Starlight Cake

Starlight Cake

with fig buttercream frosting

For those of you out there who want an easy cake to make, that isn’t overly sweet, this is the recipe for you! Cakes are one of those recipes that can go either real well and taste amazing or crash and burn real fast leaving a trail of disappointment and sometimes tears. Dramatic, I know, but there are people out there who take cake quite serious. Me, I am not one of those people, but I do want it to taste good. So why add all the stress when a box cake can ease my mind and allow me to be stress free.

Box cakes are not as terrible as they sound (as the baker reading this cringes inwardly), especially Duncan Haines box cakes. Out of all of the box cakes out there, I feel like they taste even better than the real thing…that is of course if you add the mayonnaise to the batter. Mayonnaise is that one secret ingredient that elevates this cake from being good to being great. It adds a level of moistness that makes the cake melt in your mouth causing a haze of cake love bliss. Buttercream is a decadent frosting to begin with, which pretty much needs little to no description. It has a lush velvety texture that makes any cake taste that much more delicious.

Fig is kind of an out there, not really thought of ingredient to add to a buttercream frosting, but I had a jar lying around and thought, “What the hay,” I will give it a try, since the past few weeks I have been on a pear and fig kick. I Googled some recipes trying to get an idea of how other bakers out there incorporated it, but couldn’t find anything that sounded easy, yet alone made me want to try. I instead, took the plunge, and decided to just add it to the basic frosting recipe I normally use, hoping with a leap of faith that it worked and didn’t taste like total crappola.

Well, I am glad I did because this is probably one of the most mild and not as sweet buttercream frostings that I truly love. There is a hint of fig and vanilla mixed together that has a perfect balance. I love that the fig taste isn’t over powering and enhances the cake rather than out sweetening it. The cake and frosting mesh awesomely together, leaving an amazing taste. I guess there will be no trails of disappointment or tears here!

Directions:

1. Follow the mixing instructions on the cake box along with adding the 3 cups of mayonnaise and bake accordingly.
2. While the cake(s) are baking prepare your frosting. In a stand mixed whip the butter on high for about 5 minutes. Slowly add in the confectioner’s sugar. Once blended, add in the jam, vanilla extract, and mix until incorporated (depending on how much you love fig jam you can add up to a cup of this).
3. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool. Frost and garnish with the fresh sage.
4. Serve!