American Flag Cake

Bring this Fourth of July Flag Cake to the table when it's cake time, and your guests will see a festive layer cake, iced in either whipped cream or vanilla buttercream (your choice), and decorated with holiday sprinkles and/or red and blue berries. Nice. Festive. You could put candles on top and sing Happy Birthday, USA.

But the magic happens when you cut the cake. Listen for the "ooohs" and "aaahs."

Every slice looks like an American flag!

It's lots of fun. People will remember it and will be praising your talents for a long time.

This cake is also a winner for Flag Day, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, and to celebrate someone becoming an American citizen.

The concept originally comes from a post on the Betty Crocker website.s

You can make this cake truly fabulous with my scratch-made Perfect White Cake and your favorite buttercream. Or, you can go the easy route and use boxed cake mix. Add vanilla and almond extract and most people won't know the difference. Just be sure to use white, not yellow, cake.

If you're going with whipped cream, do use freshly whipped, homemade whipped cream. it's quick and easy (1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla) and it tastes delicious. The stuff in the can won't hold up. And as for "whipped topping"......don't even. Not only does it taste bad, it's also really bad for you. And I know, food colors aren't exactly health food, but it doesn't affect the taste of the cake and, as my grandma would say, "for once in a while, it won't kill you."

After you trim away everything that doesn't look like a flag, you'll be left with a lot of cake scraps. Use them to make a trifle, or some sort of cake and ice cream parfait. If you wrap the scraps well, they'll keep in the freezer for 3 months or so.

This may sound complicated at first look, but it's actually quite simple if you follow the steps.

Here's what you'll need:

• 4 8-inch round cake pans (these are great)

• a 4-inch biscuit cutter (love these!)

• white cake recipe X 2

• red and blue paste food colors (this basic set is perfect)

• almond extract

• vanilla extract

• star cake sprinkles

• buttercream and/or whipped cream

• Optional: Festive 4th of July sprinkles and/or red and blue berries

Here's how to do it!

Heat oven to 350°F.

Red layers:

• Make one recipe of white cake batter and use paste food colors, a few drops at a time, to get a vibrant, deep red. Add a teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract.

• Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line each one with a round of parchment paper cut to size. (Use a pencil to trace the bottom of the pans onto the parchment and cut them out.)

• Then, grease the parchment.

• Divide the batter into the two pans and bake according to recipe instructions.

• Cool 10 minutes; run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Gently turn the cakes onto a cooling rack and peel away the parchment paper.

• Allow the cakes to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

White and blue layers:

• Prepare the second white cake batter, adding 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract.

• Divide the batter equally into two bowls.

• Into one of the bowls, stir in paste color, a few drops at a time, until you achieve a vibrant, deep, blue. Stir in a healthy amount of star sprinkles into the blue batter.

• Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line each one with a round of parchment paper cut to size. (Use a pencil to trace the bottom of the pans onto the parchment and cut them out.)

• Then, grease the parchment.

• Turn the blue batter out into one pan, and the white batter into the other. Bake according to recipe instructions.

• Cool 10 minutes; run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Gently turn the cakes onto a cooling rack and peel away the parchment paper.

• Allow the cakes to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

To fabricate the components of your cake:

Have your buttercream at the ready.

Red layers—

1. Cut each of the two red layers in half horizontally to make 4 thin layers.

2. Use the 4-inch biscuit cutter to cut a hole out of the center of one layer.

You're going to use 2 of the thin layers, plus the 4-inch round that you cut out.

Set aside the fourth layer and the remaining ring for another use.

White layers—

1. Cut the white layer in half horizontally to make 2 thin white layers.

2. Cut a 4-inch round out of the center of one layer, using the biscuit cutter.

You're going to use one thin white layer, plus the 4-inch round that you cut out.

Set aside the white ring for another use.

Blue layer—

1. Do not cut this one in half horizontally. Use the 4-inch biscuit cutter to cut out a thick blue circle.

You’re going to use the 4-inch little cake that you cut out. Set aside the blue ring for another use.

You now have—

• 2 8-inch red layers

• 1 red 4-inch round

• 1 8-inch white layer

• 1 white 4-inch round

• 1 thick blue ring

To assemble the cake:

1. Place one 8-inch red layer on a cake stand or serving plate and spread 1/3 cup frosting evenly over the top.

2. Cover it with the 8-inch white layer. Spread 1/3 cup frosting over the top.

3. Top with the second 8-inch red layer and again, spread 1/3 cup frosting over the top.

4. Gently top with the blue ring.

5. Carefully spread a thin layer of frosting on the vertical cut edge inside of the blue cake ring, to act as glue.

6. Gently insert the white 4-inch round into the hole. Spread a little frosting on top of the white round.

7. Place the red 4-inch round over the white one and press it down slightly, so that the top of the cake is more or less level.

Frost the side and top of cake using the remaining frosting. Top with sliced raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and/or decorative sprinkles or other embellishments.

Store loosely covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Did you make it?

Was it fabulous?

Please share your comments and thoughts!