Patriotic poke cake appears in the cookbook “The Perfect Cake.” [Photo by Joe Keller, America's Test Kitchen/AP]
Although poke cake is usually in the form of a sheet cake, we thought it could make a beautiful and festive layer cake for the Fourth of July.
For a cake that was red, white and blue all the way through, we started by cooking blueberries and strawberries and then combining each with gelatin to create two colorful, brightly flavored syrups.
We used a simple white cake as our base; it was tender and flavorful but also had enough structure to handle a syrup soaking. We used a skewer to poke holes into the cake layers while they were still in their pans and then drizzled the blueberry syrup over one layer and the strawberry syrup over the other. A simple filling and frosting of whipped cream kept this cake light and refreshing for the summer holidays.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, go to www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Patriotic Poke Cake in "The Perfect Cake."
PATRIOTIC POKE CAKE
Servings: 10-11
Start to finish: 5 hours (plus 2 hours for cooling cake layers)
1 cup (5 ounces) blueberries
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoons berry-flavored gelatin
7 1/2 ounces (1 1/2 cups) strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon strawberry-flavored gelatin
2 (9-inch) White Cake Layers, cooled completely and still in pans
4 cups whipped cream
White cake layers
Makes two 9-inch or three 8-inch cake layers (If making a three-layer cake, start checking doneness a few minutes early)
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) cake flour
1 3/4 cups (12 1/4 ounces) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 F. Grease two 9-inch or three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Whisk milk, egg whites and vanilla together in bowl.
Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, until only pea-size pieces remain, about 1 minute. Add all but ½ cup milk mixture, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, add remaining ½ cup milk mixture, and mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds (batter may look curdled). Give batter final stir by hand.
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Gently tap pans on counter to settle batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, 23 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking.
Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours. (Cake layers can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours or frozen for up to 1 month; defrost cakes at room temperature.)
For the Patriotic Poke Cake
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