CANADA DAY FLAG CAKE

Fireworks, friends and food. Throw a party for Canada Day and serve this special strawberry maple-leaf flag cake. Start with a 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) sponge cake (recipe follows), or use your favourite recipe for white cake of that size, and completely cover it with whipped cream. Then form the outside red borders and distinctive maple leaf with sliced strawberries. Be sure to refrigerate the cake until sparkler time, then cut it and toast our birthday.

This recipe makes 18 servings

Ingredients

Sponge Cake:

1-1/2 cups cake-and-pastry flour 1-1/2 1-1/2cups cups(375 mL) (375 mL) cake-and-pastry flour

1/4 tsp salt 1/4 1/4tsp tsp(1 mL) (1 mL) salt

5 eggs , separated5 5eggeggs, separated

1 Pinch cream of tartar 1 1Pinch Pinchcream of tartar

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 1-1/2 1-1/2cups cups(375 mL) (375 mL) granulated sugar

3/4 tsp finely grated orange rind 3/4 3/4tsp tsp(4 mL) (4 mL) finely grated orange rind

1/3 cup orange juice 1/3 1/3cup cup(75 mL) (75 mL) orange juice

Filling and Decoration:

8 cups strawberries 8 8cups cups(2 L) (2 L) strawberrystrawberries

3 cups whipping cream 3 3cups cups(750 mL) (750 mL) whipping cream

1/4 cup icing sugar 1/4 1/4cup cup(50 mL) (50 mL) icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla 1 1tsp tsp(5 mL) (5 mL) vanilla

Preparation

Sponge Cake: Sift together flour and salt. Return to sifter and set aside. In large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy: sprinkle with cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add half of the sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks form.

In large bowl, beat egg yolks and remaining sugar until thickened; stir in orange rind and juice. Fold into egg whites. Sift flour, a third at a time, over egg mixture, gently folding in each addition.

Transfer to ungreased 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) cake pan and bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until spongy to a light touch. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes; turn out onto wire rack to cool completely. If possible, wrap and store for 1 day. (Cake can be frozen for up to 2 months.)

Filling and Decoration: Hull and slice about one-quarter of the strawberries. Whip cream; stir in icing sugar and vanilla.

With long serrated knife, cut cake horizontally in half. Set 1 layer, cut side up, on serving tray. Spread with about one-third of the whipped cream mixture; cover with single layer of sliced strawberries. Set top layer, cut side down, over berries. Spread remaining cream over top and sides.

Cut remaining berries in half and arrange in overlapping rows, cut side down, forming 2 side bands and a maple leaf in centre. Arrange remaining berries as garnish around sides of cake.


From Our OFFICE at CIR REALTY - Sounds yummy