Checkerboard fantasy cake with chocolate cream glaze

Cut parchment circles: cut a square about an inch larger than the pan, fold in half, in half again, into a triangle and the triangle in half again. Put the centre corner in the middle of the pan, hold where the paper meets the edge and trim there.

Spray the pans, lay in the parchment circle and spray again.

Melt 85 g semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave until smooth and glossy.

Whisk four eggs with a third of a cup of the milk - a quarter of the total - and a tablespoon of vanilla.

Sift the cake flour and weigh out 400 g of it sifted, then mix in the sugar, salt and baking powder by hand.

Add the remaining milk and the cup of softened butter to the dry mix and beat on low, then higher.

Add the egg mixture in three batches, mixing 20 seconds after each to incorporate and strengthen the structure.

Split the batter two thirds for chocolate and one third for vanilla, and stir the melted chocolate into the larger share.

Divide between three prepared nine inch pans and bake at 350F for 25 minutes. The top should bounce back and a tester should come out clean.

Turn the layers out onto a rack.

For the glaze, pulse nine ounces of bittersweet chocolate very fine. Bring a cup of heavy cream to a boiling point in a small saucepan, pour it over the chocolate and stir until smooth, then pass through a fine mesh strainer.

Level the tops of the three layers so they are the same height.

Cut each layer into concentric rings with a cake cutter for the outer ring and a smaller cutter for the centre, then swap rings between the chocolate and vanilla layers to build the checkerboard.

Stack on a turntable, coat with the glaze and pour the rest over the top. Chill to set. This glaze shows every mark, and the more it is worked the less glossy it stays.