Chocolate chequered cake

For the vanilla sponge cake, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, add the egg a little at a time along with the vanilla extract, beating in between each addition.

Carefully fold in the flour. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.

For the chocolate layer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, add the egg a little at a time along with the vanilla extract, beating in between each addition.

Carefully fold in the flour and cocoa powder. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.

For the pink  layer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, add the egg a little at a time along with the vanilla extract and pink food colouring, beating in between each addition.

Carefully fold in the flour. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.

Place the tins in a preheated oven 190°C (fan 170°C, gas mark 5) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for a while then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To ensure the cakes have a flat surface when you come to put the cake together, turn the sponges upside down to cool on the rack. So the base becomes the top of the sponge.

To make the ganache, pour the cream into a saucepan and heat gently until it just reaches boiling point, remove from the heat and add the chocolate pieces. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and is dark, glossy and smooth. Then leave to cool at room temperature.

To construct the cake you need a 6cm cutter and a 13cm cutter (or something of these dimensions that you can cut around). Making sure you start centrally on the first sponge layer, cut a 13cm disc out of the centre, then cut a 6cm disc out of the centre of this and carefully separate the rings. Repeat this with the other 2 sponge layers.

Warm the strawberry jam and brush over the top surface of one of the layers, then carefully place the next layer on top. Brush this with jam and place the final layer on top.

Cover the cake with a layer of the cooled chocolate ganache, using a palette knife to smooth the ganache.

To finish fill a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle with the remaining ganache and pipe stars around the base and top edge of the cake.