Happy Birthday, America!

Celebrate the Fourth of July with this eye-pleasing patriotic flag cake.

This is no ordinary birthday cake. On the outside, it appears plain white and completely unassuming. But, the inside is extraordinary – it looks like an American flag! What better way than to celebrate our nation's founding?

Here’s a little look at the construction of America’s birthday cake.

How to build a patriotic cake
Inspired by 17 and Baking 

For a step-by-step photo guide, click here.

Mix up a white cake batter.

Divide up the batter by thirds into bowls and use gel food coloring to mix up a blue batter and a red batter. Leave one batter white.

Using greased aluminum cake pans (you'll need 6!) divide the white batter between two pans, divide the red batter between three pans, pour the blue batter into one pan. Bake according to your cake mix instructions, but watch closely since the individual cakes won't be as thick.

Once they have cooled, use a long serrated knife to level the cakes.

Frost a red and white layer together. Place the blue layer on top. Using a ramekin as a shape guide, cut a circle through all three layers. Discard the inside of the blue layer and the outside of the red and white layer. 

Fit the now smaller red and white layers inside the larger blue layer, like a puzzle.

Build the base of the cake by spreading a thin layer of frosting between a red layer, a white layer, and another red layer. Place the cake layers trimmed-side down to spread the frosting more easily.

Place the red, white, and blue layer on the top of the red, white, and red layer base.

To keep your serving platter clean, tuck wax paper along the edges of the cake while you frost. Spread a thin layer of frosting all around the cake. Think of this coat of frosting as the corset holding all of the layers and crumbs in place. Refrigerate until the frosting is firm.

Spread a second layer of frosting over the cake and decorate as desired. When the frosting is complete, gently pull the wax paper away.

For a step-by-step photo guide on The Gourmand Mom, click here.

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