Star Spangled Cake Food

STAR-SPANGLED SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter; use a pastry cutter or two knives to incorporate butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Blend 2 cups heavy cream into flour mixture using a fork. Turn out onto a clean work surface; press away from you with the heel of your hand just to combine dough. Add 1 tablespoon cream if the dough is too dry to combine.
• Prepare egg wash: Place egg and 2 tablespoons cream in a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Press dough into a 7-by-10-inch rectangle, 1 inch thick. Use a 3 1/2-inch star cutter to cut out six biscuits. Press three of the stars to flatten slightly. Form into a ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet, alternating flattened stars with unflattened stars, using egg wash to join them along common edge. Gather remaining dough; cut out four more stars for additional servings, if desired. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove dough from refrigerator. Brush top of star ring and individual stars with egg wash, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees; continue baking until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Combine raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, red currants (if using), and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl, and toss to combine. Allow berries to macerate for at least 30 minutes, until very juicy. Whip remaining 1 1/2 cups cream to soft peaks.
• Use a serrated knife to cut star ring in half crosswise. Cut the four extra stars as well. Use two large offset spatulas to carefully lift the top half of the ring, and set aside, leaving the spatulas in place. Set aside tops of stars as well. Transfer bottom of ring to a serving platter. Transfer bottoms of stars to plates, if desired. Spoon macerated berries, juices, and whipped cream over star ring and additional stars. Place the tops on the star ring and stars using the spatulas, and dust with confectioners' sugar, if using. Serve immediately.

NO-BAKE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• For the cookie crust: Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving about a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
• Whisk together the cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a medium bowl until combined. Press the cookie mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm, 45 to 60 minutes.
• For the cheesecake filling: While the cookie crust chills, add the cream cheese, strawberries, sugar and vanilla to a blender. Blend mixture starting at low speed and bring it up to high until smooth. (If needed, use the tamper to push all the ingredients down towards the blades. This will ensure everything is blended evenly and smoothly.) Pour the mixture into a medium bowl. Add half of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently fold in using a rubber spatula. Repeat with remaining whipped cream.
• Pour the cheesecake filling over the chilled crust, spread and smooth with a spatula.
• Freeze the cheesecake for at least 4 hours. Use the parchment overhang to remove cheesecake from the pan and use a hot knife to cut into 9 bars. Keep frozen and put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving.
• To serve the bars, place the whipped cream in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a rosette of whipped cream on top of each bar. Gently place the blueberries and strawberries on top of the whipped cream. Serve immediately.

STAR-INSIDE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a half sheet pan or jelly roll pan with cooking spray.
• For the red-and-blue cake: Combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until fully incorporated. Stir in the milk until the batter is smooth.
• Divide the batter between two medium bowls. Use food coloring to tint one bowl red and the other blue. Transfer each of the colored batters to plastic piping bags or resealable plastic bags. Snip the end of each bag, and pipe your batter into the half sheet pan or jelly roll pan in 1/2-inch-thick rows, alternating colors.
• Bake the sheet cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Once cool, use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the striped cake.
• For the white cake: Combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until fully incorporated. Stir in the milk until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter to a piping bag or resealable plastic bag. Coat an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Pipe a thin layer of the white batter, about 1 inch deep, into the bottom of the pan.
• In the loaf pan, stand the star cakes upright and press them into the batter, creating two rows, side by side. Pipe the remaining white batter into the pan, covering the stars.
• Bake the loaf for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then unmold it and cool to room temperature.
• For the buttercream frosting: Beat the butter until it is light and fluffy, preferably in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, 1 to 2 cups at a time, allowing each batch to incorporate with the butter. (Use less confectioners' sugar for a slightly more buttery, looser frosting; use more confectioners' sugar for a slightly sweeter, stiffer frosting.) Increase the speed to medium, and add the salt, vanilla extract and cream. Beat until smooth, an additional 3 minutes.
• Use a serrated knife to level the cake and to carve off any dark brown spots. Place the cake on a serving plate.
• Frost the cake with an initial thin layer of buttercream. Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow the frosting to harden. (Note: This first layer doesn't need to look perfect, as the next layer of buttercream will cover it up.)
• Using an offset spatula, and working in an upward direction around the cake, add a second layer of frosting, approximately 1/2 inch thick. Add the remaining buttercream to a piping bag or resealable plastic bag fitted with a star tip (such as a Wilton #32 tip). Working in rows, pipe small dollops of frosting onto the top of your cake.
• Sprinkle with the red, white and blue sprinkles.

STAR SPANGLED CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter,flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan. Or, I like to use parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.
• Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
• For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.
• Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and strawberries for the red stripes, and icing for the white stripes, until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.
• You can serve this cake right in the pan, or, if you want to turn it out onto a board before frosting, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.

STAR-SPANGLED FLAG CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Reserve 3 Tbsp. of each flavor of dry gelatin mix. Add 1/2 cup boiling water to remaining cherry gelatin mix in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Repeat in separate bowl with remaining boiling water and berry blue gelatin mix. Pour each flavor gelatin into separate 9x5-inch loaf pan. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
• Meanwhile, spray 2 (13x9-inch) pans with cooking spray; cover bottoms with waxed paper. Spray with additional cooking spray. Prepare cake batter as directed on package; spread 2 cups batter onto bottom of one prepared pan. Measure 2 cups of the remaining batter into medium bowl; stir in reserved dry cherry gelatin mix until blended. Spread onto bottom of remaining prepared pan. Place both pans in oven.
• Bake 15 to 17 min. or until tops of cake layers are lightly browned and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans. Cool 15 min.; remove cakes from pans to wire racks. Discard waxed paper. Cool cakes completely.
• Meanwhile, spray 8x4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; line with waxed paper. Spray with additional cooking spray. Stir reserved dry berry blue gelatin mix into remaining cake batter; pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake 25 to 28 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 min.; remove from pan to wire rack. Discard waxed paper. Cool cake completely.
• Assembly
• Dip bottoms of gelatin-filled pans in warm water about 15 sec.; cut gelatin into small stars. Reserve trimmings for snacking or another use. Spoon frosting into medium bowl; whisk in COOL WHIP until blended. Cut each 13x9-inch cake layer lengthwise in half. Cut rounded top off loaf cake; reserve top for snacking or another use. Cut remaining loaf cake lengthwise in half.
• Reserve 1-1/3 cups frosting for icing final assembled cake. Place 1 red cake layer on platter; spread with some of the remaining frosting. Cover with 1 white cake layer; frost. Arrange blue cake strips, end-to-end, down 1 long side of frosted white cake layer, trimming as necessary to fit top of cake. Frost inside edges of blue cake strips. Cut remaining red and white cake layers lengthwise in half; place 1 red cake piece next to blue cake strips. Frost. Top with 1 white cake piece. Reserve remaining cake pieces for snacking or another use. Frost top and sides of cake with reserved frosting. Decorate with sprinkles and JIGGLERS stars.

STAR-SPANGLED PARFAITS

Steps:

• Place strawberries and blueberries in separate bowls. Drizzle each with 2 teaspoons vinaigrette; toss to coat. In a small bowl, mix yogurt and mint., Spoon strawberries into 4 parfait glasses. Layer each with yogurt mixture and blueberries. If desired, top with coconut.