Canada Day Cake

Serve this special Canada Day Cake during your Canada Day picnic celebration. Featuring a festive strawberry maple-leaf flag.

Start with a 9x13-inch (3.5 L) sponge cake (recipe below), or use your own favourite white cake recipe, and completely cover it with whipped cream. Then form the outside red borders and distinctive maple leaf with sliced strawberries.

Sponge Cake:

Filling and Decoration:

Sponge Cake:
Sift together flour and salt. Set aside. In large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy: sprinkle with cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add half of the sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks form.

In large bowl, beat egg yolks and remaining sugar until thickened; stir in grated orange rind and juice. Fold into egg whites. Sift flour, a third at a time, over egg mixture, gently folding in each addition.

Pour into an ungreased 13x9-inch (3.5 L) cake pan and bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 20-25 minutes (or until spongy to a light touch). Cool in pan for about 10 minutes and then turn out cake onto wire rack to cool completely. If possible, wrap and store for 1 day. (Cake can be frozen for up to 2 months.)

Filling and Decoration:
Whip cream; stir in icing sugar and vanilla. Hull and slice about one-quarter of the strawberries and add to the whipped cream.

With a long serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally in half. Set 1 layer, cut side up, on serving tray. Spread with about one-third of the whipped cream mixture; cover with single layer of sliced strawberries. Set top layer, cut side down, over berries. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides.

Cut remaining berries in half and arrange in overlapping rows, cut side down, forming 2 side bands and a maple leaf in centre. Arrange remaining berries as garnish around sides of cake.