May the forks be with you (Photo by Rieko Suzuki)

This may be the snack you’re looking for. This Star Wars-themed cake uses a commercial sponge cake or cheesecake that you can get at your local supermarket. Princess Leia’s iconic black hair buns and belt buckle are made with vanilla butter icing, and a layer of dark chocolate cream is the perfect addition for those who like their sweets on the “dark side.” I used black cocoa powder to create black and gray color, but edible charcoal powder or food coloring can be used as a substitute.

Ingredients

• 1 whole sponge cake or cheesecake (store-bought)

Vanilla butter icing

• 2 cups unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 drops vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp black cocoa powder
• 30cc milk

Dark chocolate icing

• 120cc chopped dark chocolate
• 30g unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 3 pastry bags (available at ¥100 stores)

Directions

1. Cut sponge cake or cheesecake in half.
2. Make the dark side. In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter. Boil hot water in a pot, then turn off heat and let chocolate and butter melt in a one-size-smaller heat-resistant container. Do not stir!
3. Combine softened cream cheese and sugar in another bowl and mix well. Add chocolate batter and mix in to make a smooth chocolate icing. Put the mixture in a pastry bag and let it cool a bit in the fridge.
4. Make the Princess Leia part. Whip butter until it becomes really fluffy. Add vanilla extract, then powdered sugar. Add milk little by little, and keep whipping.
5. Take 2 tbsp of the whipped butter and add tiny pinch of black cocoa powder. Mix well to make gray icing.
6. Take 100cc from the remaining whipped butter and add the rest of the black cocoa powder. Mix well to make black icing. Put each icing mixture in individual pastry bags. Let them rest in the fridge for 10 min.
7. With the cream cheese, frost sides, the middle, and the top of the sponge cake evenly.
8. Cover the cake with uncolored vanilla butter icing with butter knife. Cut the corners of pastry bags to make piping bags, and make swirly Princess Leia buns and the belt buckle.