4th Of July Fireworks Cake Recipe 43

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans or see Tip #1 below.
• Prepare the cake mix batter according to package directions.
• Pour 1 cup batter into each prepared pan. Drop 5 to 7 drops each of the red and blue food coloring randomly on batter. (I found the larger the drop pools, the better the effect. In other words, don't skimp or there will not be enough gel effect when cutting the cake.) Swirl the coloring with a wooden skewer. Divide the remaining batter evenly between the pans, spooning batter gently on top of swirled colors. Drop 5 to 7 drops each of red and blue food coloring randomly on the batter again; swirl coloring with a wooden skewer.
• Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and place on wire racks to cool completely.
• Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread the top with about 3/4 cup frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Spread the side and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Draw several sets of concentric circles on top and side of cake with the red and blue decorating gels. Drag a wooden skewer through the circles to feather the colors and make bursting fireworks designs.
• Two Tips To Remove Cake From Pans:.
• Tip 1. An easier method is to outline 2 pieces of wax paper cut to the size of the bottom of the cake pan. Place wax paper on bottom and pour batter over. When inverting after baking, immediately peel off wax paper and dispose.
• Tip 2. Let each cake layer cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing; the cake will release steam and begin to pull away from the pan edge.
• Check to see if the cake will come out easily by placing one hand on top of the cake and carefully inverting the pan. If the cake layer doesn't release, run a knife around the edge of the cake to help loosen. Place your hand on the top and carefully invert the pan again. Remove the cake and carefully place on a rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• Make a white cake mix. Divide the batter into 3 bowls. Leave one bowl white, dye one red and one blue. Line the bottoms of 2 eight inch cake pans with wax paper and grease the sides. Layer the batter in your pans, dropping by spoonfuls. For marble effect: Drag a knife through the batter, making lines in a side to side motion; then repeat this motion going up and down. Be careful not to mix the colors together. Bake your cake as directed, and cool completely. Frost your cake with white frosting, making the top as smooth as possible. Put the cake in the freezer for at least 45 minutes to harden the frosting. Read a good book while you wait... Take your cake out of the freezer. With gel food coloring, make a line of dots from the middle of the cake to the outside edge. Starting at the outside dot, brush over the dots toward the center with a paint brush. Clean your brush, and repeat all the way around your cake. Work with one color at a time, and do not overlap them. Press star shaped sprinkles into the frosting on the bottom. Serve up some cake before the fireworks start... Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush two 9-inch-round cake pans with vegetable oil; dust with flour and tap out the excess.
• Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl; whisk until smooth. Whisk in the food coloring, then add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Spread 3/4 cup batter in each of the prepared pans (you'll have a very thin layer of batter); set the remaining batter aside. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean and the top springs back when pressed, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool about 5 minutes in the pans, then invert the cakes onto the rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, cool the pans under cold water, then wipe clean. Brush with oil and dust with flour again. Repeat to make 2 more cake layers, using 3/4 cup batter for each, then repeat again. You will have 6 layers.
• Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese, butter and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the confectioners' sugar in three additions until smooth.
• Put 1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread evenly with a scant 1 cup frosting. Repeat with the remaining 5 cake layers, then frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting in a thin layer (just enough so the nonpareils will stick). Refrigerate until the frosting is just set but still soft, about 10 minutes.
• Put the cake (on the plate) on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover the top and sides completely with the nonpareils, reusing the ones that fall onto the baking sheet.