60 YEARS OLD!

Very easy to use with both homemade receipe or from any box cake mixes. Great hit at parties, special treat for home, and great for pot luck or church dinners. Recommened it highly and has unlimited use for exceptional variations on cake design. Great for the beginner or expert cook. Wonderful letting kids help prepare something special. Even my six year old loves to help.

I do love the checkerboard cake pans! The only thing i'd like is for them to have more than one plastic insert. I know, none of the sets do, but it's still a pain to have to wash it between filling each pan!