My 4th of July Recipes

If you saw my last post from camping, I mentioned I made a 4th of July Firecracker Cake and some patriotic Jello shots. Both of them tasted amazing and I figured I'd share the recipes.

Firecracker Cake

Ingredients:

- 1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist white cake mix
- Water (called for on cake mix box)
- Vegetable oil (called for on cake mix box)
3 egg whites (called for on cake mix box, I used liquid egg whites because I'm lazy)
- Red food color
- Blue food color
- 1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker Whipped fluffy white frosting

Here is a picture of the ingredients I used. You can also see one of our awesome wedding gifts above the oven.

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325^oF. Generously grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter as directed on box, using water, oil, and egg whites.

2. Pour 1 cup of the batter into a small bowl; stir in red food color until well mixed (I used about 30 drops of food coloring, but looking back I wish I used more). Pour another cup of the batter into a separate bowl; stir in blue food color until well mixed (again I used about 30 drops of food coloring but wish I had used more).

3. Pour red cake batter into bottom of pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over red batter in pan. Carefully pour blue batter over white batter (blue batter does not need to cover white batter completely; it looks better if it just forms a ring in the center of the white batter).

4. Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cook cake 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place cooling rack over cookie sheet. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.

5. When cake is cool, divide frosting evenly into 3 microwavable bowls. Microwave 1 bowl of frosting uncovered on high a few seconds (I microwaved for 10 seconds, mixed, and put it back in for 5 more seconds) until smooth enough to drizzle over cake. With spoon, drizzle all of white frosting back and forth around cake in a striping pattern.

6. Repeat microwaving second bowl of frosting until smooth. Stir in a few drops blue food coloring until well blended. Drizzle over cake, scattering frosting back and forth.

7. Repeat with remaining bowl of frosting and red food color, making sure red, white, and blue frosting can be seen on cake. Let cake stand at room temperature until frosting is set before serving.

Everyone said the cake tasted delicious and I loved how it turned out once we cut into it as well :-)

Jello Shots

Ingredients:

- 1 cup boiling water, divided

- 1 package (3 oz.) JELL-O Berry Blue Flavor Gelatin

- 1 package (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

- 1 envelope KNOX Unflavored Gelatin

- 1 cup milk, divided

- 3 Tbsp. sugar

- 1/2 tsp. vanilla

- 1/2 cup Vodka, divided (we used whipped cream vodka)

Directions:

1. Add 1/2 cup boiling water and 1/4 cup vodka to berry gelatin mix in small bowl; stir 2 min until completely dissolved. Repeat with strawberry gelatin mix. Cool.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over 1/4 cup milk in medium bowl; let stand 5 min. Bring remaining milk to a boil in saucepan (be careful because milk can burn easily).
3. Remove from heat; stir in sugar and vanilla. Add to plain gelatin mixture; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool 10 min.
4. Spoon berry gelatin into 20 (1-oz or 2-oz) plastic shot glasses sprayed lightly with cooking spray, adding about 2 tsp. to each. Refrigerate 15 min. or until set but not firm.
5. Top with unflavored gelatin mixture, adding about 2 tsp. to each cup. Refrigerate 10 min.
6. Cover with strawberry gelatin, adding about 2 tsp. to each cup. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

This was our finished product! I accidentally bought 4-oz shot glasses at the store because I wasn't paying enough attention, but I know they would look much better in the proper size!

And there you have it! Both of these recipes were fairly simple and are both adorable for the 4th of July of any other patriotic holiday. I can't wait to tackle my next holiday-themed recipe.