Description
This stunning celebration cake features a tender vanilla sponge made with Greek yogurt and heavy cream for a velvety, moist crumb. Finished with a silky, less-sweet Swiss meringue buttercream, it is decorated with a beautiful patriotic flag design perfect for summer gatherings.
Ingredients
- 500g cake flour
- 450g unsalted butter, softened
- 250g Greek yogurt
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla pods or paste
- 425g egg whites
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Dark blue and red gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease and flour two 8-inch cake tins.
- Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl to aerate.
- Whisk together the heavy cream, Greek yogurt, and vanilla paste until smooth.
- Beat the room-temperature butter and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the butter mixture, ensuring each is fully absorbed.
- Add the flour mixture and the cream mixture alternately to the batter, starting and ending with the flour; do not overmix.
- Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pans for 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- For the buttercream, whisk egg whites, sugar, and vanilla over a double boiler until the mixture reaches 150°F (65°C).
- Whip the meringue on high speed for about 20 minutes until thick, glossy, and completely cool.
- Add butter chunk by chunk to the meringue while whipping until a smooth, emulsified cream forms.
- Slice cakes into four layers, stack with buttercream, and decorate with colored frosting using star and round tips to create the flag pattern.
Notes
To ensure the most stable buttercream, make sure your meringue is completely cool to the touch before adding any butter. If the frosting appears to curdle during the process, continue whipping at high speed, and it will eventually come together into a smooth emulsion.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American