Poke Cake: American Flag for 4th of July

It is time to celebrate the American Independence Day guys!! It is the July 4th weekend!! Apart from celebrating the American Independence Day, it is also the weekend when there will be tons of barbecues all over the country!!

To celebrate this occasion, I decided to make a poke cake.Yes it is really a cake where you poke tons of holes into the cake! Believe me when I tell you that my kids had fun poking holes into the cake! Finally, there was something that they could do right without me getting mad at them!! I decided that my kids could learn and have fun at the same time. Therefore, I made it as the star spangled banner ( the American Flag)! I made 2 trays: one for my son's school and one for us at home and especially for my dear friend Angie at Fiesta Friday#126! I don't have half the photographic skills that you have Angie, but I sure can vouch for the cake!

Poke cake is super easy! I am going to share with you the healthy vegetarian version of the vanilla cake with the vegetarian jelly. In cooking made easy part of this post, you will also see the quick version which is not vegetarian! Both taste good.

This cake has been inspired by the recipe from Kraft. For the original recipe, click here.

Servings: 10-12 people

Ingredients:

For the cake:

All purpose flour: 1 and 1/4 cups
Corn flour: 3 tbsp
Baking powder:1 tsp & a pinch
Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Granulated sugar: 3/4 cup
Olive oil: 1/2 cup ( any cooking oil can be used)
Greek Yogurt: 1 cup ( regular yogurt can also be used).
Vanilla essence: 1 tsp

For the jelly:
China grass instant pudding mix: 1 packet ( 80 gm)
Water: 250 ml

For the frosting:
Cool whip : 1 container ( you can use whipped cream too).

For garnish:
Blueberries: 24 nos ( may not need all)
Strawberries: 10-12 ( may not need all)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

Grease a 7x11 inch baking tray and keep ready.

Beat together yogurt and sugar until it is creamy. To this mixture add the oil, vanilla essence and mix well.

Sift together the flour, cornflour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly using the beater on the lowest setting or using a hand-held whisk. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 350deg F for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Take the pan out and let it cool completely before proceeding to the next step.

While waiting for the cake to bake and cool down, wash the berries and dry them using a paper towel. Cut the leaves of the strawberries and slice them into two halves. Keep aside.

Once the cake is cooled, immediately poke holes into it using a fork.

Prepare the jelly as per the instructions on the package. Do not let it set.

Immediately pour it into the cake so that the jelly is spread evenly all through the cake.

Place the cake pan in the refrigerator for an hour.

After an hour, remove the cake pan out.

Spread the cool whip on top of the cake evenly until it is a 1-cm thick layer. Place the pan back in the refrigerator for an hour.

Now garnish using fresh berries. I have used blueberries and strawberries and arranged them to look like the Stars and Stripes of the American Flag. You can do it in any way you desire.

Place it back in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Slice and serve.

Enjoy! I am also sharing this cake at Throwback Thursday#45 and Saucy Saturday.

Cooking made easy:

You can use the boxed yellow or white cake mix to make the cake.
Jello can be used if you don't have reservations against gelatin.
Just follow instructions on the package to prepare both the cake and the jelly. Only don't let the jello set. Pour it on the cake before it sets.

You will need longer time in the refrigerator for the jello to set.

Tip for healthy living:

When serving desserts, serve small portions. Desserts are meant to be eaten in small portions. They are not meant to be the main course! Smaller portions means lesser calories! You would have satisfied your sweet tooth without overloading your body with calories!