Starry Sky Cake

The Starry Sky Cake is a magical dessert with a soft, nutty chocolate sponge and a creamy, fruity filling, topped with adorable star-shaped cutouts. Perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or just to dazzle your family, this cake combines chocolate, walnuts, peaches, and fluffy whipped cream for a truly celestial treat.

Ingredients

Chocolate Nut Sponge:

• ½ cup sugar
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2/3 cup (5.5 tablespoons) margarine, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup finely ground walnuts

Cream Filling:

• 2 packets vanilla pudding mix
• ¾ cup full-fat yogurt
• 1 cup canned peach slices (drained and chopped)
• ⅓ cup juice from the canned peaches
• 1 packet (1 cup) whipped cream mix (or pre-made whipped cream)

Decoration:

• Star-shaped cookie cutter
• Powdered sugar or vanilla powder for dusting

Instructions

1. Prepare the Sponge:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a round 9-inch pan and lightly flour it.
2. In a bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and ground walnuts. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream the margarine with sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Gently fold in the dry ingredients until the batter is smooth and evenly combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
6. Once cooled, slice the sponge horizontally into two equal layers. Using a small star-shaped cutter, punch out stars from the top layer.

2. Prepare the Cream Filling:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the vanilla pudding powder with peach juice until smooth.
2. Stir in the yogurt.
3. Whip the cream separately until fluffy, then fold it gently into the pudding-yogurt mixture.
4. Add chopped peaches and the sponge star crumbs from the top layer. Mix lightly.

3. Layer the Cake:

1. Place the bottom sponge layer on a serving plate and surround it with a cake ring or collar.
2. Spread the cream mixture evenly over the bottom layer.
3. Carefully place the top layer with star cutouts over the cream. Press lightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to set.
4. Remove the cake ring and dust the top with powdered sugar or vanilla powder for a snowy, starry effect.