I wanted to make something special this 4th of July for the get-together my in-laws were having. Which really isn't shocking. I seem to thrive on making people smile with my creative baked goods. I just can't help it!

So I'd seen these cakes all over the interwebs for the past several years with interiors that looked like flags. I saved a few pictures and thought, "oh well it's far beyond me, I'll just ooggle them!" Well little did I know it's really not as hard as it looks!

In my pursuit to be epic this year I found a few tutorials that really helped and have decided to put one of my own together for you beauties!

I started with a cake recipe that I quickly adapted. The same I had used for the tie-dyed cake I made a bit ago.

Three Layer Coconut Cake!
 

1. Measure sifted flour, baking powder, and salt, blend well. If you have a sifter use it several times.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add 1 cup sugar gradually, and continue beating only until meringue will hold up in soft peaks.
3. Cream butter or margarine. Gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add sifted ingredients alternately with milk a small amount at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Mix in flavorings. Add meringue, and beat thoroughly into batter.
4. Split batter 3 ways. Leave one plain, add red to one batch, blue to the last. Fill 3 round cake pans.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. My electric oven is lame so it actually took me about 45 minutes. But you want to check after 30 and then add time 5-10 minutes at a time. Cool cake thoroughly before handling.
   

Once the cakes were done and completely cooled I turned them out onto the table and set to what for me was the hard part. I was horrified that  in trying to cut them they'd fall apart on me. It was pretty sturdy stuff though. So here's how it works! 

As it says in the recipe you will be working with three cake layers: one red, one white, one blue.

First things first. Using a sharp serrated knife (I use my bread knife) level the tops of the cakes carefully so they are all flat. If you have a silicone pastry brush they work wonders to sweep away excess crumbs.

Now you need to slice the red and white layers in half. If you have a cake leveler they work great. If you're like me, and a beginner you can actually cheat and use dental floss. I started the cut with the knife just to break in slightly then lined up the floss and pulled it through. In my humble opinion this makes less crumbs then using a knife, and is gentler.

Now with your sliced layers you are going to make two new "cakes". Each will be red layer on top of a white layer. Ice between them to hold them better together. I used a basic cream cheese frosting with coconut milk and extract in it instead of the usual vanilla. 

Set one of these white/red layers onto the plate you'll be serving your cake from and top it with your frosting.

Now for the "magic"! Oooooh! Aaaaah!

I used a basic bowl, but you could use anything round and of average size. Take your bowl and place it in the center of your blue cake. If your bowl has nice edges press down through the cake. If you're worried it won't cut clean, use your knife and trace around the bowl.

Do the same thing to your second white/red layer.

Now, pull the center out of the blue layer and set it aside. Carefully pull the center layers from your white/red layer and place them into the now blue ring. If your cake isn't too crumbly you can ice around the hole in the blue ring before putting your white/red layer inside of it.

Place your now complete second layer atop the first. Ice around edges and over the top carefully to avoid excess crumbing (totally a word, because I say so!).

It's really that simple!

If you want to do a buttercream transfer for the top of your cake you'll want to get it going before you start your full icing. I waited and it didn't quite settle in on the top as well as it could have.

To do a transfer you'll need cardboard, waxed paper, a print out of your design (in my case the Captain America shield), a pastry bag and a basic buttercream icing.

I was going to write out the directions, but I think this Tutorial words it great and I might be feeling a touch lazy. 

My cake decorating set malfunctioned some while ago so I actually made mine using gallon sized Ziploc bags with tiny snips out of one corner. I can honestly say I wish I'd had the bags for a cleaner effect. I'd also recommend going with the buttercream recipe linked in the tutorial. I tried an old one of my own and it wasn't as nice!

This cake went over great, by the way! It's fun because people don't really suspect the interior. If you want to give it a go, have fun and don't be afraid! Worst case scenario you have a messy experiment to eat up.