Patriotic Flag Cake

What could be more festive than families and friends gathering to watch the whimsy in the sky of fire bursts and fireworks? Not much.  So I really wanted to make a festive cake for the occasion that could stand up for the cause, a great celebration of the Land of the free!  Pretty much, I think this delicious cake did just that considering it was so pretty and so patriotic.  God Bless our great country!

Patriotic Flag Cake~
Two  Red Cakes
One white cake
One blue cake
Frosting
*note~  I used the recipe below for my white and blue cake.  It was delicious and it held up well to being cut!
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/tender-white-cake-recipe

1) Cut cooled cakes into the following shapes below.  One red cake was cut in half and then set aside. The other red cake was cut in half and I took a small round bowl, set it on top of the half and cut out the small circle.  All extra scraps and half of cake I put aside to make cake balls for a later date.
2) For the white cake, I cut it in half.  I kept one half and with the other half, took the same small bowl, set it on top for my template and cut out a small circle.  Again, extra pieces were set aside for later use for cake balls.
3) For the blue cake, I cut just the top off to even it ( you'll need the whole cake for this part) and used the small bowl for a template and cut out the middle.  (Middle piece saved for later use.)
Now to begin~

 

4) I started with half of the red cake and placed it on my serving platter and lightly frosted the top. 

5) I placed the white on top, frosted it and then the red on top of that and frosted it.  Easy enough so far.

6) I placed the blue round on top next.

7) In the center, gently place the white round inside. I frosted the white round.

8) Now, in the center, I placed the red round in and I gently pressed on it to make sure it was even with the blue layer.

 

9) Lightly frosted the whole cake.

10) To frost my cake, I decided to do an ombre (layered blending color look) style using a star tip. In a separate bowl, I added blue coloring to about a cup of frosting and mixed well.

11) I frosted the first layer of the bottom of the cake making little rosettes by making a circle and a half motions.

12) For the next layer of rosettes, I emptied the remainder of the frosting from my frosting bag into the bowl with blue frosting, added about 1/2 cup of white frosting and mixed well. Now I have a lighter shade of blue to frost the middle layer.

13) I repeated the next step for the next and last layer of blue by adding more white frosting.

 

14) For the very top layer, I used white only making rosettes on the outside top, moving in to fill in the center.  Then I added a pretty marzipan flag that I made just for the occasion.  Find the recipe and how to for the Marzipan flag here... http://celebratemywhimsy.blogspot.com/2013/07/homemade-marzipan.html

And Voila... Here's a pretty cake for the holiday.  And now for the best part....

 

 

WE EAT!!!

 

What was fun about this part, the party guests were amazed not only by the cake, but the fun whimsy inside!

Happy Memorial Day, Happy 4th of July, Happy Labor Day...Happy Everything!

 

Blessings and Happy Baking~

Kimberly

 

Here is a recent photo of a Military style Patriotic cake I made for my son's Grad Party, camo style!

 

 

 My guests had no idea of the fun inside until the first cut!

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Marzipan

 

On a whimsy, I decided that my upcoming 4th of July cake would have a nifty little marzipan edible decoration to adorn the top.  A year ago, I had won a National contest with Duncan Hines, A Pinnacle Food Company, and learned how to make these edible beauties as part of the Prize package, which was two days of baking and making with their Chef Joe.  I loved it and vowed to make one some day. One thing I found being here on the west coast, Marzipan is pricey!  You guys and gals back in the east have it good and had I know when I was in New Jersey during the Duncan Hines contest, I would have driven to the nearest store and stock piled it! What we have here in Cali is marzipan in the tube and almond paste in a can and the can is definitely less expensive.  I own a restaurant and I can even buy marzipan from my local supplier but it's such a huge amount, still expensive and I really just needed about two tubes or about 16 ounces worth.  So in my quest of sifting through recipes, and there are a few starting with almonds or almond meal, I decide to create one that I could use almond paste in a can.  I think canned paste is way more pantry friendly for storing anyhow, and in a pinch....made marzipan quickly.

 

This pretty cake below isn't only adorned with Marzipan, but it's enrobbed in it also. Nice!

 

Homemade Marzipan Recipe

 

1 small can Almond Paste (about 9 oz)

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/2 C powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp orange flower water (you may omit this but the flavor is incredible.  If omitted, increase vanilla to 1/2 tsp)

1/2 of an egg white

 



 

1) Start by food processing almond paste just until it looks uniform.

2) Add sugars and process until combined.

3) Add flavorings and about 1 Tbsp of the egg white.  Here you are looking for the mix to start to ball up.  Add a little more egg white at a time until you get a ball.

 

 

 

 

4) Your mixture should look similar to pie crust dough.

 



 

 5) On a flat surface dusted with powdered sugar, take a small amount of marzipan dough and roll out about 1/4 inch thick. Refrigerate the rest in an plastic baggy or airtight container.

 

I used this flag cutter for my holiday cake but you can use anything you'd like.

 



 

 

6) After cutting it, pick it up with a sturdy spatula and put on to aluminum foil or something fire proof.

 

 

7) With a butane torch, add a nice rustic finish by burning the edges. (This is not necessary but I love the look.)

 

 

8) Use a little food coloring and brush on to your marzipan design.

 

...and voila...super fun and a super tasty treat.  What I love about Marzipan, unlike a sugar cookie, it won't absorb moisture and fall apart on your cake or cupcakes.

 

 

 

For more pictures of the cake and how to make it ( inside is an american flag too), check out my link here...

http://celebratemywhimsy.blogspot.com/2013/07/ombre-style-flag-cake.html

 

 

Happy Baking~