I married a Yankee Doodle Dandy – born and raised in New York, he proudly served his country in the military, and most importantly, I was born on the 4th of July. (He even played the role of Prince Charming in a play once, which is why I have a picture of him with a feather on his cap!) It’s too much!
Her favorite dessert is Strawberry Shortcake, and I’ve developed a version of the 4th of July that I call “Yankee Doodle” with blueberries and strawberries in all the colors of the flag. It is a great success. He loves blueberries as much as strawberries, but had never considered including them in his birthday dessert.
The candles are a bit tricky in the whipped cream (maybe the sparklers would be easier), but they are possible with a little care and just as appropriate for our Independence Day celebration as it is to celebrate my Yankee Doodle Dandy’s birthday.
This dessert is easy and spectacular. You can use a simple cake made from a batter instead of the pound cake recipe below, and a prepared whipped topping or canned whipped cream instead of fresh to make it even easier, but with just a little bit of effort, this dessert It can be made from scratch and assembled in under an hour (including bake time).
Yankee Doodle
4 eggs
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 pint blueberries, washed and dried with paper towels
1/2 pint strawberries, cleaned and dried with paper towels (sliced or whole, as you prefer)
For the cake:
Preheat oven to 325. Beat eggs, salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy and almost triple in volume. Gently mix the flour, just until well mixed. Don’t over mix the flour, or the light fluff you just added to the mixture will disappear. Pour the batter into a greased cake pan. I use a 9-inch ribbed pan, but an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan will work just fine. Bake until golden brown and until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes then place in serving platter. Let cool for at least ten more minutes before making the whipped cream.
For the whipped cream:
In a large, clean bowl with clean beaters, beat the cream on low speed until it forms soft peaks and doubles in volume. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds on low speed.
To assemble:
Pour the whipped cream over the cake and spread it in a roughly even layer. Arrange the strawberries and blueberries on top (either methodically in a pattern or just spread out).
Note:
Best when assembled immediately before serving, but can be carefully assembled covered and refrigerated for up to two hours before serving.
Serves 6-8 depending on appetite size.