Cool Summer Cake Great for 4th of July

As a teacher at and busy mom to two teenagers, Monique Vinski has a lot on her plate. Even so, she enjoys filling the plates of others with the good food that she prepares.

Vinski says that when she got married was when she began to cook. “I was forced into it,” she mused. She said that her mom was always a good cook so she really had no desired to get involved until necessity called. But once Vinski started cooking she was hooked.

Now she likes not only to follow recipes but to “doctor things up." "Now that I’ve been cooking for a long time, I know better whether or not I can make changes in a recipe,” Vinski explains. She prefers to use fresh ingredients whenever possible. 

Not only does Vinski like to cook but she finds the presentation of the food fun, as well. She says that making your food nice to look at really adds a lot.

Her favorite part of cooking is baking. She loves to make pies with homemade crusts (Invite me over any time.) and also more unusual things like cream puffs. I’ve tasted her cream puffs and they’re yummy. 

Below is one of Vinski’s favorite cake recipes. It’s simple, beautiful and great for any occasion, as the name implies. This cake can be decorated with a variety of fresh fruits and/or edible flower. 

One way that I might choose to simplify this recipe even further is by purchasing a pre-made angel food cake, eliminating the step of baking one myself. I might even used store-bought whipped topping instead of whipping the cream, fool for simplicity that I am.

Try this cake for your 4th of July celebration.

Any Occasion Cake
ingredients:

• 1 box of angel food cake mix
• 1 small box of lemon instant Jell-O pudding mix
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1½ cups (more or less) of sliced fresh strawberries or (whole blueberries or raspberries) plus a few extra for garnishing top of cake.
• 2 tsp of sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• (angle food cake pan)

prep: 
Prepare angel food cake according to package instructions and bake in angel food cake pan.

While the cake is baking, in a small bowl prepare instant pudding mix and chill.

After cake has cooled completely, remove from pan and carefully slice a 1¼ - 1½” layer off of the top (set aside).

Scoop out enough cake within the ring to form a hollow for the pudding.

Mix the scooped pieces of cake in a large mixing bowl with the pudding and add sliced strawberries (or other berry choice).

Add pudding mixture to the hollow in the cake (don’t over-fill) and place top back on cake.

Chill for as long as desired.

Add sugar and vanilla to heavy whipping cream and beat until it reaches whip cream consistency.

Cover entire cake with the whipped cream and arrange fruit on cake as desired.

This cake is light, quick to put together, and pretty. Arranged the red and blue berries in small grouped designs to create a 4th of July cake. For a summer tea cake use raspberries, thinly curled lemon peel and small sprigs of mint.  Birthdays, Mother’s Day, showers, teas… this light and delicious cake can be easily modified to fit the theme.

Editor's Note: Carol Frey is the author of two humorous cookbooks, "Have You Considered Cooking?" and "The Grits Shall Rise Again!"