4th of July Yankee Doodle Cake

I married a Yankee Doodle Dandy – born and raised in New York, he proudly served his country in the military, and more importantly, he was born on the 4th of July. (He even played Prince Charming in a play once, for which I have a picture of him with a feather in his cap!) It’s too much!

His favorite dessert is Strawberry Shortcake, and I’ve developed a version of the 4th of July that I call the “Yankee Doodle” with blueberries and strawberries to incorporate all the colors of the flag. It is a great success. He loves blueberries as much as strawberries, but had never considered including them in his birthday dessert.

Candles are a little tricky in whipped cream (perhaps sparklers would be easier), but they’re doable with a little care and just as appropriate for our Independence Day celebration as they are for celebrating my Yankee Doodle Dandy’s birthday. .

This dessert is easy and spectacular. You can use a simple cake made from a mix instead of the cake recipe below, and a ready-made whipped topping or canned whipped cream instead of fresh to make it even easier, but with just a little bit of effort, this dessert can be made from scratch and assembled in less than an hour (including baking time).

yankee doodle

4 eggs
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 pint blueberries, cleaned and patted dry with paper towels
1/2 pint strawberries, cleaned and patted dry with paper towels (sliced ​​or whole, whichever you prefer)

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 325. Beat eggs, salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy and nearly tripled in volume. Carefully mix in the flour, just until well blended. Don’t overmix the flour, or the slight fluffiness you just beat into the mixture will go away. Pour the batter into a greased cake pan. I use a 9-inch fluted rimmed pan, but an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan will work just fine. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and then unmold onto a serving platter. Let cool for at least another ten minutes before making the whipped cream.

For the whipped cream:
In a large clean bowl with clean beaters, beat cream on low speed until soft peaks form and doubled in volume. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and beat for another 30 seconds on low speed.

To assemble:

Pour the whipped cream over the cake and spread it out in a roughly even layer. Arrange the strawberries and blueberries on top (either methodically in a pattern or just spread out).

Note:
It is best when assembled immediately before serving, but can be assembled carefully covered and refrigerated for up to two hours before serving.
Serves 6-8 depending on the size of the appetite.