Just a little something I like to call a sugar cookie. Crazy, right I got the idea from Once Upon A Pedestal, who makes all kinds of amazing hidden design cakes, and who has used cookie dough in the past to get really crisp designs. You definitely can make the stars with white cake instead of cookies more on substitutions and simplifications below but I wanted a sharp, well defined star shape, and thought cookies were my safest bet. The trick is to use a dough that doesnt spread, and then to barely bake the cookiesjust enough so that you can handle them. Youll also want to do some planning and make sure that your star shape can easily fit around the outside of the cake, leaving plenty of room to cut a circle out of the center. I used a large round cutter to help position my star cookies, to make sure I had an even margin from the edge on both sides of the star. The last trick is to partially bake the bottom layer of cake before you place the cookies, so they dont sink down to the bottom. Its a lot of steps, and its fiddly for sure, but I think its worth it when you cut into the cake and hear the oohs and aahs. So how does it tasteMake these super easy American Flag Brownies for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. A simple patriotic desserts with lots of wow factorJust as amazing as it looks I kept it simple and flavored everything with vanilla, but this would also be good with orange, lemon, or almond extracts just be sure to use something clear, so the white buttercream doesnt change color. The stars are a little denser than the surrounding cake, so its easiest and neatest to cut the slices when the cake is cold. Theyre definitely not hard and crispy, though, and they blend nicely with the cake texture. I should add that not every slice had a perfectly shaped star, but even the ones with a more abstract star shape looked completely awesome. Ready to rumble Lets do this thing This is a long recipe, and although the individual steps arent complicated, please be sure to read the notes and entire recipe through before beginning While it might be possible to make this in one day, I recommend spreading it over 2 days make the cookies, cake layers, and maybe the frosting one day, then assemble it the second day. Serving Size The full cake, pictured here, will easily serve 3. If you do make the full cake, I recommend slicing it in half before cutting the slices, so youre serving from two average height cakes instead of one really tall one. Youll get the cleanest cuts if you slice the cake while its cold. I assume that many folks might not want to make such a giant cake, so the recipe is written to produce half the amount of red cake and frosting. This will get you a cake with 5 red layers instead of 8. If you want the full 8, be sure to follow the instructions and double the portions that say they should be doubled. Equipment I have included a list of equipment at the end of the recipe. Some of it is optional but recommended, to make your life easier and some of it is necessary. The absolute musts are gel food coloring dont use liquid You wont get the bright colors you need and tall 9 inch cake pans. I like using 93 inch pans, but 92 inch pans will work as well. Do not use 91. 5 inch pans, they might not be tall enough for the cake to bake. Simplifying I wont lie, this is a big project. One way to make it easier is to omit the stars from the blue layer entirely. Youll still have a striking design, but wont have to spend time on the cookies. If you want to keep the stars, but dont want to mess with cookie dough, consider using pound cake instead. Pound cake is denser than most cake, so it should hold the star shape better, and its readily available in many grocery freezers. Cut the cake when its semi frozen to get the cleanest slices and shapes. You will probably need at least 3 frozen pound cakes to get enough stars for this cake. While you might be able to use a regular homemade white cake, I havent tried it and cant guarantee that the stars will hold their shape during the cutting or baking process. When you want to go big, this American Flag Layer Cake is the cake for you This ultra tall cake mimics the American Flag on the inside with layers of red and white stripes and even a white star baked right inside. It feeds a big crowd so its perfect for barbecues or Fourth of July celebrations. Total Time. Ingredients. For the Sugar Cookie Stars 4ozcold unsalted buttercubed. For the Blue Cake Layer 1. I recommend Americolor Royal Blue. Half Batch Buttercream 6egg whites. Instructions. To Make the Sugar Cookie Stars Preheat the oven to 3. F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the cold cubed butter and sugar in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat them together on medium speed until the butter is worked into the sugar and you have a smooth mixture.