Star Sparkle Cake Recipes

STAR SPARKLE CAKE

Steps:

• Lift the cake onto the cake board or a plate and cover with jam, marzipan and - brushing with water around the sides of the cake only - ready-to-roll icing. Trim at the base.
• Press star cutters gently into the icing, stopping when you get to the marzipan. Pull the star shapes out with the cutter, or ease it out with the tip of a knife. Stamp out a couple of small stars from re-rolled trimmings of icing (from icing the cake) and sit them inside the large star-shaped spaces.
• Sprinkle the gold balls into the gaps and tie the ribbon around the cake. Can be decorated 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.

STRAWBERRY SPARKLE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until stiff. Sift the superfine sugar three times and add slowly to the egg whites.
• Sift the cake flour and salt five times, and then fold slowly into the egg whites. Sprinkle in the vanilla and fold.
• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in an unbuttered angel food cake pan.
• Set aside to cool completely, inverted on a bottle or jar that fits the cake pan.
• For the filling: Dissolve the gelatin in boiling water and add the strawberries, stirring to break up and mix the berries.
• For the icing: Whip the cream with the powdered sugar until thick.
• To assemble: Place the cake, wide-side down, on a serving plate. Cut a 1-inch layer from the top and set it aside. Cut around the cake 1 inch from the outer edge to 1 inch from the bottom. Cut around the cake 1 inch from the inner edge to 1 inch from the bottom.
• Gently remove the section of cake between the cuts and pour in the strawberry mixture.
• Place the cake layer back on top and spread the icing all over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with whole strawberries.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

STAR SPANGLED CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter,flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan. Or, I like to use parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.
• Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
• For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.
• Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and strawberries for the red stripes, and icing for the white stripes, until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.
• You can serve this cake right in the pan, or, if you want to turn it out onto a board before frosting, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.

SPRINKLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour and knock out the excess flour.
• Whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of bowl, add egg, and beat until just combined.
• In a small bowl, whisk together ice-cold water, milk, and buttermilk.
• With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with water mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape down sides of bowl. With mixer on medium speed, beat for a few seconds to incorporate. Remove bowl from stand mixer, scatter sprinkles across the top of the batter, and fold them in with a rubber spatula.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar just until soft peaks form; do not overbeat. Gently fold egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula.
• Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake, rotating pans halfway through baking time, until a toothpick inserted in center of each cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes Transfer cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack, remove from pans, and let cool completely. Remove parchment.
• Place one cooled cake layer on a cake turntable (or a serving platter). Using a serrated knife, trim top of cake to create a flat surface, and evenly spread about 1 cup of buttercream over top. Add next layer, trim it, and frost it as before, then add third layer (trim the final layer for a completely flat top, or feel free to leave it domed for an old-school appearance).
• Place turntable on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Frost sides and top with remaining buttercream. Grab a fistful of sprinkles and turn the turntable with your free hand while tossing the sprinkles at sides of cake. Using the sprinkles that are on the parchment (sprinkles that didn't stick), continue turning and throwing until cake (including the top) is covered in sprinkles. Chill the cake for about 5 minutes to set before serving.

STENCILED SPARKLE CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter six 4-by-2-inch round cake pans, line with parchment, and butter parchment; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
• With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in zest and vanilla. Add flour in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of buttermilk; mix until just combined.
• Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• With a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to level; split horizontally to make a total of 12 layers.
• Spread 1/2 cup buttercream on each side of 6 bottom layers, and top with remaining layers. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over each cake to form a crumb coat; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Spread a second coat of buttercream over each cake; smooth with an offset spatula. Refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 2 days).
• Set cakes on a wire rack set over a piece of parchment. Stir together edible glitter dust with confectioners' sugar to achieve desired color; the more sugar used, the lighter the hue.
• Cut strips of acetate to preferred width (ours are 1/2-inch wide) and rest them on top of the cakes to create a design. Parallel stripes are the easiest. You can also crisscross stripes, or cover half the cake to create a half-moon. Sift glitter dust over each cake. Carefully lift pieces; reuse to decorate remaining cakes.

STAR SPARKLE CAKE

Steps:

• Lift the cake onto the cake board or a plate and cover with jam, marzipan and - brushing with water around the sides of the cake only - ready-to-roll icing. Trim at the base.
• Press star cutters gently into the icing, stopping when you get to the marzipan. Pull the star shapes out with the cutter, or ease it out with the tip of a knife. Stamp out a couple of small stars from re-rolled trimmings of icing (from icing the cake) and sit them inside the large star-shaped spaces.
• Sprinkle the gold balls into the gaps and tie the ribbon around the cake. Can be decorated up to a week ahead.

STRAWBERRY SPARKLE CAKE RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Make the cake: Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until stiff. Sift the superfine sugar three times and add slowly to the egg whites. Sift the cake flour and salt five times, and then fold slowly into the egg whites. Sprinkle in the vanilla and fold. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes in an unbuttered angel food cake pan. After the cake rises and begins to brown, cover with buttered paper. Remove the paper in the last 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely, inverted on a bottle or jar that fits the cake pan. Make the filling: Dissolve the gelatin in boiling water and add the strawberries, stirring to break up and mix the berries. Make the icing: Whip the cream with the powdered sugar until thick. Assemble the cake: Place the cake, wide-side down, on a serving plate. Cut a 1-inch layer from the top and set it aside. Cut around the cake 1 inch from the outer edge to 1 inch from the bottom. Cut around the cake 1 inch from the inner edge to 1 inch from the bottom. Gently remove the section of cake between the cuts and pour in the strawberry mixture. Place the top cake layer back on top and spread the icing all over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with whole strawberries. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving so the filling firms up. You'll have left over cake. Serve it at another dessert with just some berries and cream on top.