Ingredients
Fluffy frosting
Decorations
Method
Chef’s hat cake
1.Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced); grease and line deep 30cm-square cake pan.
2.Make cakes according to directions on packets, pour into pan; bake about 2 hours. Stand cake 20 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.
3.Using serrated knife, level cake top. Turn cake cut-side down. Using image as a guide, cut hat from cake.
4.Make fluffy frosting (recipe below). Spread cake all over with frosting; position cake on 31cm x 35cm prepared board.
5.Cut half the licorice strap into thin strips; use to outline hat and hat band. Cut remaining licorice strap into 1cm squares; position on cake to make a checkerboard hat band.
Fluffy frosting
6.Combine sugar and the water in small saucepan; stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves.
7.Boil, uncovered, without stirring, about 3 minutes or until syrup is slightly thick. (If a candy thermometer is available, the syrup is ready at 114°C.) Remove pan from heat, allow bubbles to subside: test by dropping 1 teaspoon of the syrup into a cup of cold water. When ready, the syrup will form a ball of soft sticky toffee when rolled gently between your fingertips. The syrup should not be changed in colour.
8.While syrup is boiling, beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until stiff; keep beating (or whites will deflate) until syrup reaches the correct temperature.
9.When syrup is ready, and bubbles have subsided, pour a very thin stream onto the egg whites with mixer operating on medium speed. If syrup is added too quickly, frosting will not thicken. Continue to beat until frosting stands in stiff peaks; frosting should be barely warm by this stage.
The chef of the day could have his or her name spelled out on the band of the hat using sweets or licorice. Cake can be prepared a day ahead and stored at room temperature; however, the frosting will lose its gloss if stored overnight, and will become more like a meringue. If you want the cake to keep its fluffy marshmallow consistency, finish the cake up to three hours before serving. Either way, it tastes and looks great. This cake requires a bit a patience, but is well worth the effort and looks impressive. A candy thermometer takes the guesswork out of the frosting, but if you don’t have one, the frosting is easy to make if you follow the recipe carefully.
Note
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