Canadian Flag Cake Food

CANADIAN FLAG CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 11X17-inch baking pan with 1-inch high sides.
• Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat one egg at a time into the butter mixture; beat in sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk just until combined. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and finish mixing with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread to corners of pan and smooth top with a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes. To remove cake from pan, run a paring knife between cake and pan. Cover cake pan with plate or cooling rack; invert to transfer cake onto plate.
• Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low; slowly pour in cream. Once cream is incorporated, turn mixer speed to medium-high; beat until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over top and sides of cake, smoothing the top. Place 2 to 3 rows of overlapping strawberry slices parallel to short sides of cake for the two red stripes of the Canada flag. Trace out a maple leaf shape in center of cake with a toothpick; use points of strawberry slices to create points of maple leaf. Cut a strip of strawberry for the leaf stem; fill in the area of the maple leaf with sliced strawberries. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.

CANADA DAY FLAG CAKE

Steps:

• First, make the cake.
• Preheat oven to 350F; have ready an ungreased 13x9 oblong pan.
• Using a flour sifter, sift together flour and salt, then return to sifter and set aside.
• In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy; sprinkle with cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add half of the sugar to the whites, beating until stiff glossy peaks form.
• In another large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and remaining sugar until thickened; stir in orange rind and juice.
• Fold this into the egg whites.
• Sift flour, a third at a time, over the egg mixture, gently folding in each addition.
• Place this batter into the 13x9 pan and bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until spongy to a light touch.
• Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn cake out onto a wire rack to let it cool completely (if possible, wrap and store for 1 day; cake can also be frozen for up to 2 months).
• When ready, make the filling and decoration.
• Hull and slice about one-quarter of the strawberries.
• Whip the cream; stir icing sugar and vanilla into whipped cream.
• Using a long serrated knife, cut cake horizontally in half and put one layer, cut side up, on a large serving tray.
• Spread with about one-third of the whipped cream mixture and cover with a single layer of sliced strawberries.
• Carefully put the top layer, cut side down, over the berries.
• Spread remaining cream over top and sides.
• Now, cut the remaining berries in half and arrange in overlapping rows, cut side down, forming 2 side bands and a maple leaf in centre.
• Use any remaining berries as a garnish around the sides of the cake.

CANADA FLAG "CAKE"

Steps:

• LINE bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cake slices; set aside.
• STIR boiling water into combined dry jelly powders in large bowl at least 2 minute until jelly powder is completely dissolved.
• Add ice cubes; stir 3 to 5 minute or until thickened.
• Remove any unmelted ice. Stir in 1 cup of the strawberries.
• Spoon over cake slices.
• Refrigerate 15 minute.
• Cover evenly with the whipped topping or whipping cream.
• REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until jelly is firm.
• Arrange remaining 2 cups strawberries over whipped topping to resemble the Canadian flag.
• Store in refrigerator.

WAVING FLAG CAKE

Steps:

• Combine 1 package cream cheese, 2/3 cup of the confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium until light and airy, about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer speed to low and stream in 1 quart heavy cream. Mix until incorporated; scrape the sides then increase the mixer speed to high and whip to stiff peaks, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and cream. Add the mixture to the large bowl.
• Transfer 1/2 cup of the cream mixture to a small bowl and color it with 4 drops of the blue food coloring. Transfer 1 1/4 cups of the cream mixture to a medium bowl and color it with 8 drops of the red food coloring. Transfer 1 3/4 cups of the cream mixture to a second medium bowl (do not color it). Cover all 4 bowls and refrigerate while you assemble the cake.
• Split the angel food cakes in half horizontally using a long, serrated knife. Keeping the layers stacked, cut each cake in half vertically. Arrange 2 of the stacked halves from one cake on a large platter or cake board so that they create an S shape; slide the ends so they are slightly offset. Repeat with the second cake, nestling the halves up against those of the first cake so that together they resemble a thick curved line. (There will be some gaps between the cakes.) Repeat with the third cake.
• Trim the edges of the arches along the short ends of the cake to create a more or less straight line (these will be the ends of the flag). Use half of the cake scraps to fill in the holes between the cake stacks. Reserve the other half of the scraps.
• Remove the top pieces from the cake stacks and set them aside. Spread the bottom pieces with 3 cups of the undyed cream mixture in the large bowl. Scatter the strawberries and blueberries on top. Dollop with 3 more cups of the cream mixture and spread it evenly. Top with the reserved top cake pieces. Fill in the gaps between the cake stacks with the remaining cake scraps. Cover the sides and the top of the cake with the remaining cream mixture in the large bowl.
• Transfer the blue cream mixture and 1/2 cup of the reserved white cream mixture (from the medium bowl) to separate pastry bags fitted with large star tips. Transfer the red cream mixture and the remainder of the reserved white cream mixture (from the medium bowl) to separate pastry bags fitted with large round tips.
• For the stars: Pipe a blue star in the upper left corner of the cake; use a small offset spatula to press down in the center of the star and then drag the spatula to the right to create a short smear. Wipe the spatula clean. Pipe a white star next to the blue one and repeat the pressing and dragging motion; wipe the spatula clean. Repeat piping and dragging stars in alternating colors, wiping the spatula clean between each, to make 3 rows of stars in the upper left corner of the cake.
• For the stripes: Use the same piping and dragging technique to create red and white stripes, but pipe dots with the pastry bags fitted with the round tips instead of the ones with stars.