Patriotic Berry Cake Recipes

4TH OF JULY CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Grease and flour a 17-by-12 1/2-inch sheet cake pan. (Note: this recipe may be halved for a smaller pan, as this recipe feeds an army.)
• In a bowl with a mixer, mix the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy, about a minute or so. Add the eggs, two at a time. Mix after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, kosher salt and baking soda. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, one scoop at a time. Mix after every addition. Keep adding the flour mixture until just combined. Do not over mix!
• Pour the thick cake batter into the prepared pan. (It's much thicker than regular cake batters.) With a knife or offset spatula, spread the cake batter evenly over the pan.
• Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes. I baked mine for exactly 20 minutes, so you probably want to start checking then.
• For the the cream cheese icing: Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a mixer. Whip to combine. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined, scraping the sides once during mixing.
• Put about ½ the frosting on the cake. Mark off the area of the stars with a toothpick. (No need to be proportionately accurate; just guesstimate.) Prepare a pastry bag with a large star tip and fill up to 2/3 with icing. Fold down both corners to keep icing from splurging out the top.
• Grip the folded-down end tightly under your fingertips and start squeezing two lines of frosting at the bottom of the cake. Make two rows of raspberries on the cake, then add another two lines of frosting.
• Keep repeating: two lines of frosting, two lines of raspberries, two lines of frosting, etc.
• Fill the square in the corner with a nice layer of blueberries. With the star tip, squeeze little dollops of frosting all over the blueberries to look like stars.

PATRIOTIC BERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup sugar, the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.
• Brush both sides of each slice of cake with the syrup. Cut the slices into 1-inch cubes.
• Beat the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and light. Add the cream and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and the consistency of whipped cream.
• Arrange half of the cake cubes in the bottom of a 13-cup trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. Dollop half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Top with a layer of strawberries. Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then sprinkle with more blueberries and top with the remaining cream mixture. Finish with the remaining strawberries and blueberries, arranging them in a decorative pattern. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

PATRIOTIC BERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Prepare the instant pudding first according to package direction by whipping the pudding with the cold milk until soft set. Refrigerate until firmed up, about 1 hour.
• Sprinkle half of the diced angel food cake onto the bottom of a trifle bowl. Set aside a few of the blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries to decorate the top of the cake. Add half of the remaining berries evenly over the cake pieces, then spoon the set pudding on top of the berries.
• Add the last layer of cake and any remaining berries (except those reserved for decoration). Top berries with frozen whipped topping, spreading gently to create a smooth and even surface. Use the reserved berries to decorate the top of your trifle however you'd like!
• Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve (don't make too far in advance, as the cake will start to break down the longer it sits).

PATRIOTIC BERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• 1. Heat 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.
• 2. Brush both sides of each slice of cake with syrup.
• 3. Cut the slices into 1-inch cubes.
• 4. Beat 2/3 cup sugar and the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and light. Add the cream and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and the consistency of whipped cream.
• 5. Arrange half of the cake cubes in the bottom of a 13-cup trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. Dollop half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread.
• 6. Top with a layer of strawberries.
• 7. Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries. Then sprinkle with more blueberries.
• 8. Top with the remaining whipped cream and finish with the remaining strawberries and blueberries, arranging them in a decorative pattern. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.