Patriotic Quake Cake
One week from tomorrow is one of my favorite holidays of the year – July 4th! I love just enjoying the day with friends and family, being outside, having a beer, and of course grilling. I always try to make a festive dessert for the holiday as well. I got an idea for a Patriotic Quake Cake a couple weeks ago and decided to make it early to share with you guys.
You see, last November when Heather from SprinkleBakes posted this Quake Cake, I knew I’d have to try it. It just looks like so much fun and super chocolatey. I’ve been coming back to it multiple times when brainstorming dessert ideas but just never taken the leap to make the cake.
Then somehow, the idea popped into my head that you could make the shapes on the outside of the cake into anything you wanted. And really, you could apply the concept of a quake cake to any cake recipe as well. I decided that making a Patriotic Quake Cake would be my first adventure in sticking cake shapes on the outside of a frosted layer cake.
And the best part is that I’m always looking for an excuse to hide my poor cake-frosting skills! And I think this might be my favorite way to cover a frosted cake. Sure nuts and coconut work well, but just look at this guy!
I decided to use three of my go-to recipes to build this cake. You could use whatever recipe you love. This would even work for a box mix if you’re in to that sort of thing. I loved that the cake on the inside was chocolate. It’s like a fun little surprise when you cut in to the cake. But again, you could really use any recipes you want.
I used my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe to make two 9″ round cake layers, which were sliced in half horizontally to make four thin layers. Then I used my go-to white cupcake recipe to make three 6″ layers, one red, one white, and one blue for the decorating on the outside. Last, I made a triple batch of my go-to cream cheese frosting recipe to bind it all together.
Putting the cake pieces onto the outside of the frosted cake was like putting together an awesome jigsaw puzzle that you can snack on when you get stumped. This would be a great activity to do with kids too! I started by placing my blue stars randomly around the cake, then filled in with the red and white stripes. As needed, I cut pieces to size to fill in random gaps as well.
I took this cake to work with me yesterday and it got rave reviews from the coworkers. I got a lot of questions about how it was made. Putting this Patriotic Quake Cake together was easier than it looks. Take it to your 4th of July get-together and I promise it’ll be the hit of the party!
One Year Ago: White Bean and Avocado Sandwich
Two Years Ago: Chicken with Artichokes and Mushrooms in Wine Sauce and Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie bars
Four Years Ago: Inside Out Stuffed Peppers and Ropa Vieja
Patriotic Quake Cake
Yield: Serves 12-16
Ingredients:
For the Cake
Two 9-inch round layers of your favorite cake. I used this chocolate cupcake recipe
Your favorite white or yellow cake batter or mix, baked into 1 red 6" cake, 1 blue 6" cake, 1 white 6" cake, and 8 cupcakes out of the remaining batter (or adjust the recipe to make only the layers). I used this white cupcake recipe
Double batch of cream cheese frosting or other white frosting recipe. I used a double batch of this cream cheese frosting recipe
Special Equipment
6" cake pan
Star shaped cookie cutter
Directions:
A day or two in Advance
Bake the chocolate or other flavor 9" cake layers. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Bake the white cake 6" layers by making cake batter as stated in recipe. Portion out the batter. Note that a 6" cake layer requires 1/2 the amount of batter as a 9" cake layer. If your recipe makes two 9" layers, it will also produce three 6" layers and 6 cupcakes or four 6" layers.
In the batter for one layer, add enough red gel food coloring to turn the batter bright red. In another portion of the batter, add enough blue gel food coloring to turn the batter bright blue. Bake according to recipe instructions. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
On Assembly Day
Make a double batch of your favorite white colored frosting.
Torte the 9" layers by cutting them in half horizontally with a serrated knife. You will now have four thinner layers. Place the bottom layer on a cake round and top with 1/2 cup frosting. Spread to the edges. Repeat until all 4 layers have been stacked.
Apply a crumb coat to the cake and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
While the cake is chilling, cut out the shapes for the outside of the cake. Use a star cookie cutter to cut blue stars out. After each star is cut out, slice it in half so that you have two thinner stars.
Torte the red and white layers using a serrated knife. Cut strips of cake to use as the stripes.
Remove cake from fridge and apply a healthy layer of frosting to the cake. Place the blue stars in the frosting, staggering them around the cake. Press gently into the frosting so the cake sticks to the frosting.
Arrange the red and white striped pieces around the stars until the cake is covered entirely. Keep a knife nearby to cut pieces to fit as needed.
Refrigerate to set the icing and the cake.
Inspired by Spinkle Bakes
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
What an awesome way to feature goat cheese in a dessert! I never thought of turning it into a chocolate mousse – sounds like I need to try this soon. 🙂
beantownbaker — June 7th, 2013 @ 8:51 am
You definitely should. I know goat cheese isn’t for everyone, but we really enjoyed the subtle flavor in the mousse.
Jen, I love everything about this tart – from the chocolate crust to the mousse and the pretty strawberries on top. Yum! Enjoy your birthday month 🙂
beantownbaker — June 7th, 2013 @ 8:52 am
Thanks for humoring me on the whole birthday month thing 🙂
Ohhh lalalalala, I totally dig this dessert even more because it has goat cheese and strawberries…some of my fave foods!! Happy Birthday month…you better party and eat like it’s your birthday!!
beantownbaker — June 7th, 2013 @ 1:52 pm
Oh I’m definitely going to party like it’s my birthday! All month long 🙂
oh yes to the goat cheese in this tart! fabulous. happy birthday month 🙂 you might need to make this a few more times to celebrate?!
beantownbaker — June 10th, 2013 @ 12:09 pm
Oh I have been baking plenty of deliciousness this month to celebrate 🙂 You know how hard it is to repeat recipes…
Love the idea of incorporating goat cheese in a dessert- I have never seen it down with chocolate before. I will definitely be trying this soon as I have some goat cheese in my fridge waiting to be used 🙂
beantownbaker — June 11th, 2013 @ 7:20 am
Oh yea, goat cheese and chocolate go really well together.
Oh my, the use of goat cheese in this is phenomenal! I would love to try it!
beantownbaker — June 11th, 2013 @ 8:46 am
Definitely do! And you could top it with any fruit you like. I think raspberries would be good too.
Chocolate must work great with goat cheese since they’re both utterly delicious!! This recipe looks magnificent omg I think I would be able to eat the whole tart by myself *-*
Goat cheese is one of my favorite ingredients to use in desserts, and your tart looks soooo delicious! Thanks for sharing =) Definitely a must try this summer.
Oh wow this is gorgeous! I love this recipe, I bet it tastes heavenly!
I just finished making my second one for this week…we love it…it is so smooth and rich and well D E L I C I O U S!!!…my grandson requested the second one but truth be told I was gonna make it anyway…the bittersweet chocolate and the cocoa in the crust are what make it….if anyone out there hasn’t tried it do so you will be in love….
beantownbaker — June 25th, 2013 @ 5:38 pm
So glad you’ve enjoyed it! I definitely need to make this again. I have already made it with raspberries but want to try blackberries next.
you wont believe it but I made this AGAIN yesterday…I did a play on bananas foster on the top…it was a hit with my company…and good recipes for sweets for the 4th?..lol….
beantownbaker — July 3rd, 2013 @ 5:02 pm
Wow – bananas foster on top. I would never have thought of that! I am making this tart and this strawberry shortcake for the 4th.
So sinful and delicious looking 🙂
Holy yumminess. I never thought of putting goat cheese in. My mouth is watering at the thought. Strawberries are my absolute favorite berry of all time. I will have to for sure try this recipe, Got it saved to my personal file. thank you.
I love chocolate mousse and I love goat cheese, so clearly I need to make this!
Also, there is strawberry picking (not sure it is organic though if that matters) up here near Oxford. I can get you the info for next year if driving up here is not a problem (I imagine it depends on what side of Cinci you live 🙂 ).
beantownbaker — August 4th, 2013 @ 6:44 pm
I definitely don’t mind driving for freshly picked strawberries!!
I love absolutely EVERYTHING about this recipe! It’s hard to beat mixing tangy goat cheese with chocolate and berries. What a unique recipe!
beantownbaker — September 25th, 2013 @ 4:11 pm
It tastes as good as it sounds! I hope you try it.
WOW! What a wonderful recipe! Definitely one of my new favorites! Happy birthday month!
Does this go in the fridge covered or uncovered and how long does it last? Thanks!