Description
This festive Chocolate Peppermint Shooting Star Cake features rich layers of chocolate and peppermint sponge, cleverly designed with star-shaped cutouts for a stunning presentation. The cake combines a moist chocolate base with a refreshing peppermint sponge, all finished with a luscious chocolate peppermint icing and decorated with shimmering Maltesers for a sparkling, celebratory look perfect for holidays or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cake
- 225g butter, plus extra for greasing
- 200g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 100g cocoa powder
- 300g golden caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100g soured cream
Peppermint Cake
- 225g butter
- 300g golden caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 300g self-raising flour
- 100g soured cream
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
Icing and Decoration
- 100g white chocolate, finely chopped
- 300g icing sugar
- 200g butter, softened
- ¼–½ tsp peppermint extract (adjust to taste)
- Maltesers, rolled in edible silver lustre dust
Equipment
- 2½ l bundt tin
- 6cm star cutter
Instructions
- Prepare the chocolate cake batter: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/gas mark 4. Grease the bundt tin liberally with butter, dust with flour, and shake out excess. In a bowl, mix cocoa powder with a pinch of salt, cover with 150ml boiling water, and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool while you whisk butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then sift in flour and baking powder and fold together. Stir soured cream into cooled cocoa mixture and fold into batter until combined. Pour into tin.
- Bake the chocolate cake: Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Freeze and cut star shapes: Place the cooled cake on a baking sheet lined with parchment, cut into slices roughly the thickness of your star cutter, spacing them apart. Freeze for at least 2 hours or overnight until firm. Once frozen, cut a 6cm star from the center of each slice, keeping the shaped stars aside and storing leftover cake in the freezer for future use.
- Prepare the peppermint cake batter: Grease the bundt tin again and preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/gas mark 4. Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, add eggs one at a time, then fold in flour, soured cream, and peppermint extract. Pour half the batter into the bundt tin.
- Assemble cake with stars: Arrange frozen star-shaped chocolate cake pieces in a circle atop the peppermint batter, pointy sides up, ensuring no gaps. Spoon the remaining peppermint batter gently over the stars to cover them.
- Bake the assembled cake: Bake for 45 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the side comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the icing: Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in short bursts or over a bain-marie, stirring until smooth. In a large bowl, beat softened butter with icing sugar until pale and smooth. Mix in melted white chocolate and peppermint extract until fully incorporated.
- Decorate the cake: Once the cake is completely cool, place on a serving plate and spread the chocolate peppermint icing over the top, allowing it to cascade halfway down the sides to create a snowy effect. Finish by placing Maltesers dusted with edible silver lustre dust on top as decoration.
- Storage: Store the cake in a sealed container and consume within 3 days for best freshness.
Notes
- Make sure to freeze the cake slices thoroughly before cutting out star shapes to ensure clean cuts and maintain their shape.
- The peppermint extract quantity in the icing can be adjusted depending on the strength and personal taste preference.
- Leftover cake from the cutouts can be frozen up to 2 months and used later for trifle or other desserts.
- Use a bundt tin to achieve the correct shape and structure for the cake layers.
- This cake is a great festive centerpiece and works well for holiday parties and celebrations.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: chocolate peppermint cake, star cake, festive cake, bundt cake, holiday dessert, peppermint dessert
