Patriotic Poke Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 2, 2013
Time
2 hours, plus 5 hours chilling and cooling
Yield
Serves 12
Ingredients
White Cake
1 cup whole milk, room temperature6 large egg whites, room temperature2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 ¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour 1 ¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) granulated sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon table salt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened but still coolBlueberry and Strawberry Syrup
5 ounces (142 grams/1 cup) blueberries 1 ¼ cups water, divided¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar, divided2 tablespoons berry-flavored gelatin 7 ½ ounces (213 grams/1½ cups) strawberries, hulled1 tablespoon strawberry-flavored gelatinLightly Sweetened Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy cream, chilled2 teaspoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extractBefore You Begin
If you’ve forgotten to bring the milk and egg white mixture to room temperature, set the bottom of the measuring cup containing it in a sink of hot water and stir until the mixture feels cool rather than cold, around 65 degrees. For the best results, we recommend weighing your ingredients. We developed this recipe using Pillsbury Softasilk bleached cake flour; we do not recommend using an unbleached cake flour such as King Arthur brand. Flavored gelatin and fresh berries give white cake layers stripes of red ruby and berry blue. We swathe the cake in whipped cream for a festive July 4 treat.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans.
- Mix milk, egg whites, and vanilla together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until only pea-size pieces remain, about 1 minute.
- Add half of milk mixture, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low, add remaining milk mixture, and beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds (batter may look slightly curdled). Give batter final stir by hand; do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until tops are light golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool completely in pans on wire rack, about 2 hours.
- Cook blueberries, ¾ cup water, and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium saucepan over medium-low heat, covered, until blueberries are softened, about 8 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl; discard solids. Whisk berry-flavored gelatin into juices and cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Repeat cooking and straining using strawberries, remaining ½ cup water, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Whisk strawberry-flavored gelatin into juices and cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Using skewer, poke 25 holes in top of each cake, twisting gently to form slightly larger holes. Pour cooled blueberry syrup over 1 cake layer. Repeat with cooled strawberry syrup and second cake layer. Cover cakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until gelatin is set, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours. Run knife along interior of pans. Invert blueberry cake onto wire rack, then flip cake right side up onto serving platter. Spread 1 cup whipped cream over top. Invert strawberry cake and place, right side up, on whipped cream. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides of cake. Slice and serve.
for the white cake
for the blueberry and strawberry syrups
for the lightly sweetened whipped cream
to assemble
Time
2 hours, plus 5 hours chilling and coolingYield
Serves 12Ingredients
White Cake
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1 ¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened but still cool
Blueberry and Strawberry Syrup
5 ounces (142 grams/1 cup) blueberries
1 ¼ cups water, divided
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar, divided
2 tablespoons berry-flavored gelatin
7 ½ ounces (213 grams/1½ cups) strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon strawberry-flavored gelatin
Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients
White Cake
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1 ¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened but still cool
Blueberry and Strawberry Syrup
5 ounces (142 grams/1 cup) blueberries
1 ¼ cups water, divided
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar, divided
2 tablespoons berry-flavored gelatin
7 ½ ounces (213 grams/1½ cups) strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon strawberry-flavored gelatin
Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients
White Cake
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1 ¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened but still cool
Blueberry and Strawberry Syrup
5 ounces (142 grams/1 cup) blueberries
1 ¼ cups water, divided
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar, divided
2 tablespoons berry-flavored gelatin
7 ½ ounces (213 grams/1½ cups) strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon strawberry-flavored gelatin
Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Why This Recipe Works
For a Patriotic Poke Cake that screamed red, white, and blue all the way through, we cooked blueberries and strawberries to create two separate syrups to drizzle over our white cake. Poking holes into the top of the cake allowed us to incorporate our syrups directly into the interior of the cake.
Before You Begin
If you’ve forgotten to bring the milk and egg white mixture to room temperature, set the bottom of the measuring cup containing it in a sink of hot water and stir until the mixture feels cool rather than cold, around 65 degrees. For the best results, we recommend weighing your ingredients. We developed this recipe using Pillsbury Softasilk bleached cake flour; we do not recommend using an unbleached cake flour such as King Arthur brand. Flavored gelatin and fresh berries give white cake layers stripes of red ruby and berry blue. We swathe the cake in whipped cream for a festive July 4 treat.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans.
- Mix milk, egg whites, and vanilla together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until only pea-size pieces remain, about 1 minute.
- Add half of milk mixture, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low, add remaining milk mixture, and beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds (batter may look slightly curdled). Give batter final stir by hand; do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until tops are light golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool completely in pans on wire rack, about 2 hours.
- Cook blueberries, ¾ cup water, and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium saucepan over medium-low heat, covered, until blueberries are softened, about 8 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl; discard solids. Whisk berry-flavored gelatin into juices and cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Repeat cooking and straining using strawberries, remaining ½ cup water, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Whisk strawberry-flavored gelatin into juices and cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Using skewer, poke 25 holes in top of each cake, twisting gently to form slightly larger holes. Pour cooled blueberry syrup over 1 cake layer. Repeat with cooled strawberry syrup and second cake layer. Cover cakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until gelatin is set, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours. Run knife along interior of pans. Invert blueberry cake onto wire rack, then flip cake right side up onto serving platter. Spread 1 cup whipped cream over top. Invert strawberry cake and place, right side up, on whipped cream. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides of cake. Slice and serve.
for the white cake
for the blueberry and strawberry syrups
for the lightly sweetened whipped cream
to assemble
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