Independence Day Cake

In celebration of America's Independence Day, Happy Fourth of July, I made an American Flag Cake.  Now what I should have done was buy a white cake box mix, divided it into three and dyed one third red, one third blue, and left one third white. 

Instead, I made three different cakes with three different recipes.  Why?!  Because I am insane and masochistic, and I need to make everything way more complicated and harder then it needs to be.  Don't believe me, ask my husband.  Here are my three cake recipes.

White Cake

5 Tbs butter

1/4 cup sugar, cream together butter and sugar

Add 1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

Stir that all together and in a separate bowl stir together

1 and 3/4 cup cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

In a separate bowl whip 3 egg whites with 3 Tbs sugar until soft peaks form

Alternate adding flour mixture with

2/3 cup whole milk

Fold in egg whites

Red Velvet Cake

Cream together

3/4 cup sugar and

1/2 cup (1 stick) of room temperature or melty butter.

2 eggs

In a separate bowl add together 1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp vinegar

1 Tbs Red food coloring

In a separate bowl add together 1 and 1/3 cup flour

1 Tbs cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients.  Mix well.

Here is the money shot.  Cut the cake and there is an American Flag pattern. 

Blue Velvet Cake

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) melty butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 Tbs Royal Blue food coloring from Wilton

1 dab violet

1/2 Tbs vinegar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 and 1/4 cup cake flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 Tbs cocoa powder

Follow the same instructions as Red Velvet cake.

Your own American flag with every piece of cake.

I used all 5 of my round cake pans.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.  Cut white and red cakes in half length wise and stack alternating red and white with cream cheese filling in between layers.  For the Blue Square layer cut out the middle of the Blue Cake.  Cut out the middle of a stack of red and white and set the red and white middle inside the blue ring.  Set that on top of the cake.  Frost the entire cake and decorate with blueberries and raspberries.  With the extra blue center and red and white outside ring I made cake pops.

Cream Cheese Frosting for the center of the cake

8 oz (1 package) softened

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) room temperature or melty

2 tsp vanilla

5 - 6 cups powdered sugar

White ButterCream Frosting for the outside of the cake.

1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature or melty

1 cup shortening

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbs heavy whipping cream or milk

6 - 8 cups powdered sugar