4th of July Fireworks Cake

 It's almost here...

that summer night when we sit on a blanket in the grass with our family,

gazing upwards in awe as fireworks shoot across the dark sky

and explode above our heads in a blaze of light and color!

Don't you just love pyrotechnics??

Here is a fun Fireworks Cake you can make for the 4th of July!

Make a white cake mix.

Divide the batter into 3 bowls.

Leave one bowl white, dye one red and one blue.

Line the bottoms of 2 eight inch cake pans with wax paper and grease the sides.

Layer the batter in your pans, dropping by spoonfuls.

For marble effect: Drag a knife through the batter, making lines in a side to side motion;

then repeat this motion going up and down.

Be careful not to mix the colors together.

 Bake your cake as directed, and cool completely.

Frost your cake with white frosting, making the top as smooth as possible.

Put the cake in the freezer for at least 45 minutes to harden the frosting.

Read a good book while you wait...

Take your cake out of the freezer.

With gel food coloring, make a line of dots from the middle of the cake to the outside edge.

Starting at the outside dot, brush over the dots toward the center with a paint brush.

Clean your brush, and repeat all the way around your cake.

Work with one color at a time, and do not overlap them.

I also pressed star shaped sprinkles into the frosting on the bottom.

Serve up some cake before the fireworks start...

Enjoy!

If you are looking for more 4th of July treats,

check out my Patriotic Mini Star Cakes!

I link up at these fun weekly parties.

And these holiday link parties...

This post was featured!

Salted Caramel Buttercream with a Mustache

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Mustaches will always make me think of my dad.

He sported a mustache from the time I was a baby,

until the year my first child was born.

When I was a child, I would beg him to shave it off! I didn't like scratchy kisses.

But when he finally did get rid of the mustache, I was actually a bit traumatized.

My dad looked like a stranger! 

But it's OK, I recovered without therapy.

I created these yummy cupcakes for Father's Day.

First, I made chocolate mustache lollipops with candy melts and this mold.

Then I perched the lollipops on top of chocolate cupcakes, that I had topped with delicious salted caramel buttercream and drizzled with caramel sauce.

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You can find my favorite chocolate cake recipe here.
Just change the baking time to approx. 18 minutes for cupcakes.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

adapted from allrecipes.com

6026091

Caramel

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (may use less)

Buttercream

• 3/4 cup salted butter (softened)
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

To make caramel: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla; bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened (3 to 4 minutes), remove from heat and allow to cool. While it is still warm, add the cream a little at a time, until the caramel has the consistency of honey. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Beat the softened butter until fluffy, with an electric mixer on medium speed. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and mix well. Slowly add the caramel, beating until the frosting is smooth.

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OH. MY!!!
This combination of salty and sweet is absolutely incredible!
You really should make some of these for your dad...
even if he doesn't have a mustache.

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Enjoy!

I link up at these fun weekly parties.

This post was featured!