GALAXY BLAST CAKE
SERVES 50. PREP 1 HR 25 MINS. COOK 2 HRS 20 MINS
INGREDIENTS
• 1kg butter, softened
• 5 cups caster sugar
• 6 tsp vanilla extract
• 16 eggs
• 12 cups self-raising flour
• 4 cups milk BUTTERCREAM
• 500g unsalted butter, softened
• 6 cups icing sugar mixture
• 4 tbsp milk DECORATIONS
• Gel food colouring (royal blue, teal, violet, yellow and orange)
• Pure icing sugar, sifted, for dusting
• 250g ready-to-roll white icing
• 15g tube black food colour gel
• Metallic green edible glitter
• 1 tsp baby silver cachous
• 1 tbsp silver chocolate pearls
• Assorted lollipops, to decorate
• 1 tbsp popping candy
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Grease two 5cm-deep, 24cm x 34cm (base) rectangular baking pans. Line bases and sides with 3 layers of baking paper, allowing a 3cm overhang.
2 Using an electric mixer with a large bowl, beat 500g butter, 2 ½ cups sugar and 3 tsp vanilla until light and fluffy. Add 8 eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in 6 cups flour and 2 cups milk, in 3 batches, until combined. Divide batter evenly among 3 bowls. Tint 1 portion blue, 1 teal and 1 violet. Drop alternate spoonfuls of mixtures into 1 prepared pan. Using a butter knife, swirl to create a marbled effect. Smooth top.
3 Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn, top-side up, on a wire rack lined with baking paper to cool completely.
4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 for second cake. Dust a flat surface with icing sugar. Knead ready-to-roll icing until smooth. Divide into 5. Tint 1 portion blue, 1 teal, 1 violet, 1 yellow and 1 orange. Using a lightly dusted rolling pin, roll out icing until 5mm thick. Using cutters, cut out assorted shapes, using picture as a guide.
5 Make buttercream by using an electric mixer, beating butter in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Gradually add icing sugar mixture and milk, beating until combined. Reserve 2 tablespoons buttercream. Tint remaining buttercream black with gel. Using a serrated knife, level tops of cakes, if necessary. Turn 1 cake, cut-side down, on a cake board or serving plate. Spread top with 2 cups buttercream. Sandwich with remaining cake, cut-side down. Trim sides level, if needed. Spread top and sides of cake with buttercream. Sprinkle with glitter, cachous and pearls.
6 Using picture as a guide, use reserved buttercream to stack icing shapes together, from largest to smallest. Decorate with icing shapes and lollipops. Just before serving, sprinkle with the popping candy. Serve.