So, the Fourth of July is just a few days away. And like most people who plan to cook and grill with family and friends on this Independence Day, sitting down to plan a menu can be challenging. After all the hot dogs and hamburgers have been grilled and the side dishes have been made, it’s time to complete the meal with a tasty delight.

Here’s a suggestion from our own Lazydays Tampa Resort chef Severn Ombres. It’s a sponge cake topped with Chantilly whipped cream and fresh berries. Ombres says that the best thing about it is that it is easy to make and it can be prepared right in the kitchen of your motorhome or RV.

Here’s his recipe:

Simply get a box of sponge cake mix, a quart of heavy cream, two cups of sugar and one pint each of fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Prepare the cake and bake for 25 minutes. While the cake is baking, prepare the Chantilly whip cream using the quart of cream. Then, rinse the berries. After the cake has finished baking, allow it to cool down for about 15 minutes. Then, spread the whip cream and add the fresh berries. It’s that simple. And, you made it all right there in your RV’s kitchen.

The best thing Ombres likes about this recipe is that it is nice and light and not too heavy after a main course serving. Although he doesn’t have a name for this dessert, he enjoys making it.

“As a matter of fact, I’m doing that this weekend, actually,” Ombres says.

Independence Day Cake With a Surprise

Items You’ll need:

• Cooking spray
• 1 white cake mix
• 3/4 cup water
• Instant French vanilla pudding mix
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 drop blue food coloring
• 1 drop red food coloring
• A cup of unsalted butter brought to room temperature
• Butter-flavored shortening (1 cup)
• 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon clear imitation vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Set the RV oven to 350 degrees. Use cooking spray and coat three 9-inch cake pans.
2. Whip the cake mix, instant pudding, water, eggs and vegetable oil inside an electric mixer in a large bowl. Be sure the batter is smooth before stopping.
3. Pour the cake batter evenly into three small bowls. Add a drop of blue to one bowl and a red to a second bowl. Pour the batter from each bowl into a separate cake pan.
4. Bake the cakes for about 10 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
5. Cool the cakes for about 10 minutes. Then, turn them out onto three separate pieces of plastic wrap. Put them on a working surface to finish cooling.
6. Using a large bowl and an electric mixer, mix the butter, butter-flavored shortening, salt and imitation vanilla until creamy.
7. Add a cup of confectioners’ sugar at a time and continue mixing. Add the cream until the frosting becomes smooth.
8. Using the plastic wrap, place the red layer on a cake plate. Take off the plastic wrap and put frosting the top.
9. Put the blue cake on the red layer and add more frosting. Place the white layer on top and add frosting to the top and sides.

Don’t forget to stop and see us right here at Lazydays in Tampa or Tucson for all of your Fourth of July RV travel supplies and accessories.

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