It’s time for summer and celebrations! If you’ve got a patriotic 4th of July party on your calendar (or even a 24th of July Pioneer Day), then I have the answer to your dessert needs: a patriotic cake. Now, there are multiple ways that you can construct patriotic stars and stripes cakes. I’ve simply gathered three different types so that you can choose based off of your time, energy, and tastes.
First, if you’re going to be doing stars and stripes cakes, then you really should go all the way! These darling cupcake sleeves will compliment the Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes below, and these beautiful blue and white star plates will go well with either cake below. Once you’ve got the right serving ware, it’s time to choose your dessert.
Stars And Stripes Cakes
Recipe 01: Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 2 white cake mixes (Duncan Hines, trust me)
- 8 egg whites
- 2/3 c. melted butter
- 2 c. milk
- Food coloring gel in red and blue (like these)
- Buttercream frosting: 3 sticks softened butter, 24 oz. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. clear vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and 2-3 Tbsp. heavy cream or milk
- Sprinkles
Process:
Begin by heating your oven 350F and putting some muffin tin liners into your muffin tin. Next, make your cake according to the directions on the box. Just make sure to substitute the butter for oil and milk for water. When you have your cake mix made, it’s time to color it! Divide the mix into three separate bowls. Then color one bowl red and one bowl blue, leaving the third bowl alone. Next, using a large spoon, drop spoonfuls of the red, white, and blue cake mix into the muffin liners until they are about 2/3 full. It doesn’t really matter what order you drop the colors in, or if you do more than one spoonful, you can customize it however you want! Last, bake according to directions on the box, removing from the oven when the cupcakes are done.
While the cupcakes are cooling, it’s time to make your buttercream. You can totally make this buttercream colored, but I find that it’s better left alone so that you can add festive sprinkles. Start by creaming your butter in your mixer until it’s nice and fluffy. Next, slowly add in the sifted powdered sugar a little at a time until the mixture starts to clump. When the mixture is clumpy, add in a tablespoon of milk or cream alternating with powdered sugar, until you have a nice and fluffy buttercream. Last, add in the clear vanilla extract and pinch of salt and allow to cream together one last time.
When the cupcakes are cooled, pipe the icing on the top and finish with sprinkles. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe 02: 4th of July Cake
Want to make a cake with a little festive surprise? This is your ticket!
Ingredients:
- 2 white cake mixes (Duncan Hines, trust me)
- 8 egg whites
- 2/3 c. melted butter
- 2 c. milk
- Food coloring gel in red and blue (like these)
- Buttercream frosting: 3 sticks softened butter, 24 oz. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. clear vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and 2-3 Tbsp. heavy cream or milk
Process:
Begin by heating your oven 350F and putting some muffin tin liners into your muffin tin. Next, make your cake according to the directions on the box. Just make sure to substitute the butter for oil and milk for water. When you have your cake mix made, it’s time to color it! Divide the mix into three separate bowls. Then color one bowl red, one bowl blue, and leave the third bowl alone.
Pour the mixture into 9-inch rounds, one for each color, and bake according to the package directions. I’d really suggest investing in some of these to help the cake bake flat. It makes stacking a ton easier. The mixture is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Then allow the cakes to cool completely. While the cakes are cooling, make that buttercream frosting.
You can totally make this buttercream colored, but I find that it’s better left alone so that you can add festive sprinkles and decorations. Start by creaming your butter in your mixer until it’s nice and fluffy. Next, slowly add in the sifted powdered sugar a little at a time until the mixture starts to clump. When the mixture is clumpy, add in a tablespoon of milk or cream alternating with powdered sugar, until you have a nice and fluffy buttercream. Last, add in the clear vanilla extract and pinch of salt and allow to cream together one last time.
Assemble your cake by placing a dollop of frosting in the middle of your cake plate and placing your bottom layer in the center. Then pipe a ring around the top of that cake layer. You can put jam or something flavorful in the middle, or just fill in with a good layer of buttercream. Continue stacking each layer and frosting as you go. When all the layers have been stacked, dirty ice your cake by putting a thin layer of buttercream around the entire cake and the top. Continue to frost however you’d like! I’d suggest adding some festive sprinkles or stars.
Recipe 03: Stars and Stripes Summer Cake
A combination of whipped cream, fresh fruit, and light cake makes for a delicious and perfect summer treat!
Ingredients:
- 1 package Duncan Hines white cake mix
- 1 c. water
- 1/3 c. vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- Topping: 2-8 oz. packages cream cheese, 1 jar marshmallow creme, 1 c. fresh blueberries, 3 c. fresh raspberries
Process:
Begin by heating your oven to 350F and preparing a 15x10x1 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Then make your cake according to the package directions. When the mix is combined, pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes.
While the cake is cooling, mix your cream cheese and marshmallow creme in your mixer until completely smooth. Then spread the mixture over your cooled cake and put the whole thing into the fridge for at least an hour and a half. Keep some of the frosting for piping.
To assemble the flag, arrange the blueberries in the top left corner into a 5-inch square. This is the “stars” part of your cake. Next, make your stripes by arranging 7 rows of horizontal raspberries. When your berries are set into the frosting, it’s time to pipe! Using a star tip, pipe some stars in between your blueberries, followed by some stars or strips between your raspberries. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve!
Hopefully, these three stars and stripes cakes will spark some creativity and help take your Fourth of July celebration to the next level. Happy Baking!
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