Ok this is a more advanced recipe....but it's not as hard as it looks.
Last year 2 of my friends requested a "Flag Cake" for their 4th of July party. I like to bake, so they gladly gave this assignment to me. After a bit of research, I found this darling cake from Land O Lakes.. It looked a little intimidating. Will this feel like calculus? Nope! It was not hard. My layers were not perfectly even, and it still turned out fine. You could also make this with box cake if you want to save time (it would require more than one box cake). Step by step directions below. I also included a video which helped me understand the layers. The video is for a different recipe, but it helps to see a visual.
Tip: when you display the cake on the dessert buffet, go ahead and cut out a slice so people can see the beautiful surprise inside! I also added blue & white sprinkles on the outside of the cake.
Ingredients:
Cake:
4 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 c sugar
3/4 c butter, softened
9 eggs (egg whites only)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c milk
red food coloring
blue food coloring
Cream Cheese Icing:
2 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c butter, softened
1 tbsp. vanilla
1-2 tbsp. milk
Directions:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease & flour 3 (9-inch) round cake pans; set aside.
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. Set aside.
- Place sugar and 3/4 cup butter in another bowl; beat at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy. Add 1 egg white at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture alternately with 1 1/2 cups milk, beating at low speed after each addition just until mixed.
- Divide batter in half; tint one half red. Divide remaining batter in half; tint one half blue and leave other white.
- Pour each batter into individual prepared pans. Bake white and blue layers 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Bake red layer 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on cooling rack. Loosen edge of cakes by running knife around inside edge. Carefully remove cakes from pans to cooling rack; cool completely.
- Combine cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter in bowl; beat at medium speed until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar, beating at low speed after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla and enough milk for desired spreading consistency; beat until well mixed.
- Cut domed top off red cake horizontally to create flat top. Cut remaining red cake and white cake in half horizontally, creating 5 layers total.
- Cut 5-inch circle from parchment paper. Cut domed top of red cake and 1 white cake layer into 5 inch circles, using parchment paper guide. Set outer rings aside. Repeat process with blue layer; set inner circle aside.
- Place 1 (9-inch) red layer, cut-side up, onto cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Place 1 (9-inch) white cake layer on top, cut-side down. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Place 1 (9-inch) red layer on top, cut-side up. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting.
- Place blue cake ring on top. Spread 1/4 cup frosting around inner edge of blue cake layer. Place 5-inch white cake, cut-side up, in middle of blue ring. Spread with 1/3 cup frosting. Place 5-inch red cake, cut-side down, in middle of blue ring.
- Trim top red layer to create flat cake top. Spread thin layer of frosting over entire cake; refrigerate until set. Frost cake with remaining frosting.
