Last month I was on a shopping spree at Michael’s for Christmas baking and gift supplies and couldn’t resist the temptation to buy the Wilton’s Checkerboard cake pan set. I was taking it off the rack, then putting it back and again doing it back and forth and my husband couldn’t stand it anymore and he put it in the cart. My immediate thought was, I will bake a beautiful eggless checkerboard cake for my mom’s birthday in January, so it’s really worth the price.

And January came and the date was nearing and I was sort of hesitant to use it. More like worried if it would turn out right, or will I mess it up, should I get a stand-by cake. My mom’s birthday is very important to me because we don’t get to spend it together each year. She lives in India and myself here in Canada. The last time we celebrated it together was in 2011. I bake the eggless layered chocolate cake. So this birthday of hers was very special to me and didn’t want to screw it.

But did proceed with it anyways…because you know how moms are! They don’t mind a not so perfect looking cake, they are so forgiving. So it was going to be an egg free checkerboard cake for her 61st birthday.

Now the next part of the deliberation was the recipe. Which recipe I’m going to follow for the base? The checkerboard pan set comes with instructions and it mentions to use 10 cups of batter or 3 packets of cake mix for 3 color variations and 2 cake mixes for 2 color checkerboard cake.

I wanted to make a tricolor checkerboard cake. There was an idea for Valentine’s Day theme on the box of the pan set and decided to do something like that.

I had to use 3 packs of white cake mix for that. I have baked an eggless vanilla cake using cake mix few years back. I had used yogurt as an egg substitute. I really don’t remember how the texture and taste was. This time I chose to use my winning egg substitute combination of yogurt and pureed silken tofu. It has worked out beautifully in many recipes of mine, especially the eggless strawberry cream cake recipe which I’m very proud of.

And I couldn’t have guessed it better because you know what? The cake turned out absolutely moist, soft and delicious. It is really the best combination and winning combination for cakes.

As for the appearance of the checkerboard cake, I wouldn’t say it was picture perfect. Managed to get some neat slices and checks but have a long way to go get it 100% right. The taste, of course, I have no complaints at all. One of the best egg free vanilla cake recipe using a cake mix!