*** Bake an unusual and patriotic attention-getting cake to wow your friends and family this Fourth of July! Please help support Warriors Pearl Foundation, helping homeless female military veterans come home at Denny Lyon Gifts from Cafe Press. Come see what's new!
Photo from White Lily Flour
From Denny: We eat with our eyes before we eat with our taste buds. This pretty patriotic cake sure gets your attention! Red, white and blue layers of cake are slathered with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting and decorated with summer fresh blueberries and strawberries.
For a beginner baker - or if you are pressed for time and don't want to fuss with a difficult icing - this easy cake is for you. The cake layers are made from scratch and use buttermilk for great taste and texture, much like using sour cream in a cake or muffin.
When you finish icing the cake and have to wait a few hours before serving, hold off on the fruit garnish. With cakes like this I like to garnish with fruit as I serve the slices. That way you don't have to be concerned about the fruit starting to break down its juices and start to run watery all over your perfect cake and icing, sliding off like some summer park water slide! :)
Have a great Fourth of July weekend and thanks for visiting!
Update, July 2014: Since this cake recipe published four years ago, many bakers have moved away from manipulated fats (think Crisco and similar offerings). I prefer unsalted butter as at least you know what is in the product. No mystery labeling here! :)
Also, many have moved away from the traditional red food coloring offered in the standard grocery store as most were made from crushed beetles (serious yuck! factor), some toxic chemicals, and known to contain carcinogens. The substitute natural red food coloring that is more palatable as is offered from grocery stores like Whole Foods, Amazon and other online baking sites does not color as deeply but sure tastes better!
* * * Listed below are some sources for finding natural food coloring. * * *
So, however you choose to make this patriotic fun cake: enjoy your efforts and celebrate our country's birthday!
Celebrate America iPhone 5 Case
* * * Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new!
Independence Day Cake
From: White Lily Flour and The J.M. Smucker Co.
Makes: 12 servings
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray (or a Tablespoon of soft butter)
3-1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsps. baking powder
1-1/2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
1-1/4 cups all-vegetable shortening or unsalted butter (2 sticks + 1/2 stick)
5 large egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 Tbl. red food coloring
1 Tbl. blue food coloring
Sources for all natural gel food dyes and colorings:
AmeriColor @ Amazon
NaturesFlavors (made from red beets)
India Tree @ Amazon (less intense colors producing more pastels and unenthusiastic reviews but at least it's all natural and no toxic chemicals)
Garnish:
Fresh blueberries and strawberries, optional
Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting:
2 cups butter, softened
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 (13-oz.) jar marshmallow cream
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat three 8-inch round pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper, cut to fit. Coat paper with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl. Add buttermilk and shortening. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg whites, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat an additional 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
3. Pour ont-third (about 2 cups) of batter into prepared pan. Divide remaining batter into 2 medium bowls. Stir in food coloring to make one red and one blue batter. Pour batter into remaining pans. Tap pans on counter several times to remove air bubbles.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes before removing from pan. Remove cake and cool completely on wire rack.
5. For frosting, beat butter in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until fluffy. Beat in almond extract. Stir in marshmallow cream until well blended.
6. Place blue cake layer on cake plate and generously frost top. Stack white layer and generously frost top. Add red layer, frosting top and sides of entire cake. Garnish with fresh blueberries and strawberries, if desired.
Celebrate America Woven Blanket
*** Check out more recipes: Muffin Monday and Cake Tuesday
*** For more Fourth of July posts see also:
63 Quotes About Freedom and Liberty: Happy Birthday, America!
How Do We Live Freedom and Liberty? Libations Friday - 2 July 2010
Fourth of July When Life is Simple poem - Libations Friday 25 June 2010
Cake Tuesday: Red, White and Blueberry Shortcakes
Dennys Photo Gallery: Fourth of July Watermelon
* * * Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new!
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