Red, White and Blue Cake

Impress your July 4th guests with this colorful and patriotic cake!

Cake
1 18.25-ounce package white cake mix
4 egg whites
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/3 cups water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray three 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick coating. Combine cake mix, egg whites, sour cream and water in mixing bowl. Beat 2 minutes with electric mixer. Divide batter equally into prepared pans and bake for 10-15 minutes. Test with toothpick for doneness. Cool slightly and remove from pans.

Gelatin Mixture
1 tablespoon Jell-O blue gelatin powder
1/4 cup white cranberry juice or water
1 tablespoon Jell-O cherry powder
1/4 cup cranberry juice or water

While cake is baking, prepare gelatin mixtures. Measure blue gelatin powder into a small bowl. Add hot white cranberry juice or water. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.

In another bowl, dissolve red gelatin powder in hot cranberry juice or water. Let mixtures cool slightly, but do not allow to get too firm. With a large kitchen fork or a straw, poke holes in 2 of the warm cake layers. Spoon the blue gelatin mixture over one; red gelatin mixture over the second layer. Allow the layers to cool completely.

Berry Filling
16 ounces jellied or whole cranberry sauce
1/3 cup cinnamon red hot candies
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

While cake layers are cooling, combine cranberry sauce and red hots into a small saucepan. Heat and stir until sauce and red hots melt. Remove from heat; stir in blueberries. Let mixture cool slightly.

Assembly
Transfer the "blue" cake layer to a cake board or large cake plate. Spread1/2 of the berry filling evenly over the cake layer. Put the white layer on top of the bottom layer and spread the remainder of filling evenly over the surface. Position the "red" layer on top of the second. Frost with mock whipped cream frosting (recipe follows) and decorate with cranberries and blueberries if desired.

Mock Whipped Cream Frosting
1 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
dash salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla

In saucepan whisk milk, flour and salt together. Stir and cook over medium heat until thickened. Cool well. Put plastic wrap directly on top of mixture to prevent top from hardening. Measure sugar, butter and shortening into a medium mixing bowl. Beat well with electric mixer. Add cooled flour mixture and vanilla. Beat until fluffy and stiff liked whipped cream, about 3-5 minutes. Frost top and sides of cake. This frosting doesn't hold up well in heat, so refrigeration of frosted cake is recommended.