If there’s one bit of American pride I can fully get into, it’s the Fourth of July. I would never miss a fireworks display, I enjoy any excuse for a barbecue, and boy, do I love a parade. This year I have found myself with no social obligations to tend to, but I felt, even so, that some festive food offerings were in order. First, I made a truly American (read: enormous) sized bowl of Honey, Poppy Seed, Pasta Salad. Then I set about preparing what was once an Independence Day tradition in my family.
My Nana lives for the summer in a gorgeously cozy apartment overlooking Main Street in downtown Wellfleet, which means that friends and family from all over converge at Nana’s to take in the local color that is Wellfleet on the Fourth of July. My younger self was cool with the parade and the visitors and even the red, white, and blue outfits we always seemed to wear, but I was really in it for the Flag Cake. Let me explain: Flag Cake is layers of pound cake and whipped cream decorated festively with strawberries and blueberries in the pattern of the American flag. My cousin always ate all the blueberries off the cake when no one was looking. It was delicious.
Unfortunately, my Nana hasn’t been able to make it back from her winter residence in Florida yet, so July 4th will be a bit different this year. It won’t feel like summertime until she arrives, but until then I thought I would attempt to hold myself over with a perfectly simple, buttery, pound cake, fresh berries, and some lightly sweetened whipped cream. I opted out of preparing the whole cake with its patriotic, fruity, flag pattern, for fear that the cake would get soggy before we had the chance to eat it all. Judging by the generous portions consumed by my boyfriend and I this afternoon, this concern apparently would not have been an issue. But, fear not, fellow patriots, because I can tell you proudly that this holiday treat is just as festive in single servings. Choose your own adventure!
Unfortunately, my Nana hasn’t been able to make it back from her winter residence in Florida yet, so July 4th will be a bit different this year. It won’t feel like summertime until she arrives, but until then I thought I would attempt to hold myself over with a perfectly simple, buttery, pound cake, fresh berries, and some lightly sweetened whipped cream. I opted out of preparing the whole cake with its patriotic, fruity, flag pattern, for fear that the cake would get soggy before we had the chance to eat it all. Judging by the generous portions consumed by my boyfriend and I this afternoon, this concern apparently would not have been an issue. But, fear not, fellow patriots, because I can tell you proudly that this holiday treat is just as festive in single servings. Choose your own adventure!
Patriotic Pound Cake
Adapted from Everyday Food.
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
1 cup Granulated sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
5 Eggs, at room temperature
½ tsp Coarse salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a loaf pan.
Cream butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, about 8 minutes (in the absence of leaveners, the cake relies on the lightness of the butter and sugar).
Add vanilla.
Gradually add eggs.
Add salt.
Gently mix in flour, in 3 half-cup additions, and stir until well combined.
Pour batter into pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a tester comes out still with a few moist crumbs attached.
Let cool completely before removing from pan/slicing.
I served the cake topped with blueberries and sliced strawberries, and a dollop of whipped cream, made by whipping 1 cup heavy cream with 1 ½ tbsps of granulated sugar and a dash of vanilla (no need for precision - it will be delicious either way - just make sure not to overwhip!).
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