Transform a Simple Packet Cake into a Celebration Masterpiece
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Easy Tips for Delicious Results
Who says a cake from a box can’t be the star of your celebration? With just a few easy tweaks, you can elevate a humble packet cake into something that tastes homemade and looks stunning. By adding an extra egg, swapping oil for butter. Using milk instead of water, you’ll get a richer flavour and a moist, bakery-worthy texture. Easy doesn’t mean boring! This is the kind of cake that will have your guests asking for seconds and the recipe!
Lets up the flavour even more
To Transform a Simple Packet Cake into a Celebration Masterpiece, turn it into a coconut dream! Change the milk to coconut milk, make the tweaks suggested above, then bake as per the box instructions. Once your cake is baked to golden perfection, slice it in half and fill it with a luscious coconut custard. To top it off, slather the cake in a velvety coconut cream cheese buttercream—rich, creamy, and perfectly tangy. The layers of coconut flavour will make this cake an unforgettable celebration masterpiece for any event, bringing a taste of paradise to every bite!
Coconut Custard Cake Filling
Ingredients
- 400 mls Canned Coconut Milk (13.5oz)
- 60 mls Milk (2oz)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp Coconut Essence
- 5 Large Eggs (yolks only)
- 85 g Caster Sugar
- 3 tbsp Cornflour
Instructions
- Add yolks, sugar, regular milk and cornflour into a large bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Heat coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to a simmer whisking constantly.
- Add about a cup of the warm milk to the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly so it doesn't curdle. Once mixed well add the rest of the milk slowly while whisking.
- Return mixture to the saucepan and bring to a simmer while whisking constantly until the mixture thickens.
- Remove from heat and whisk in both the vanilla and coconut essence.
- Cover the custard in cling wrap and refrigerate for 2hrs.
Cream Cheese Coconut Buttercream
Ingredients
- 225 g Butter (softened) (1 cup)
- 250 g Cream Cheese (softened)
- 600 g Icing Sugar (5 cups)
- 2 tbsp Canned Coconut Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Coconut Essence
- 1/2 cup Desiccated Coconut for Decorating
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth (about 3 mins)
- Add coconut milk, vanilla and coconut essence and mix until combined.
- Add the Icing sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well in between each addition. If needed you can add a little more coconut milk but I didn't need it. Beat on high for 3 mins.
The final secret to transform a simple Packet Cake into a Celebration Masterpiece
The final secret to making your packet cake stand out is the decorating!
For this coconut dream cake, I made two cakes and sliced each in half to give me four layers. The recipes above are still enough for the filling of four layers and decorating naked cake style.
I kept it simple yet stunning by sprinkling coconut on top for added texture . To elevate the presentation, I placed a faux branch on the cake, added a few miniature birds perched along the branches, and hung a tiny banner between them for a whimsical touch. This simple yet elegant decoration turned an ordinary cake into a show-stopping centrepiece that’s perfect for any celebration. Remember, a few creative touches can take your cake from simple to extraordinary!
This beautiful cake would be a great addition to my tropical themed party.
