Lightsaber cake

Method

• 1
  Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 22cm x 32cm (base) rectangular baking pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.
• 2
  Prepare packet cake, following packet directions or Homemade butter cake. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth surface. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
• 3
  Make Buttercream icing: Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a bowl until pale. Gradually add icing sugar mixture and milk, beating constantly until combined. Place 1/2 cup icing in a bowl. Tint blue. Tint remaining icing grey with black food colouring. Using a serrated knife, level top of cake. Place cake, cut-side down, onto cake board. Spread top and sides of cake with grey icing. Place 1 swiss roll diagonally on 1 corner of cake to form handle of lightsaber. Cut one-third off the remaining swiss roll on an angle. Discard. Using a little icing, attach uncut side of roll to swiss roll on cake. Spread swiss rolls with grey icing to form a handle. Trim approximately 4cm from 1 nougat roll. Discard. Position nougat rolls, end to end, next to swiss rolls to form lightsaber. Spread nougat roll with blue icing.
• 4
  Cut three 12cm long lengths from licorice strap. Using the picture as a guide, position 1 on the top of the handle and 1 in the middle, to form wide grips. Position remaining length diagonally overlapping the top strap. Cut four 1.5cm x 2.5cm pieces of licorice and position on top half of handle (in between top and middle strap). Cut 10, 4mm wide x 4cm long strips of licorice. Position on bottom half of handle to form thin grips. Cut a 3mm x 22cm long strip of liquorice. Form a coil and position to make the base of the handle. Outline lightsaber with a 3mm x 42cm long strip of licorice. Decorate cake with thin strips of remaining licorice to form ‘rays’. Use a star-shaped stencil to create cachous stars. Serve.