SHOOTING STAR
PARTY CAKE
Make this star birthday cake extra
special by putting a picture of the
guest of honour in the middle. The
toffee shards are very easy to make,
and the cake can be made 1 day ahead
and completed up to 8 hours ahead.PREP + COOK TIME 3½ HOURS
(+ STANDING & REFRIGERATION) SERVES 12SHOOTING STAR
5 x 340g packets buttercake mix
38cm square boardWHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
300ml thickened cream
2 cups (360g) white eating chocolate,
chopped coarselyTOFFEE SHARDS
3 cups (660g) caster sugar
1½ cups (375ml) water1 Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan.
Grease a deep 30cm square cake pan;
line base and sides with baking paper.
2 Combine cake mixes; make
according to packet directions. Pour
mixture into pan; bake for 2 hours
or until a skewer inserted in the
centre comes out clean. Stand cake
for 20 minutes before turning,
top−side up, onto a wire rack to cool.
3 Meanwhile, make the white
chocolate frosting.
4 Make toffee shards.
5 Using a serrated knife, level top
of cake; turn cake cut−side down.
Cut cake to form a large star.
6 Position cake on board. Spread
white chocolate frosting all over cake.
7 Position gold star and photograph,
if using, on cake (see Cook’s Notes,
right). Position toffee shards around
sides of star.WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Heat cream in a small saucepan until
just at simmering point; remove from
heat; add chocolate, stir until smooth.
Refrigerate for 2 hours or until mixture
is spreadable, stirring occasionally.TOFFEE SHARDS
Line four oven trays with baking
paper. Mark two lines on each
sheet of baking paper, 12cm apart;
turn paper over so markings are
underneath. Combine sugar and the
water in a small saucepan; stir over
low heat, without boiling, until sugar
dissolves. Bring to the boil; reduce
heat, simmer, uncovered, without
stirring, for 15 minutes or until toffee
is light caramel. Remove toffee from
heat; allow bubbles to subside. Using
a wooden spoon, drizzle toffee
between the two lines on baking
paper (see below). Stand at room
temperature until set. Shards can be
positioned around cake up to two
hours before serving.COOK’S
NOTES
DECORATING THE CAKE
Cut a star from gold cardboard
and place on centre of cake.
If you like, laminate a favourite
photograph of the “birthday
star” and stick this to the
centre of the gold star.
Un-iced cooked cake can be
frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw
cake at room temperature for
about 6 hours.TAKE-HOME TREATS
When it’s time to leave Hollywood,
let the young movie stars go off
on a high note, taking home glam
bags filled with chocolate coins,
heart−shaped sweets and Fantales.
To make the bags, cut clear Cellophane
into 40cm squares. Place treats in
centre of Cellophane and tie up with
star tinsel or gold curling ribbon.
If you made a “movie” of them
arriving on the red carpet and have
transferred it onto DVD, don’t forget
to put it in their take−home pack so
they can look back on their “glory”
days. Take photographs of their day
with a digital camera and give them
these as a keepsake of the day.Kids’ Party
AWW FOOD • ISSUE TWENTY TWO 135