Red, White, and Blueberry Cake Parfaits

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Vanilla whipped cream, fresh strawberries and blueberries, and deliciously moist Vanilla Almond Cake all in your own jar or cup–what would be better than that? Each adorable “cake-in-a-jar” will make a festive individual treat for your Fourth of July Party.

You can layer these creamy Red, White, and Blueberry Cake Parfaits in 8-oz Mason Jars and tie them with a wooden disposable spoon and some red twine. You can also make them as “On-the-Go” cups–just layer the cake in a 9-oz plastic cup with a lid and a plastic spoon–perfect for a picnic or party in the park.

Once you bake the cake, these yummy cake parfaits come together in no time at all.  And a pro tip–you can bake the cake several days in advance and freeze it!  Just thaw the cake for a few hours before you plan to assemble the parfaits.

We’re layering the cake with my Easy Stabilized Vanilla Whipped Cream. The vanilla whipped cream is thick and fluffy with a delicious vanilla flavor from the Pure Vanilla Extract (the pure vanilla is totally worth it!). It is stabilized with Instant Clearjel, which makes it especially thick and means no weeping whipped cream for us!  Since your whipped cream is stabilized, you can even assemble these parfaits the day before you serve them, and your parfaits will still be perfectly sturdy, creamy, and delicious. 

• 
  How to Bake and Layer Cakes Like a Pro: 5 Easy Steps
• 
  Instant Clearjel: A Magical Bakery Ingredient

Quick Fresh Berry Fillings

For Amycakes Bakery cake fillings I typically make a fruit compote from frozen berries that are cooked down and thickened.  But with it being berry season, I went for a faster, easier, and extra-fresh tasting fruit filling for these cake parfaits.  I used fresh strawberries and fresh blueberries (freshly-picked blueberries from Ozark Mountain Orchard, I might add).  Just smash the berries slightly with a cup, then add sugar and lemon juice to macerate them. Add in more sugar and Instant Clearjel to thicken them slightly and you’ve got yourself a delicious quick berry filling.  No cooking required! 

Can I substitute for the Instant Clearjel?

If you don’t have Instant Clearjel handy (my favorite secret baking ingredient), you may substitute cornstarch in the fruit filling following the recipe instructions. For the Vanilla Whipped Cream, since it is being layered in a jar and therefore not required to be stabilized, you can leave the Instant Clearjel out. The whipped cream will be perfectly delicious, just not as thick. 🙂

Thanks for Reading. ❤️

5 from 2 votes

Red, White, and Blueberry Cake Parfaits

Vanilla whipped cream, fresh strawberries and blueberries, and deliciously moist Vanilla Almond Cake all in your own jar or cup. Each adorable "cake-in-a-jar" will make a festive individual treat for your Fourth of July Party.

You can layer these creamy Red, White, and Blueberry Cake Parfaits in 8-oz Mason Jars and tie them with a wooden disposable spoon and some red twine. You can also make them as "On-the-Go" cups–just layer the cake in a 9-oz plastic cup with a lid and a plastic spoon–perfect for a picnic or party in the park.

Video

https://youtu.be/Hvt3fgbSL6E

Servings 6 mason jars (8-oz) or cups (9-oz)

1x2x

Prep Time 30 mins

Assembling Time 20 mins

Total Time 50 mins

You may double the recipe by selecting 2x above

Select “grams” if you have a kitchen scale for more accurate baking.

Ingredients

• around 2 ½ cups crumbled Vanilla Almond Cake (or use your choice of vanilla cake)

Berry Fillings Ingredients

• 2 cups Fresh Blueberries
• 2 cups sliced Fresh Strawberries
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 7 Tbsp Sugar, divided
• 3 Tbsp instant clearjel (see note #1 for substitution)

Stabilized Vanilla Whipped Cream

• ½ cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Instant Clearjel (optional, used to thicken and stabilize)
• 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 ½ tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Equipment

• Stand Mixer
• OR Handheld Mixer
• On The Go Cup Version: 9-oz Plastic Cups with Lids
• On The Go Cup Version: Plastic Spoons
• Mason Jar Version: 8 oz Mason Jars
• Mason Jar Version: Wooden Disposable Spoons
• Mason Jar Version: Twine

Instructions

Crumble the Cake

• Using your hands, crumble the baked Vanilla Almond Cake into small pieces. It should be around 2 1/2 cups crumbled cake. (You can make this cake from a 1x batch of my Vanilla Almond Cake (Mix & Match Recipe). You'll only use half of the 1/4 sheet cake you bake in six jars/cups (a 1x batch of this recipe), and you'll use all the 1/4 sheet cake in 12 jars (a 2x batch of this recipe).

Prepare Fruit Fillings

• Place sliced Strawberries and Blueberries in separate medium-sized bowls, and slightly smash the berries using the base of a sturdy cup. (You could also use a fork for this). We still want there to be the texture of the whole and sliced berries, but by smashing them we are creating some added juiciness to our filling.
• Pour 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice and 2 Tbsp Sugar on top of each bowl of berries. Stir and allow to sit for 10 minutes. This will macerate the berries (softens them and brings out more juices).
• Whisk 3 Tbsp Sugar and 3 Tbsp Instant Clearjel together. (See note #1)
• Divide the Sugar/Instant Clearjel mixture evenly on top of each bowl of macerated berries. (3 Tbsp Sugar mixture per berry bowl). Mix thoroughly. Berries will thicken instantly and a little more as they set. Taste each bowl of berries at this point. If they are too tart for your liking, you can add a little more sugar as needed. (Since fresh berries vary in sweetness, the sugar may be adjusted to taste. I like for my fruit fillings to be slightly tart since they will be layered with sweet cake and whipped cream).

Make Vanilla Whipped Cream

• Whisk the Powdered Sugar and Instant Clearjel (if using) together. (See note # 1)
• Using a whip attachment and a stand mixer (preferred) or handheld mixer, whip the Heavy Cream and Pure Vanilla until stiff peaks form.
• Turn the mixer on low, and slowly add in the Powdered Sugar/ Instant Clearjel mixture until incorporated. The Instant Clearjel will thicken the whipped cream instantly, which is why we want to make sure the whipped cream is nicely whipped and fluffy before we add in our thickener.

Assemble Cake Parfaits

• Layer the cake, fruit filling, and whipped cream in around equal parts between 6 jars/cups. There should be enough room for 3 layers of each (cake, fruit filling, and whipped cream x 3 in each jar). Alternate the strawberry and blueberry filling as you fill the jars so that there are two layers of blueberry and one middle layer of strawberry or vice versa.
• I used Disposable Piping Bags with the ends cut off to squeeze in the berry fillings and a 1M star tip for the whipped cream. You could also just spoon in your fillings and whipped cream.
• As you fill them, keep an eye on the sides of the jars/cups, piping or spooning against the sides as needed for the prettiest-looking layers.
• Tie a disposable wooden spoon on the Mason Jars with twine. Or stick a plastic spoon in the cup version, and top with a plastic lid, using the straw hole to keep the plastic spoon in place.
• Keep refrigerated until serving. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Read my article Instant Clearjel: a Magical Little-Known Bakery Ingredient to see why I think this ingredient is worth having in your pantry.  Instant Clearjel must always be whisked thoroughly with other dry ingredients before added to wet ingredients to avoid clumping.  Make sure what you purchase is labeled as “Instant.”  Cooktyle Clearjel is a different product that does not work the same in cakes.  
2. If you don’t have Instant Clearjel on hand, you can make quick fruit compotes by substituting cornstarch for the Instant Clearjel in equal parts.  After pouring the divided cornstarch/sugar mixture over the macerated berries in step four, cook each berry mixture over the stove until thickened.  Allow to cool before assembling.

Tried this recipe?Mention @amycakesbakes and tag #amycakesbakes!

Author: amycakesbakes.com

Calories: 728kcal

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake parfait, fruit filling, whipped cream

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