America's Birthday Cake Recipe

America's Birthday Cake Recipe America's Birthday Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home Rating 4

My birthday is July 3, so we celebrate it along with America's birthday. I created this yummy cake as a way to serve a red, white and blue cake for both occasions. We top each piece with a birthday candle and everyone blows out the candle to celebrate both birthdays. Darlene Brenden Salem, Oregon

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America's Birthday Cake Recipe
  • Prep: 25 min. Bake: 30 min. + cooling
  • Yield: 15 Servings
25 30 55

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup red food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-1/4 cups cake flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • SAUCE:
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Dash salt
  • CREAM:
  • 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Directions

  • In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
  • Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
  • For sauce, in a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in orange juice until smooth. Add the blueberries, nutmeg and salt; cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Cool.
  • In a small bowl, whip cream and confectioners' sugar until stiff peak forms. Serve cake with sauce and whipped cream. Yield: 15 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 piece with 2 tablespoons sauce and 3 tablespoons cream equals 378 calories, 16 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 61 mg cholesterol, 287 mg sodium, 55 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Originally published as America's Birthday Cake in Taste of Home June/July 2009, p20

Sweet White Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a sweet white wine such as Moscato or a sweet Riesling.

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Reviews for America's Birthday Cake

America's Birthday Cake Recipe

America's Birthday Cake

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(1-14) of 14 reviews

Reviewed on Jul. 11, 2010 by djb53

Sorry but I have a recipe for red velvet that stays moist. This cake came out real dry. Really was not happy with the cake but the sauce was very flavorful.

Reviewed on Jul. 09, 2010 by CWOCN

Excellent flavor and texture - my guests loved it. I used 1 oz red color and rinsed the bottle with water and used it to equal 1/4 cup of liquid.

Reviewed on Jul. 05, 2010 by njgigi

I don't like Red Velvet cake (per se) so this became a White cake with Red tinted cream and Blue sauce. Very festive as we celebrate 3 b'days on the Holiday.

Reviewed on Jul. 04, 2010 by ginny3235

Has anyone tried using the red velvet cake mix for this? If it works as well, I would love to try the sauce etc.

Reviewed on Jul. 04, 2010 by MaryK.

Use an equal amount of softened, unsalted butter. I can't stand shortening either, and always sub using sofened butter. You could also add extra buttermilk to equal the amount of liquid red food coloring, and then use paste food coloring. That's what I would do We don't care for Red Velvet cake either as they're so tasteless, unless you just make a regular chocolate cake of some kind, and then add the food coloring to make it more of a red

Reviewed on Jul. 04, 2010 by JPhilip03

This is really just your bassic Red Velvet cake..not one of my favorites. However the sauce looks like a real keeper.

Reviewed on Jul. 04, 2010 by grammiebrenda

i only use paste c oloring how would i sub this for the liquid

Reviewed on Jul. 04, 2010 by dellbo

I DON'T LIKE TO USE SHORTENING, WHAT ELSE COULD I USE??

Reviewed on Jun. 26, 2009 by Jenniferakimball

I quadrupled this recipe and made it for dinner at the homeless shelter where I volunteer. Everybody loved it! It was so beautiful, and tasted just as great! As far as the food coloring goes, we used 3 bottles for the 4 cakes, and they were very red!

Reviewed on Jun. 17, 2009 by PieMaker1a

Fascinating!

Reviewed on Jun. 07, 2009 by designsbybriana2

MonLaird - I found the 1/4 cup of red food coloring at my local grocery store. I'm not sure stores like Walmart would carry it but I just bought a big bottle of it - 1.5 fl oz and it came out to about 1/4 cup.

Reviewed on Jun. 07, 2009 by designsbybriana2

This was a very very good cake. I think next time I would double the sauce because as I got to the end of eating the cake we had no more sauce left. YUM!!!

Reviewed on May. 30, 2009 by MomLaird

Where in the world did you find 1/4 cup of red food coloring?

Reviewed on May. 27, 2009 by ltlphyl_NH

EXCELLENT! I made this cake exactly as written. I was afraid it might be to sweet for my family's taste. Not at all. Just right. I wouldn't change any of the ingredients. at all. I will be making it again and again.

I must add that I rated the the recipe incorrectly and don't know how to change it. This diserves a 5-star rating. I unfortunately used 1s where I should have used 4s or 5s. Please accept my appologies.

 
 

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