Red, White & Blue Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites (1/2 cup)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan. In a large
bowl, Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, 2/3 cup of milk and
the vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Beat 2 minutes on high speed, scraping
bowl occasionally. Add remaining milk and the egg whites; beat 2 minutes high
speed scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into pan, Bake for 35 to 40
minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
confectioners' sugar, if required
Combine sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan; stir until well
blended. Boil slowly without stirring until mixture will spin a long thread when
a little is dropped from a spoon (hold the spoon high above saucepan). In a
large bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer until they are stiff, but still moist.
Pour hot syrup slowly over egg whites while beating. Continue until mixture is
very fluffy,
and will hold its shape. Add vanilla, and beat until blended.
If icing does not seem stiff enough, beat in 2 or 3 tablespoons confectioners
sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until stiff enough to hold its shape. Spread on
cake.
DECORATING:
Spread the icing generously over the completely cooled cake.
In the top left hand corner of the frosted cake, arrange the blueberries into an
outline of a rectangle that is 5 inches wide and 4 inches tall. Press the
berries down into the frosting. Fill the blueberry outline in with the remaining
blueberries. The blueberries will look best if placed in rows, the icing between
them will resemble stars. Place strawberry halves cut side down in rows going
across the cake horizontally.
The bottom stripe of the flag is red, so start the first row at the bottom. Be
sure to press the berries down into the frosting so the stripes will not be
raised above the fluffy frosting. Serve any leftover berries with the sliced
cake and ice cream. |