Maggie's Red, White and Blue Cake

One of the things I enjoy about writing this blog is its eclectic nature. The topics I want to write about range far and wide, from serious to silly to fun to interesting--and recipes! I meant to post this after the 4th of July, and just now am remembering to share it with you.

My sister Maggie brought the ingredients for a red, white and blue cake for our 4th of July dessert. I thought it was going to be complicated process, but it was so simple. This cake would be good for Labor day, Veteran's Day or any other national holiday--or heck, just make it for the fun of it. Hats off to sister Maggie for sharing this good idea with us. As you can see in the photo, she had to work fast--while Susan cut berries and Maggie put them in place, little Sam was helping himself.

Red, White and Blue Cake

1 angel food cake
1 container of whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
1 quart of strawberries
1 or 2 pints of blueberries

That's it!

Now, to make the cake:

You can cut the angel food cake in half across the middle and spread whipped topping on the bottom half, then put the cake back together and cover it with the rest of the whipped topping. Or you could just frost the whole cake with whipped topping, which is even easier.

Wash the strawberries and cut into quarters. Wash and stem the blueberries. Use the berries to create any design you like on the cake. Maggie did rows of red and blue berries and it was very pretty.

That's all there is to it, and it was delicious and quick. And low calorie if you use fat-free whipped topping.

Speaking of whipped topping, long ago I used to make my own whipped topping. I sometimes added cinnamon and nutmeg to it to make a spiced topping for peach upside-down cake--which I have not made in years but either, with the peaches coming ripe now maybe I should dig that recipe out again too.

Here's the whipped topping recipe--it's quick, simple and tastes delicious. Low cost too, which is always a plus in my book.

Whipped Topping

1 cup of instant nonfat dry milk
1 cup of ice water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 c sugar

Chill bowl and beaters.

Whip dry milk with water until soft peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.

Add vanilla and beat until stiff, about 4-6 minutes.

Fold in sugar and beat for another minute.

You could use other flavorings, too, depending on what you're using the topping on--almond or lemon, for example.