I really got into the spirit of things yesterday.
I bought red, white, and blue cupcake liners from the grocery store. They are now sitting on my shelf in my pretty new IKEA bookshelf that is reserved for baking supplies. It also holds my piping tips, piping bag, and two 9 inch cake pans. Why the pans have ended up in my room and not in the kitchen, I can’t really say. But I’m sure it has something to do with my undying patriotic fervor. Somehow.
I bought silly straws. For my brother.
Because he felt it wouldn’t really be the 4th of July if he couldn’t drink Sam Adams Summer Ale out of a silly straw.
Yes, he is 21 years old. I swear.
I attempted to have the sex talk with my 13 year old sister. Given the rates of teen pregnancies in this country. And the drain they end up being on the nation’s economy. I would venture to say that this was one of the more patriotic things I did all day.
In fact, someone should make a public service announcement about it. Especially here on the upper east side where parents care more about their bank accounts than their child’s sex life. It could come with a tax write off. Or something.
Just one of my many stellar ideas as to how we can solve the national budget crisis.
I pondered the legality of eating the American flag.
I mean. We all know it’s illegal to destroy the flag. Burning. Tearing. Cutting. Shredding.
And in its most literal form. Eating is certainly an act of destruction.
But then again, it’s also an act of love. Passion. Adoration.
So did I feel guilty eating this cake? No, I did not. Actually, I felt extremely pleased with myself. And kind of wished I hadn’t left the remaining slices with my parents. (Then again, if it is illegal, it’s better to leave the evidence with them. They would hold up much better in prison than I would. I mean. Me and prison food? Not happening.)
Although I did padlock my door before I went to bed. (Not that this would stop the feds. But it would least buy me some time. Deter them a little. Allow me to formulate an exit strategy. One that would hopefully work better for me than it has for the troops in Iraq.)
And spent an hour brushing my teeth trying to get the blue food dye out of it. (To no avail.) Nope. I had nothing to do with this cake at all whatsoever.
This fantastic cake with it’s strawberry soaked layers and it’s cream cheese buttercream frosting. That, if anything, will make you realize what life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are all about.
Yeah. I’m going to go not get another slice of it from the fridge.
Destroy the evidence.
The life of a fugitive is hard. But someone’s gotta do it.
Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Makes 1 9-inch layer cake and serves 12-16, adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp lowfat sour cream, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
Filling and Frosting
8 oz reduced fat Philly cream cheese
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 lb powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb strawberries
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix until well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring until just incorporated.
2. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep. (Ree uses an 8-inch cake pan, but I don’t own one.) Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (The outside will be pretty brown. Don’t be alarmed.) Immediately remove from cake pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
3. Stem strawberries and slice them into a large bowl. Mix with 3 tbsp sugar and let sit for 30 minutes. Mash the strawberries and divide into two batches. Mix each batch with one tbsp of sugar. Allow to sit for another thirty minutes.
4. Combine the cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Mix together until light and fluffy. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
5. When the cake is COMPLETELY cool, cut it in half widthwise. Spread strawberries evenly over each half, cut side up, including ALL of the juice.
6. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. This doesn’t have to be perfect so don’t stress when it’s not.
7. Place the second layer on top. Add the remaining icing to the top and sides, spreading evenly. I had some icing left over so I dyed it blue and piped stars onto the top of it. Perfect for the 4th of July but maybe not for your 25th wedding anniversary. Use your own judgment here.
8. Make sure to store this in the fridge until ready to eat otherwise the buttercream will melt!
Semi unrelated side note. Last week, I got an email from Danny of Danny Macaroons asking me if he could hand deliver some of his confections to my door. While I don’t usually accept candy cookies from strangers. If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that when a guy offers to bring you baked goods. You don’t say no. Ever. As these instances are few and far between.
Danny Macaroons supplies macaroons and pistachio biscotti to cafes and to individuals throughout New York City. I was given chocolate and caramel topped ones to try. And I have to say. These were utterly fantastic. They were even given the Sophie seal of approval. And Sophie doesn’t even like dried coconut. So if you live in NYC and are ever in need of a macaroon. Danny is definitely the guy to call.
ALSO. The REGIONAL RECIPES: GREECE Round-up is up! Our new country will be posted later today!
Fantastic shortcake. Very apt for America’s birthday!
oh that cake looks amazing! At least the blue teeth will show your patriotism 🙂
A perfect cake for 4th July!
looks great and so moist
The blue cupcake liner is not so popular right? I seldom see it.
Oh wow that shortcake looks and sounds amazing! If only I still had some of the fresh picked strawberries and if only the season didn’t end…today I think!
Oh for my cupcake maple leaves (that’s what they are supposed to be, I had to free hand it, so not sure you can tell!) I used Royal icing. My one mistake was making them the night before. If I had made them about a week earlier, they would have been much stronger!
pioneer woman’s recipes always look great. as do yours. and NOOOOOO i would die if you went to jail. for being BAD ASS. =D
i love cupcake liners that are holiday themed. i’m 24, i sweeearrrrrrrr. and that icing…i’d like to dip in that!
yeah 1 hr 22 minutes..and then 20 minutes on facebook chat. insane? i guess so.
i know. i’m still gonna keep looking for the dress. medium or large. i think i’m a medium. damn muscles. =/
yeahi did! we also went home and watched some on tv. hahaha. lame, we are.
you? (keeping you posted, i might see him today.)
Sex talks..totally patriotic! LOL! I love it!
The strawberry shortcake looks amazing! I am a huge fan of those blue icing stars 🙂
What a yummy looking cake!! I hear you on the blue frosting. There’s always evidence left somewhere that you’ve had something sinful.
I’m officially here at Cornell. Will email you details. I can’t wait to eat!
Did the frosting really make your teeth blue?? Lol. Fun when you’re a kid…not so much fun, when you’re a grown-up.
Ah, the impending sex/pregnancy/disease talk, looming over my head like a black cloud. And I’m still several years away! But you know what they say – “When you have a boy, you have one dick to worry about. When you have a girl, you have ALL the dicks to worry about.”
WOW>>> we think so much alike because I am going to make this also!!! you rock. yum!
wow thats really beautiful joanne…
I made this cake, last summer. That means I can give an honest opinion that this cake is dee-lish. Very patriotic, too! How fun to have macarons delivered to you. Gotta love NYC.
Great round up, great cake, you are so young and yet so restless and inventive.
great job on the sex talk. Really, good for you!
cake looks awesome.
Do you think this cake could help my explain to my almost 10 y/o dtr what a virgin is? It oddly keeps coming up and I just don’t know how to answer it without opening up a whole bunch of other questions.
The cake looks wonderful! Must be exceptionally moist.
Here, we’re not supposed to use the flag freely, even if the intent is good, and the nature of use is celebratory. we can go to jail for that. I’ve never understood why.
My husband likes to drink out of silly straws and he is 34. I think your brother should be excused for doing the same.
Love your patriotic cake and the fact you gave a sex talk to your sister. Maybe I can call you up in 8 years and you can do the same for my daughter?
Sounds like you had a very patriotic weekend Joanne…PS love the macaroons!
beautiful! have a fabulous day, dear 🙂
xo Alison
One: Our sister is 14. Two: Did not need to know about your sex talk with her. Three: Don’t hate on the silly straws.
Can you believe we don’t have an IKEA in Denver???…makes me flat out grumpy. The cake looks wonderful! Festive!
I absolutely agree — eating is the ultimate act of passion. And I would be absolutely passionate about eating this cake! 😉
I have never understood strawberry shortcake. Why do I want a biscuit for dessert? But this take on it I could totally get behind. I made the flag cake from Ina Garten’s book and I have to admit, it felt kind of weird cutting into it. It did not feel weird eating it.
Awesome shortcake! I am a huge fan of strawberries 🙂
The cake looks wonderful and wonderfully patriotic too! 😉 I could just eat that bowl of buttercream.
I wish Danny delivered to Honolulu. 😉
please send me a piece of that cake! it looks so good. gosh i have not thought of silly straws in so long. what a great sis you are to your brother.
AHAHA! That is a colorful cake! Very festive! You know, I haven’t made strawberry shortcake in a very long time but this one looks like a lot of fun to make. 🙂
Another lovely post my friend!
Definitely has to be one of the most delicious looking strawberry shortcake I have ever seen. I think my butt grew an inch just looking at it..lol.
That is so great that you gave your sister “the talk.” Not an easy thing to do but super, super important. My daughter is 13 and we just recently talked about it. I was surprised to find it was easier than I thought it would be once we got into the discussion, other than the occasional rolling of the eyes.
Macaroons look wonderful. Yet, another reason why I want to visit NYC soon:)
Looks so yummy…. Good luck on your sister talk. I did ponder eating an American Flag idea when I made my American Flag jello there was something strange about it but since we ate flag cake the year before oh well. Maybe that is why I made only 29 stars 😉
Beautiful cake and delicious for sure! You just crack me up! You could have always said you had a blue Slurpee if the feds showed up you know 😉
Hope you had a fantastic 4th!
PS – I keep forgetting to mention that I linked to you and your awesome inspiration…
http://seasidesimplicity.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-new-favorite-meal.html
Think of it this way, if you go to prison, you can be the cook and make a LOT of people happy with your creations! Prison food would never be the same!
Keep those macaroons away from me! WAYYYYYYY too tempting!!!
With baking, giving “the talk,” and running from the law, it sounds like you had a pretty eventful Independence Day!
And on a side note, seeings I am not likely to reach NYC anytime this century, I am going to have to try making those macaroons. Chocolate. Caramel. Yum!!!
hey! so glad you liked the macaroons…! love the post.
thanks for taking a chance on cookies from strangers. there are a few of us guys out there that can surprise you every so often 🙂
George and the boys would be so proud of you :-). That’s the most patriotic cake I’ve seen this holiday weekend. I must the recipe really sounds delicious. I hope you enjoyed the family time this weekend. Blessings…Mary
Whoa. yum.
Love your 4th of July cake! Looks delish! And the only way I can make things like this is to take them with me and LEAVE the leftovers with the hostess! Then I won’t be tempted!
Wow this looks awesome!! I like how you used the lower fat ingredients…we have to somehow make ourselves feel better about eating this stuff right? Oh, and blue teeth? I think this cake is worth it!
I love this cake! I had trouble staying away from it too! I like the addition of the blue stars. Hope your 4th was fun! 😉
ooh, i almost made this one when i was looking for my friend’s cake! love cream cheese frosting, though 🙂
My hubby and I hit Ikea for the first time on Saturday. It took us about two hours to make it through the store. We were wishing we needed furniture. Or lamps. Or pretty much anything. We settled on a rod you can hang a spice rack from and then when we got back from Orlando we realized it was the wrong rod. Oops.
Sweet cake.
what a gorgeous mess! Get in my belly!
Oh, lucky girl! That’s very cool…do they have a Northern Indiana location 😉 Your shortcake sounds AWESOME!
Great strawberry shortcake recipe and flawless execution. Perfect for the 4th. Good luck with the sister talks. Sad statement about those parents.
Cheers!
Oh, you are such a wicked cool sister. 🙂 If I had a sister I’d want her to be just like you. Seriously. 🙂
the dessert looks wonderful.. But you better be careful, that was almost a rant, you’ll get a rep for caring
omg i bet this tasted like a million dollars.. or at least a million blue stars lol. seriously looks dynamite and nothing beats adding fresh berries 🙂 and its got a good amount of icing without being overly-so. IMPRESSIVE 😉
You have a 13 year old sister. Awe! I remember my sisters when they were that age-so angry and adorable at the same time (smile).
Your cake sounds delicious and looks so moist too! I have to admit that I want that macaroon though-coconut is my weakness…
the sex talk and the silly straw! very patriotic indeed 😀
Great way to celebrate 4th of July…yummie cake 🙂
Your brother drinks Sam Adams out of a silly straw? LOL!
This cake looks awesome! Very patriotic. Ree would be proud!
A man who drops off macaroons at your door is a sweetie if there ever was one. 😉
Ive made the same cake before and we loved it also. I miss reading your stories Joanne. I hope to be around more often now as things settle.:)
i have been skipping gym for so many weeks… keep that cake away from me 😉 but honestly, it looks so yummy and tempting.. perfect red-blue-white cake.
yummy cake looks really delicious
naveen
http://smsjar.blogspot.com/
a colorful and yummy treat..nice one joanne
Remember I told you about the strawberry shortcake figurine? Now strawberry shortcake and smurf just got married 🙂
A scrumptious-looking cake!
I really enjoy your writing style, too!
For a cake that yummy looking, I think I’d risk being locked up.
PS: Hope you had a great 4th of July!
Love the stars on that cake…can’t wait to hear more about the cookies.
I salute your cake, Joanne. Wanna borrow some Crest Whitening Strips?
great cake I have also made this and I don’t blame you this cake is worth running from the law!!
sweetlife
Ha! Great festive dessert. I thin that it would be a high honor to eat the flag, because you’re not totally destroying it- You’re becoming one with it, in a sense. 😉
The shortcake looks absolutely heavenly! I would of been pining for another slice too. How lucky you are to get those scrumptious little macaroons delivered to your door!
some punks might consider this a cake wreck, but i think its flaws make it even more appealing. i’d hardly feel so guilty tearing into it and slathering it all over my face if the facade is less-than-perfect to begin with. 🙂
Mm i was sure I had the perfect strawberry & cream cake already, but this one sure is tempting. Or maybe I’m just seduced by the dangerous life of flag-eating crime? Guess I’ll have to make it to find out 8D.
Yum you did a great job with this cake!
oh yes that cake looks so good it is criminal ha ha (and a fine justification for blue teeth)
Looks like the perfect treat to celebrate the fourth!
I think that cake would totally be worth going to jail over!!