I Pledge Allegiance..to my Gluten Free Vegan Flag Cake

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

So we have all seen the traditional flag cake, made with strawberries and blueberries. Lucky us, we can never eat the damn thing at the yearly holiday BBQ!!! Well, there is no longer any need to oogle over the cake. Bring this sucker with you next time, and everyone will be so into the amazing flavor that they won't question the ingredients!!

My mom was the chef behind this beauty. I was going to help, but licking the batter off the inside of the bowl was much more fun...just like being a little kid again!! I will admit, I am not a great baker, and my mom always was, so this was all her...

Ingredients:

~1 box Whole Foods 365 White Cake

~Ener G egg replacer

~vanilla soy milk

~sticks of Earth Balance Margarine, room temp (easier to measure than tubs)

~shredded coconut

~All natural, no sugar added strawberry preserves

~Cherrybrook Kitchen Vanilla Frosting (1 container)

~20-30 same-sized blueberries

~1 pint strawberries

~extract of choice (it calls for vanilla, but my mom's had gluten in it and I forgot to buy some, so we used anise flavor!)

~brownie pan (8in X 8in)

My mom started by preheating the oven according to the box and mixing the white cake according to the box instructions. She greased the pan with the Earth Balance. In place of milk, we used vanilly soy milk. I always use vanilla flavored milk in sweet recipes to add a little pizzazz to the taste. Follow the box directions for the EnerG egg replacer in place of the 2 eggs. For butter, we again used the Earth Balance, which I found in sticks that are easier to use than scooping from the tub. The dough will appear very thick, but this is normal. Before baking the acke, my mom took heaping tablespoons of the strawberry preserves and dropped them onto the cake..with about 6-8 drops equally spaced. She then took a butter knife and gently swirled the preserves into the whole cake so that each cut piece would get some swirly red in it. After baking, let the cake cool COMPLETELY!! When the cake has completely cooled, place back in the pan (if traveling like I am) or onto a serving platter. Frost the top, and sides if needed. Next, sprinkle and even but not overwhelming layer of light, fluffy shredded coconut onto the frosting, then press down gently to help the coconut set. To help plan the placing of the fruit and how much she would need, my mom cut an 8in X 8in piece of freezer paper and planned out the flag design with the fruit, then simply transferred the design over to the cake, making adjustments if needed!

And there you have it, a classic all jazzed up and fabulous for our needs. I'm bringing this to an annual 4th of July Bash...a couple we are very close with lives right by the fireworks! I must go plan my outfit now...