Red, White & Blue Layered Cake

Found from Betty Crocker just a week ago. I'm posting this because I'm definitely making this for our 4th of July celebration this year. The recipe is pretty neat using fresh fruits in the cake mix and ending with a layered cake that when cut looks like an American Flag. Feel free to use homemade frosting, etc. as I'm just posting as written on their site. ****Note made on July 4, 2012 and here are some hints: The whipped frosting is great inside but you really need a heavier frosting for the outside coating. I could not find red/white/blue sprinkles so I topped the cake with M&Ms in those colors (lucky to find those) or I'd just use a nice design of colored coarse sugars in red and blue in a circular pattern. The blue & red cakes are still really off in color and not perfectly blue even with the gels so just be prepared for more of a light blue and light red in color instead of deep colors. Other changes I've made to the actual recipe.

• Ready In: 3 hrs
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• Red Cake Layers

• 1 (16 1/4ounce) box  white cake mix
• 1  pint strawberry, stems removed, pureed (about 1 1/4 cups finished)
• 1⁄3 cup canola oil
• 3  egg whites
• 1  teaspoon  red gel paste  food coloring

• Blue Cake Layer

• 1⁄2 box  white cake mix (1 2/3 cups or 8 oz)
• 1⁄2 cup blueberries, pureed
• 3  tablespoons canola oil
• 2  whole eggs
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  blue gel paste  food coloring

• White Cake Layer

• 1⁄2 box  white cake mix (1 2/3 cups)
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 2  tablespoons canola oil
• 2  egg whites

• Frosting and Sprinkles

• 3 (16 ounce) containers  whipped fluffy  white frosting
•  red white and blue candy  colored sprinkles (or use M&M's)

Directions

1. RED LAYERS: Heat oven to 350°F Grease or spray two 8-inch round pans; place 8-inch round piece cooking parchment paper in bottom of each pan. Grease or spray parchment paper. In large bowl, beat red cake layer ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on high speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. Spread in pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 10 minutes; run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Gently remove from pans to cooling rack; remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
2. BLUE LAYER: Heat oven to 350°F Grease or spray 8-inch round pan; place 8-inch round piece cooking parchment paper in bottom of pan. Grease or spray parchment paper. In medium bowl, beat blue cake layer ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on high speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. Add in about a 1/3-1/2 cup of white candy sprinkles into batter. Spread in pan. Wait on baking until you prepare the white layer and then bake together. Bake 25-30 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 10 minutes; run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Gently remove from pan to cooling rack; remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. WHITE LAYER: Heat oven to 350°F Grease or spray 8-inch round pan; place 8-inch round piece cooking parchment paper in bottom of pan. Grease or spray parchment paper. In medium bowl, beat white cake layer ingredients with electric mixer on high speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. Spread in pan. Put both the white layer and blue layer in the oven to bake at the same time. Bake 25-30 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 10 minutes; run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Gently remove from pan to cooling rack; remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. RED LAYER PREP: Flatten red cake layers by trimming off rounded tops. Cut red layers in half horizontally to make 4 thin red layers. In 1 red layer, cut small round out of center, using 4-inch biscuit cutter. Wrap and freeze 1 thin layer and the layer that was cut out of; save for another use.
5. BLUE LAYER PREP: Flatten cake layer by trimming off rounded top. Do not cut in half horizontally. Cut small round out of center, using 4-inch round biscuit cutter. Wrap and freeze 4-inch round; save for another use.
6. WHITE LAYER PREP: Flatten cake layer by trimming off rounded top. Cut layer in half horizontally to make 2 thin white layers. In 1 layer, cut small round out of center, using 4-inch biscuit cutter. Wrap and freeze the layer that was cut out of; save for another use.
7. ASSEMBLY OF CAKE: Place 1 red cake layer on cake stand or serving platter; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top. Top with 1 white cake layer; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top. Top with second red cake layer; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top. Gently top with blue layer. Carefully spread thin layer of frosting on cut edge inside of blue cake layer. Gently insert white 4-inch cake round; top with frosting and then red 4-inch cake round; press slightly. Frost side and top of cake using remaining frosting. Top with sprinkles or colored candies. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.