Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Watermelon Cake



Can't wait for summer to be here, and time for watermelons, waterguns, and waterfountains at the park!

Made this fun cake during the kids nap time, and it was tasty. I like to make the white cake from scatch, and I found this recipe from Gourmet that works very well.

Recipe for white cake taken from Gourmet
Idea for Watermelon cake taken from Betty Crocker

White Cake
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 large egg whites (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

for watermelon cake:
1 package of strawberry flavored Kool-Aid or 1 packet of watermelon jello
2 cups mini chocolate chips

Set rack at the middle level in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Butter the bottom of two 9-inch round or 9x3 round pan. Line bottom with parchment or waxed paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Combine egg whites, milk and vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture then add half the milk mixture. Continue to alternate beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scape the bowl and beater often. Mix in 1 package of strawberry flavored Kool-Aid or 1 packet watermelon Jello into the cake batter. Stir in 2 cups of mini chocolate chips.


Pour the batter into prepared pan(s) and smooth top with metal spatula. Bake cake(s) about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.

Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, remove paper and let cool completely.

Note: For a classic yellow cake- Substitute 3 large eggs and 1 yolk for the egg whites.

White Frosting recipe
In micro container over saucepan, gradually stir 1 cup milk into 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Cook over low heat until thickened. Cool.
Cream together: 1/2 c. shortening 1 c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1/4 tsp. salt

Add the cooled milk mixture to this and beat well, about 2 minutes until fluffy.


In bowl, stir 1 cup of frosting with green food coloring. Stir red food color into remaining frosting. Frost sides of cakes with green frosting. Press green sprinkles onto green frosting.

Frost top of cake with red frosting, press 2 tbs mini chocolate chips into red frosting for seeds.

6 comments:

Little Corner of Mine said...

Very cute!

Is it true that the Crisco shortening is now trans fat free? I thought I read that some where.

Lee Ping said...

Have you considered working at a bakery as a consultant? You have some talent, girl. The watermelon cake looks like a real watermelon.

East Meets West Kitchen said...

Hi C,
Yes! Buy the green-color container that says zero trans fat.

Hi Lee Ping,
You are SO sweet. Thanks for your kind words, but I had seen it at a party, and wanted to replicate it.

A Mature Student said...

Is your jello in powder form? Over here, it is virtually impossible to get powdered jello which irks my kids.
Watermelon flavour? Definitely impossible to get it here.
Great idea and great cake!
My niece and daugther would love this watermelon flavoured cake.

East Meets West Kitchen said...

Hi J,
Yes, we get Jello in powder form here. Let me know if you'd like me to get you some. Try the cake, it's sweet and yummy with the choc chips. :)

Lee Ping said...

I wished I had made this cake instead of the BFC for my daughter's birthday party. Kids would like this better. At the birthday party, I ended up serving kids cupcakes instead of BFC because it had liquor in it.