Star Spangled Flag Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cake:
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
• Butter the bottom and sides of a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan and line the bottom with wax or parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust the pan with flour, knocking out any excess.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the boiling water, cocoa powder, and instant coffee granules until smooth. Whisk in the milk and vanilla.
• In a second medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars and beat on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat on medium until fully incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour and cocoa powder mixtures in batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. (The batter may look curdled.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top, and bake the cake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack, remove the wax or parchment paper, and let it cool completely. DO AHEAD: The unfrosted cake, can be cooled, wrapped securely in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature up to 24 hours, before assembling and serving.
• Make the frosting:
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until creamy and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low, add the sifted confectioners' sugar in three batches, mixing until fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is smooth. Chill the frosting in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before assembling the cake.
• Assemble and serve the cake:
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with 2 1/2 cups of the frosting. Transfer the remaining frosting to a pastry bag fitted with the star tip.
• Using a toothpick or small knife, outline a 4 1/2-inch-long by 3 1/2-inch-wide rectangle in the top left corner of the cake. This area will be reserved for blueberries.
• Starting with the longer side of the cake that is closest to you, pipe a line of frosting along the top edge of the cake then arrange two horizontal rows of raspberries directly above the line of frosting. Pipe a second line of frosting above the raspberries and arrange two more horizontal rows of raspberries directly above the frosting. Repeat this process two more times, making sure to exclude the top left corner that is reserved for the blueberries. Arrange the blueberries in horizontal rows in the top left corner of the cake.
• Slice and serve the cake immediately or store it, covered securely in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Reserve 3 Tbsp. of each flavor of dry gelatin mix. Add 1/2 cup boiling water to remaining cherry gelatin mix in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Repeat in separate bowl with remaining boiling water and berry blue gelatin mix. Pour each flavor gelatin into separate 9x5-inch loaf pan. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
• Meanwhile, spray 2 (13x9-inch) pans with cooking spray; cover bottoms with waxed paper. Spray with additional cooking spray. Prepare cake batter as directed on package; spread 2 cups batter onto bottom of one prepared pan. Measure 2 cups of the remaining batter into medium bowl; stir in reserved dry cherry gelatin mix until blended. Spread onto bottom of remaining prepared pan. Place both pans in oven.
• Bake 15 to 17 min. or until tops of cake layers are lightly browned and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans. Cool 15 min.; remove cakes from pans to wire racks. Discard waxed paper. Cool cakes completely.
• Meanwhile, spray 8x4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; line with waxed paper. Spray with additional cooking spray. Stir reserved dry berry blue gelatin mix into remaining cake batter; pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake 25 to 28 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 min.; remove from pan to wire rack. Discard waxed paper. Cool cake completely.
• Assembly
• Dip bottoms of gelatin-filled pans in warm water about 15 sec.; cut gelatin into small stars. Reserve trimmings for snacking or another use. Spoon frosting into medium bowl; whisk in COOL WHIP until blended. Cut each 13x9-inch cake layer lengthwise in half. Cut rounded top off loaf cake; reserve top for snacking or another use. Cut remaining loaf cake lengthwise in half.
• Reserve 1-1/3 cups frosting for icing final assembled cake. Place 1 red cake layer on platter; spread with some of the remaining frosting. Cover with 1 white cake layer; frost. Arrange blue cake strips, end-to-end, down 1 long side of frosted white cake layer, trimming as necessary to fit top of cake. Frost inside edges of blue cake strips. Cut remaining red and white cake layers lengthwise in half; place 1 red cake piece next to blue cake strips. Frost. Top with 1 white cake piece. Reserve remaining cake pieces for snacking or another use. Frost top and sides of cake with reserved frosting. Decorate with sprinkles and JIGGLERS stars.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter,flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan. Or, I like to use parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.
• Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
• For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.
• Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and strawberries for the red stripes, and icing for the white stripes, until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.
• You can serve this cake right in the pan, or, if you want to turn it out onto a board before frosting, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.