Stacked Star Cake Food

OLD-FASHIONED STACK CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, ginger, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with molasses and buttermilk, beating well after each addition., Drop 2 scant 1/4 cupfuls of batter, at least 7 in. apart, onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. With well-floured fingers, pat each into a 5- to 6-in. circle. Bake 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter., To assemble, place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 2 tablespoons apple butter. Repeat layers 4 times; top with a sixth layer. Repeat to make 2 more stack cakes. Refrigerate, covered, until serving. If desired, serve with additional apple butter.

TWO-TIER STACKED CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of three 6-inch cake pans with cooking spray. Grease the bottom and sides of three 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray.
• For the 6-inch cakes: Place 1 box cake mix, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup vegetable oil and 3 eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium for 2 minutes. Divide the batter among the prepared 6-inch pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the 9-inch cakes: Place the remaining 2 boxes cake mix, 2 cups water, 2/3 cup vegetable oil and 6 eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium for 2 minutes. Divide the batter among the prepared 9-inch pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the buttercream: Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, alternating between the two until no lumps remain. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a 2D tip.
• Place one 9-inch cake layer on a 10-inch cardboard round and place on a rotating cake stand. Pipe 1 to 1 1/2 cups buttercream on top and use an offset spatula to spread into an even layer. Place a second 9-inch cake layer on top of the buttercream and pipe another 1 1/2 cups buttercream on top. Spread into an even layer, then top with the last 9-inch cake layer.
• To apply a crumb coat, pipe about 2 cups buttercream on the top and sides of the cake and use an offset spatula or bench scraper to make smooth. Remove excess buttercream and scrape into a bowl. Transfer cake to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
• Repeat the process with the 6-inch cakes and chill.
• Remove the cakes from the refrigerator.
• Press a 6-inch cardboard round in the center of the 9-inch cake to make an outline. Remove the cardboard. Push 1 cake dowel or bubble tea straw into the cake within the outline you just made.
• Make a line with an edible pen where the top of the cake hits the dowel. Remove the dowel and cut at the line. Use the cut dowel as a model to cut 3 more. Push the 4 dowels evenly into the cake within the outline.
• Gently place the 6-inch cake on top of the dowels. Thread a long dowel through both cakes. Cover the top of the wooden dowel with frosting.
• Using a small round tip, pipe more buttercream in the gap between the cakes, or smooth with a spatula.

STACKED STAR CAKE

Steps:

• Cover the cake and set aside. Knead the 500g icing for the stars and roll out to 5mm thick on a surface dusted with icing sugar. Dust with edible lustre, then rub it in with your fingertips. Stamp 20 stars out of the icing using one 6cm cutter, or use two different-size cutters if you have them. Leave to dry overnight.
• If you're putting a ribbon around the cake, do this now. Start building up the hardened stars - start with three in a triangle shape, pushing the points into the icing on the cake for stability. Build on this basic frame, letting the stars support each other. Lay a few stars around the base of the stack. Cake can be iced up to a week ahead.

STAR-INSIDE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a half sheet pan or jelly roll pan with cooking spray.
• For the red-and-blue cake: Combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until fully incorporated. Stir in the milk until the batter is smooth.
• Divide the batter between two medium bowls. Use food coloring to tint one bowl red and the other blue. Transfer each of the colored batters to plastic piping bags or resealable plastic bags. Snip the end of each bag, and pipe your batter into the half sheet pan or jelly roll pan in 1/2-inch-thick rows, alternating colors.
• Bake the sheet cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Once cool, use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the striped cake.
• For the white cake: Combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until fully incorporated. Stir in the milk until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter to a piping bag or resealable plastic bag. Coat an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Pipe a thin layer of the white batter, about 1 inch deep, into the bottom of the pan.
• In the loaf pan, stand the star cakes upright and press them into the batter, creating two rows, side by side. Pipe the remaining white batter into the pan, covering the stars.
• Bake the loaf for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then unmold it and cool to room temperature.
• For the buttercream frosting: Beat the butter until it is light and fluffy, preferably in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, 1 to 2 cups at a time, allowing each batch to incorporate with the butter. (Use less confectioners' sugar for a slightly more buttery, looser frosting; use more confectioners' sugar for a slightly sweeter, stiffer frosting.) Increase the speed to medium, and add the salt, vanilla extract and cream. Beat until smooth, an additional 3 minutes.
• Use a serrated knife to level the cake and to carve off any dark brown spots. Place the cake on a serving plate.
• Frost the cake with an initial thin layer of buttercream. Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow the frosting to harden. (Note: This first layer doesn't need to look perfect, as the next layer of buttercream will cover it up.)
• Using an offset spatula, and working in an upward direction around the cake, add a second layer of frosting, approximately 1/2 inch thick. Add the remaining buttercream to a piping bag or resealable plastic bag fitted with a star tip (such as a Wilton #32 tip). Working in rows, pipe small dollops of frosting onto the top of your cake.
• Sprinkle with the red, white and blue sprinkles.

RED ALE AND STRAWBERRY STACK CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter and flour the paper (see Cook's Note).
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl until evenly combined. Combine the sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in another bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon red ale into a small bowl and reserve. Pour the remaining red ale into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the egg and beer mixture over the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is just combined. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, shaking the pans to distribute the batter evenly, then bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert them onto a cooling rack and remove the parchment paper. Flip the cakes right-side up again and let cool completely.
• For the frosting and fruit: Meanwhile, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, milk, lemon juice, vanilla and salt in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until lightened and creamy, about 3 minutes. In another bowl, toss the strawberries with the granulated sugar and the reserved red ale and refrigerate 15 minutes to 1 hour.
• Place a cake layer on a cake plate, then spread 1 cup of the frosting over the cake with an offset spatula or butter knife. Spoon about a quarter of the strawberries over the frosting, arranging them evenly over the top. Repeat with the second cake layer, another 1 cup frosting and third of the remaining strawberries. Top with the last cake layer and the remaining 1 cup frosting. (If not serving immediately, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
• When ready to serve, pile the remaining strawberries on top of the cake.