4th of July Celebration Cake

Show your pride for the Red, White and Blue. This fun cake can be the Independence Day centerpiece. Change up the strawberry slices for raspberries on top and blackberries instead of blueberries. This is a fun and tasty cake.

Ingredients 

Cake

• 2 packages Kinnikinnick White Cake Mix
• 8 eggs
• 1½ cups water
• 1½ cups vegetable oil

Lemon Filling

• 1 cup orange juice – no pulp
• 1 large lemon – zested and juiced
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup cream 10%

 Fruit Filling

• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• 1 pint fresh blueberries

Topping

• 3 cups whipping cream 33%
• ½ cup icing sugar
• 1 pint fresh strawberries – sliced thin
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease two 9 x 13 cake pans and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, oil and water. Mix with a whisk until combined.
3. Add Kinnikinnick White Cake Mixand mix until combined (approx. 2-3 minutes).
4. Divide batter into greased pans.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 – 35 minutes (when ready, cake will spring back when touched lightly on top).
6. Remove from oven, and let cakes cool slightly before inverting pans. Carefully remove pans and let cakes cool completely.

Lemon Filling

1. In a medium size pot combine sugar, orange juice, lemon zest and lemon juice. Whisk over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add cream to juice mixture and whisk until combined.
3. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl to create a paste, add to mixture and continue to whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens (approx. 15 minutes).
4. Remove mixture from heat and place in a bowl to cool.

Topping

1. In a medium bowl mix whip cream until ¾ whipped; slowly add in sifted icing sugar and continue mixing until stiff. Set aside.
2. Slice fresh Strawberries for decorating and set aside.

Assembly

1. Trim the top of the cakes flat to create two even cake bases.
2. Place one cake on serving tray and spread with Lemon Filling.
3. Place a row of raspberries starting from one end and working your way across the cake length wise.
4. Place a row of blueberries next. Repeat continuing with raspberries then blueberries to cover Lemon Filling layer.
5. Top with second trimmed cake.
6. Cover the top and sides of filled cake with a thin layer of whipped cream.
7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow layer to set slightly before decorating.
8. Using a star tip and piping bag, pipe whipping cream to cover cake. Start from one end of the cake and pipe lines lengthwise.
9. Cover sides of cake with whipping cream using star tip and piping bag.

American Flag Design

1. To resemble American Flag, create a square on the left corner of the cake using blueberries.
2. Layer strawberries in straight lines from left to right lengthwise with a couple rows of whipping cream between.
3. Repeat with strawberries to create 4 or 5 red lines.
4. Optional: pipe a few stars on blueberries using a smaller star tip and whipping cream.

Source: Kinnikinnick Foods Inc.