How to Make a 3 Tier Star Shaped Cake
One of the most common mixups in cake terminology is the difference between layers and tiers. All About Wedding Cakes notes that one tier is made of two layers, and that no tier on a cake is the same size as another. For a non-wedding cake like a three-tier star-shaped cake, making layers in each tier isn't necessary, though it can be an elegant touch. Since star-shaped pans are hard to find, you'll probably need to bake the tiers in square or round pans and cut them into star shapes after they've cooled. A three-tier star-shaped cake takes work and most of a day, but the results are worth it. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 2 batches of cake batter, from scratch or a mix
- 3 cake pans of different sizes (such as 10, 8 and 6 inches)
- Butter and flour
- Toothpicks
- Large serrated knife
- 3 wire cooling racks
- Oven mitts
- Waxed paper
- Thin cardboard
- Pencil
- Scissors or craft knife
- Small serrated knife (if using round or square cake pans)
- 6 cups cake frosting, from scratch or storebought
- Offset spatulas
- Cake platter or serving plate
- Food safe ruler
- Straight (not flexible) drinking straws
- Other cake decorating supplies and tools, as desired (optional)
Instructions
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1
Preheat your oven to the temperature your recipe or mix calls for. If you're not sure, use 350 degrees F. Butter and flour the three cake pans. Pour your prepared cake batter into the pans and bake as directed until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each comes out clean, generally about 50 to 60 minutes.
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2
Cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Then use the large serrated knife to cut the rounded cake tops level with the top of each pan.
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3
Invert each cake, still in the pan, onto a wire rack. Then, wearing oven mitts, lift the pan from the cake, tapping the pan gently if necessary. Leave each cake layer upside down and cool completely.
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4
While the cakes are cooling, make three star-shaped patterns (small, medium, and large, based on your pan sizes) from waxed paper. Use the patterns or your star-shaped cake pans to trace the star shapes onto the cardboard. This will make your cake bases for each tier. Cut the cake bases out with sharp scissors or a craft knife.
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Leave all the tiers upside down, since the bottom of each is flattest and most stable for supporting another tier. Using the waxed paper templates and a small serrated knife, cut the cake tiers into the star shapes if necessary.
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Place the largest tier on its cardboard base, then frost it. With a clean spatula, transfer the frosted tier and its base to a cake platter or serving plate.
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Measure the height of the frosted tier, then cut five drinking straw lengths to that height. Insert the straw lengths into the frosted tier, one in front of each point of the star, close enough to the center so that the next tier will cover them. The tops of the straws should be flush with the top of the cake tier.
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Place the middle tier on its cardboard base and frost it, then gently transfer both it and the base to the top of the largest tier, lining up the five points. Measure, cut and place five drinking straw lengths in the middle tier just as you did for the largest tier.
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Place the smallest, top tier on its cardboard base and frost it. Gently transfer it and its base to the top of the middle tier, lining up the five points.
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Smooth out any smudges in the frosting with a clean spatula, then decorate your three tier star shaped cake as you like.
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Tips & Warnings
You can use your computer to re-size star-shaped templates found online to the respective tier sizes, then print them out. Or you can print the templates out as they are and use a photocopier to enlarge them to the right sizes. A sample of printable star templates found online is in the Resources.
If you have enough experience with it, you can use fondant to cover the tiers instead of frosting. If you're relatively new to fondant, though, frosting is the better choice for this cake.
Be careful when cutting out the cardboard cake bases, especially if you are using a craft knife instead of scissors. Remember to protect the surface you're cutting on as well.
