Make a Star Shaped Cake

Star shaped cakes are a real treat and a great way to make the recipient feel extra-special. Star shaped pans can be tricky to find, however, and not everyone has the time to run to the store to find one. Luckily, it is easy to make a star shaped cake using two round pans or a single square pan. You can also use star shaped cookie cutters to make mini cakes.

Steps

Using Two Round Pans

  1. Preheat your oven. What temperature you set the oven to depends on the recipe that you will be using. Most cakes bake at 350°F (177°C).
  2. Grease and flour two round pans. One pan should be a size smaller than the other. An 8-inch (20-centimeter) and a 9-inch (23-centimeter) pan would be ideal. You can also use two same-sized pans, but you may have to adjust your star later on.[1]
  3. Prepare your cake batter according to the recipe. You can use any recipe you want, including a boxed one. To avoid making the cake too thin, double up your cake recipe (or use two boxed mixes). If you don't mind a thinner cake, you can use just one recipe.
  4. Bake the cake in the two pans. Most 8-inch (20-centimeter) cakes will take 37 to 42 minutes. 9-inch (23-centimeter) cakes will take about 40 to 45 minutes.[2]
  5. Let the cakes cool before taking them out of the pans. If you need to, run a knife along the inside edges of the cakes to loosen them first. If the cakes formed domes on top, slice them off using a long, serrated knife.
  6. Slice the larger cake into six, equal-sized wedges. Begin by cutting the cake in half, then cut each half into thirds. Your start will have five points, so set one of the slices aside or eat it.[1]
  7. Cut the rounded edges off of the triangles. You will end up with six triangle shapes. The edges that you cut off will be the bottom of the triangles.[1]
    • Save the scraps for another recipe.
  8. Cut the other cake into a pentagon shape. You can do this by cutting five corners off of the cake. The sides of the pentagon should be the same length as the bottom edges of your triangles.[1]
    • Save the scraps for another recipe.
  9. Assemble the cake. Place the bottom edge of each triangle against a side on the pentagon. You will end up with a star shape. If the wedges are too wide for the pentagon, you can cut them narrower.[1]
  10. Fill the cake, if desired. Filling this type of cake is tricky because it comes in so many pieces. If you want to fill your cake, use a long, serrated knife to saw it in half. Spread your favorite filling across the top of the bottom layer. Place the second layer back on top when you are done. Make sure that the edges match up.
    • You may need to saw the pieces individually.
  11. Decorate the cake as desired. The easiest way to decorate this type of cake would be to pipe little stars all over it using buttercream frosting, a piping bag, and a star shaped tip.[1] You can also spread a smooth layer of frosting over the cake using a cake decorating spatula instead. Another option would be to cover it with a sheet of fondant.

Using a Square Pan

  1. Preheat your oven. The temperature depends on the cake recipe you are using. Most cakes bake at 350°F (177°C). You can use your favorite cake recipe or bake the cake from scratch.
  2. Grease and flour a square pan. Your star will be about the same size as the pan, so pick carefully.[3] Something around 8 and 10 inches (20 and 25 centimeters) would be ideal.
  3. Prepare and bake your cake. You can make the cake from scratch, or you can make it using a boxed recipe. How long it takes to bake depends on the recipe and the size of pan you are using. An 8-inch (20-centimeter) square cake will typically need 45 to 50 minutes. A 10-inch (25-centimeter) square cake will usually need 50 to 55 minutes.[2]
  4. Let the cake cool before taking it out of the pan. If you need to, run a knife along the inside edges of the pan to help loosen the cake first. If the top layer formed a dome, you will need to trim it off with a long, serrated knife.[3]
  5. Cut a star shape out of paper. The star needs to be the same size as your square cake. You can cut the template out of parchment paper or wax paper.[3] Regular paper may also work, but it is more likely to tear.
    • You can draw the star by hand or find a template online.
  6. Place the template on top of the cake, then cut around it. Set the template on top of the cake first. Make sure that it is centered and that the points of the star are touching the edges of the cake. Cut around the template using a serrated knife, remove the template.[3]
    • Save the scraps for making cake balls. You can also eat the scraps.
  7. Fill the cake, if desired. Use a long knife to split the cake in half. Frost one of the halves using your favorite filling. Place the second half on top.
  8. Decorate your cake as desired. You can coat the cake with a layer of buttercream frosting, then pipe designs around it. You can also cover it with fondant instead. Another option would be to cover it with little piped stars using buttercream frosting, a piping bag, and a star shaped decorating tip.

Using Cookie Cutters for Mini Cakes

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
  2. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper, then grease it. An 11 by 17 inches (28 by 43 centimeters) pan would be ideal. If you can't find any parchment paper, you can grease the pan, then lightly flour it instead.[4]
  3. Prepare your favorite cake recipe. You can make the cake from scratch, or you can use a boxed recipe instead.[4]
  4. Bake the cake in the prepared pan. Most jelly roll pans will need 25 to 30 minutes to bake. Let the cake cool completely, but don't take it out of the pan.[4]
  5. Cut stars out using a large, star shaped cookie cutter. The cookie cutter needs to be about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) tall and 4½ inches (11.5 centimeters) wide. You should be able to fit 9 stars in the cake.[4]
  6. Remove the stars from the pan. Save the scraps for another recipe.[4]
  7. Fill the mini cakes, if desired. Split the cakes in half using a serrated knife. Spread your favorite filling across the bottom half of each mini cake. Place the upper halves on top when you are done.
  8. Frost or decorate the stars. Fondant is a great option for these types of cakes. You can also decorate them with buttercream frosting as well.

Tips

  • You can use anything you want for your filling: buttercream frosting, hazelnut spread, or jam.
  • You can also use a combination of buttercream frosting and sliced strawberries, but make sure that the berries don't poke outside the star's edges.
  • Yellow is a popular color for stars, but you can make your stars any color your want.
  • Mix and match cake flavors and frosting flavors. Try vanilla buttercream frosting with chocolate cake, or chocolate frosting with vanilla cake.
  • Decorate the cake with edible glitter or star shaped sprinkles.

Warnings

  • Don't decorate the cakes while they are still warm, o the icing will melt.

Things You'll Need

Using Two Round Pans

  • Cake recipe
  • Round 8-inch (20-centimeter) pan
  • Round 9-inch (23-centimeter) pan
  • Serrated knife
  • Cake decorating supplies (optional)

Using a Square Pan

  • Cake recipe
  • Square 8 to 10-inch (20 to 25-centimeter) pan
  • Parchment paper or wax paper (for template)
  • , Serrated knife
  • Cake decorating supplies (optional)

Using Cookie Cutters for Mini Cakes

  • Cake recipe
  • 11 by 17-inch (28 by 43-centimeter) jelly roll pan
  • Parchment paper
  • Large, star shaped cookie cutter
  • Serrated knife
  • Cake decorating supplies (optional)

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFvlmyVsVyU
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z9ccb3R10w
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 http://asubtlerevelry.com/mini-monogramed-star-cakes-the-best-baking-tip/

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