The United States of America celebrates its 248th anniversary on July 4th. Celebrate the birth of our country and enjoy this holiday with your family and friends. Let’s all celebrate wisely.
One day I visited the Betty Crocker website and found many delicious looking recipes. I also noticed that there were many recipes for a red, white and blue cake, perfect for the Fourth of July.
As the article states on pages 23 and 25, “General Mills didn’t invent cake mix, but Betty Crocker helped make cake mix a staple in American grocery stores nationwide in the early 1950s.”
The following four recipes are provided by BettyCrocker.com Enjoy these fun recipes and this article on the history of Betty Crocker cake mix from MNopedia.
Congratulations on the 4th!
By Cindy Kujala, Interim Editor, HTF
Angel food pudding cake with berries
bettycrocker.com
Red, white and blue throughout! Layers of angel food cake, fresh berries and pudding make this a cool dessert to beat the summer heat.
Preparation time: 40 minutes Number of participants: 24
cake:
• 1 box of Betty Crocker Angel (16 oz.)
Food cake mix
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/4 cup red, white and blue sprinkles
filling:
• 4 Yoplait® cans (6 oz each)
Original strawberry yogurt
• 1 x Cool Whip frozen 12 oz.
Whipped cream (thawed)
• 1 box of instant vanilla (serves 4)
Pudding and pie filling mix
• 2 cups fresh strawberries (chopped)
topping:
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups fresh sliced strawberries
Move oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine cake mix and water in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 1 minute. Stir in sprinkles. Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until deep golden brown. Allow to cool completely, upside down, for at least 1 hour, according to cake mix box instructions. Run a knife around the edge and place cooled cake on a cooling rack.
In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, 1 1/2 cups whipped cream, and pudding. Cut cake in half. Tear one half into bite-sized pieces. Arrange in bottom of a 13×9-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle 1 cup chopped strawberries evenly over cake. Pour half the yogurt filling on top and spread. Tear the other half of cake into bite-sized pieces. Layer with remaining cake, chopped strawberries, and yogurt filling. Refrigerate 2 hours.
When ready to serve, spread the remaining 3 cups whipped cream over the cake. Arrange the blueberries in a large star shape in the center of the cake and garnish with sliced strawberries around the edge.
Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchen:
• Not enough time? Buy an alternative
Angel food cake, add sprinkles
Top each layer with chopped strawberries.
• For a neater appearance, use glass baking dishes
To show the layers.
• Try your favorite Yoplait flavors
A new taste with yogurt.
Red, white and blue independence day poke cake
Betty Crocker
Preparation time: 30 minutes Number of participants: 16
Our 4th of July cake is red, white and wow! This delicious red, white and blue poke cake can be made in advance and is perfect for any 4th of July celebration. But be careful, the fruit and pudding filled batter is so good you’ll be licking the spoon!
This star-spangled Fourth of July poke cake is completed with beautiful fresh sliced strawberries and blueberries. With a cake this beautiful, the fireworks can’t be the only highlight!
material:
• 1 box of Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™
white cake mix
• Water, vegetable oil, whole eggs
It’s listed on the cake mix box.
• 1 box of Jell-O™ (serves 4)
Strawberry flavored gelatin
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 box of Jell-O™ White (serves 4)
Chocolate flavored instant pudding
Pie filling mix
• 1/2 cup cold milk
• 1 frozen Cool Whip (8 oz.)
Whipped cream (thawed)
• 1 cup fresh strawberries (sliced)
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for dark or nonstick pan). Make and bake cake mix according to box directions for 13×9-inch pan. Allow pan to cool on cooling rack for 20 minutes.
With the tines of a fork, poke holes in the warm cake, about every 1/2 inch, near the bottom. In a medium bowl, stir the gelatin and boiling water to dissolve. Add the cold water and stir. Pour the mixture evenly over the cake. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 3 hours but no longer than 12 hours before serving.
In a large bowl, whisk the pudding mix and milk until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Spoon over the cake and carefully spread until even. Arrange the strawberries and blueberries on top of the cake in a flag pattern. Cover loosely and refrigerate.
Tip
Betty Crocker Kitchen:
• Prick the cake at least 50 times.
It’s 60 times so you can pack a lot in.
cake!
• Wipe the tip of the fork before stabbing.
If your teeth are dirty when cutting the cake
If you make a “thrust” that is too big
Making the Gelatin Distribution
Uneven.
• The gelatin mixture takes time to set.
Then chill completely with red and white
It’s a blue poke cake, so for best results,
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.
Spread pudding mix on top.
• I can’t find instant white chocolate.
Pudding? Exchange for 1 box (4 servings)
Jello™ Vanilla Instant Pudding and
Pie filling mix for this cake.
• To highlight the red, white and blue
This 4th of July cake
Cut into serving sizes
Place on a platter. On top of the cake
Small American flags available in crafts
Put on display in the store.
Strawberries and blueberries.
Firecracker Red, White and Blue Cake
By Arlene Cummings BettyCrocker.com
Preparation time: 20 minutes Number of participants: 12
Want to know how to make a red, white and blue cake? Look no further! For those warm summer months you need some red, white and blue cake ideas. We’ve got a great recipe for you!
Celebrate Independence Day in style with a Firecracker Red, White & Blue Cake made with Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ White Cake Mix, Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy Vanilla Frosting, and red and blue food coloring.
material:
• 1 box of Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™
white cake mix
• Water, vegetable oil, whole eggs
It’s listed on the cake mix box.
• 1 1/4 teaspoons per package of red gel food coloring
Betty Crocker™ Classic Gel Food Color
• 1-1/4 tsp. blue gel food coloring
Betty Crocker™ Classic Gel Food
color
• 1/2 cup of Betty (16 ounces)
Crocker™ Rich & Creamy Vanilla
Frosting
• 2 glasses of Betty Crocker™ Red, White & Blue
Sprinkle on top as desired
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with floured baking spray.
Combine cake mix, water, oil, and whole eggs in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, stirring bowl occasionally. Place 1 cup batter in a small bowl and add 1 teaspoon red food coloring and mix well. Place 1 cup batter in another small bowl and add 1 teaspoon blue food coloring and mix well.
Pour the red cake batter into the bottom of the mold. Carefully pour the remaining white batter into the mold over the red batter. Carefully pour the blue batter over the white batter. (The blue batter doesn’t need to completely cover the white batter, it just looks better if it forms a ring in the center of the white batter.)
Bake for 39 to 44 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven. Let sit for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Place cake on a cooling rack lined with wax or parchment paper. Place 1/4 cup frosting in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave uncovered on high for 10 to 15 seconds, or until thin enough to pour over cake. Using a spoon, drizzle warm frosting back and forth over cake in stripes.
Divide remaining frosting between 2 small microwave-safe bowls. Add 1/4 teaspoon red food coloring to one bowl and mix well. Microwave uncovered on high for 5 to 10 seconds or until thin enough to drip. Drip onto cake. Repeat with remaining bowl of frosting and 1/4 teaspoon blue food coloring. Sprinkle candy sprinkles on top. Let sit for about 30 minutes or until frosting is set. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchen:
• When you put the batter into the pan,
Mix with a spoon. Just pour and the color will change.
Leave it as it is without mixing
Fry each other in a frying pan.
• I like to use baking spray with flour.
When you bake red, white and blue
The bundt cake easily removes from the pan.
Coat the frying pan with shortening
You can also dust them lightly with flour.
• Watch the frosting carefully as it heats up
When heated in the microwave, it melts into a runny texture and is the perfect size for pouring.
Mini Chocolate Cupcake Flags
Betty Crocker
Preparation time: 45 minutes Number of participants: 80
Top mini chocolate cupcakes with creamy whipped cream and fresh fruit to create eye-catching cupcake flags.
cupcake:
• 1 box of Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™
devil’s food cake mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 3 eggs
• 1 bag (4 oz) of 100% spinach
puree
topping:
• 1 1/2 cups frozen (thawed) low-fat milk
Whipped topping
• 1 1/2 cups sliced small strawberries
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place a paper baking cup into each of 80 mini muffin cups.
Combine cupcake ingredients in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Just before serving, spread each cupcake with about 1 teaspoon of whipped cream.
Arrange 70 cupcakes on a tray. Add blueberries and strawberries on top of the cupcakes to create a stars and stripes pattern. Place remaining cupcakes on a plate. Store in the refrigerator.
Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchen:
Once you’re done decorating, these cupcakes need to be stored in the refrigerator, but you could also make these cute cupcakes again and freeze them without the frosting to pop them out as a special treat.
