I'm sure most of you have seen the lumberjack checkerboard cake floating around the internet.  Link below.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/198439927309415966/

There's a tutorial, but of course you have to be a member and pay at least $18 a month to view the video :(   And of course I had someone email me and what a similar cake ( minus the giant ax coming out of the top...phew!).

So I know the inside is a checkerboard cake with the vanilla done in red.  But the bark and top I'm trying to think of ways to accomplish those looks.  So I thought I'd ask you guys!

For the outside bark I would use chocolate but I don't know exactly how to go about the white texturing.  I do have a bark impression mat but do you think rubbing the chocolate with powdered sugar??  White food coloring??  Other ideas?

And for the top do you think it's a white chocolate ganache dyed a light brown and swirled with regular white chocolate ganache?  

Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated!  Thanks!

my thoughts -- first of all the checkerboard is three colors so you gotta figure that out y'know usually checkerboard is two colors -- but that is a plaid --

the white on the bark could just be buttercream scraped over the chocolate or more chocolate -- powdered sugar might work but it's susceptible to humidity so i probably would not go there myself because i fridge all my cakes --

that's a great bark -- making the bark is a greater degree of difficulty for me than the white -- i think i'd use a foam mold maybe or a piece of foil -- and dry it on a dummy to get the correct shape -- especially if you get to cover it up with the white stuff afterwards -- or use candy clay even easier still --

but if you get some mylar to pour melted chocolate on and keep running the spatula over it as it sets up -- you could get that easy peasy then slap it on the right size dummy to finish setting up -- the dummy of course setting on it's side for gravity's sake --

gotta bunch of testing to do huh -- the top could be done in ganache, buttercream or fondant

Maybe this will help?

http://cakesdecor.com/cakes/225662-lumberjack-cake

I think she textured the chocolate and then kind of spackled white chocolate lightly over the top, perhaps even with a gloved hand.

Thanks everyone!  I gave them the option of doing the cake via other methods or adding the cost of one month membership (for me to watch the video to the exact cake they like) and they chose to roll the cost of watching the video into the cake.  I'm still going to test it out before their order, but at least I'll have the video to go off of! :)

cool --good idea

can't wait to see/hear how it all goes

best to you

I have made this cake if you still need help :)

@jellybeanlane  any tips and tricks you have would be great!  I haven't purchased the membership or watched the video yet.  I still probably will, but it always helps to have tips from someone who has actually done it and not just have to rely on a video :)

Ok I did mine with vanilla a choc cake recipes... Just in case you don't know how to make the plaid design .... Color your cake batter ( vanilla ) bright red and you will want two cakes of this then save the rest of the batter set aside.... Mix up the choc batter and make the two cakes with it I used the 12  inch pans take the rest of the batter left and combine it with the bright red batter.. This gives you the middle redish brown color.... When cool freeze them for at least an hour before cutting....

Use a med and small circle for this ... Cut the top to make them flat the cut a med circle out of the center and then a small circle out of the med circle so you are left with a large circle med circle and small center 

Take your icing make sure it's not too thin and go around the edges of the inside of the. Large circle of one color. Insert the med circle of the second color and put icing on the inside of that circle . then add the small center piece of the third color... Put icing on the top and layer the next one on top of it same thing but alternate colors ... When cut this will give the plaid look... Freeze for 20 mind or so...

For the outside I used modeling choc and made a a stencil to use the same size of the cake stacking the pieces to look like bark and putting melted choc between them to keep them together the used a paint brush and some white choc to paint the outside of it...

The top I used a plain vanilla frosting then with a tooth pick swirled in caramel ...

Hope this helps mine turned out really well ... 

Since you're planning to watch the tutorial you probably won't need this...
I'll post it anyway since it's free and the top is really cool, in my opinion....

http://www.sugaredproductions.com/blog/free-woodland-cake-tutorial/

Thank you @jellybeanlane   and @FlourPots  !!

http://www.cakecentral.com/gallery/i/3358839/lumberjack-cake

more possible info for you

The final result.  Bride will send me pictures of the inside plaid pictures when she gets them back from the photographer :)

http://www.cakecentral.com/gallery/i/3361773/wood-slab-cake

it looks amazing -- you did great

Thank you @-K8memphis ‍ !