Line your pans with parchment paper then preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 8lbs of Yo’s Ultimate Vanilla Cake Batter and bake and color as follows:

8” round cake pan → 1.5lbs vanilla cake → 45 minutes 

8” round cake pan → 1.5lbs vanilla cake → 45 minutes 

8” round cake pan → 0.5lbs vanilla cake → 45 minutes 

8” round cake pan → 1.5lbs vanilla cake dyed red → 45 minutes 

8” round cake pan → 1.5lbs vanilla cake dyed red → 45 minutes 

8” round cake pan → 1.5lbs vanilla cake dyed blue → 45 minutes

Let your cakes cool completely in their pans before removing. 

Remove your cakes from their pans then level and layer each cake into two - save your cake humps for later. Use a smaller pan to remove the caramelization from the sides.

Cut 3 layers of your plain vanilla cake in half, cut both blue layers in half, then cut one layer of red cake in half.

Use Sir Squeeze A Lot to soak each cake layer with simple syrup then set aside to absorb.

Turn your plexiglass cake board upside down and mark off where the centre is - this will help guide you on where the cake borders are. Fill and stack your cake with Italian Meringue Buttercream from the bottom up as follows (the cake will be half red, white, and blue, and the other half red and white): 

½ blue | ½ vanilla 

½ vanilla | ½ red 

Full red layer 

½ blue | ½ vanilla 

Full vanilla layer 

Full red layer 

Full vanilla layer 

½ blue | ½ vanilla 

Full red layer

½ vanilla | ½ red

½ blue | ½ vanilla

Crumb coat your cake with IMBC then chill until firm. Remove your cake and ice again with more IMBC then use a bench scraper to smooth out the edges.

Roll out some red, blue, and white gumpaste super thin then use a star cutter to cut out stars from each color. Brush the ends of your floral wire with some clear piping gel then carefully insert into the appropriate stars. Use a smaller star cutter to cut out small white stars for the flag.

Roll out a sheet of red fondant and a little sheet of blue fondant. Measure your cake and mark off the halfway points of the cake. Use a ruler and a serrated knife to cut out strips of red fondant and begin laying them onto the American side of the cake - trimming at the border. Use a template to cut the blue fondant rectangle for the blue part of the American flag. Use a pin to mark off where the stars should go. Apply the rectangle to the cake and trim away the red fondant strips that it overlaps. Dab a tiny bit of piping gel onto each star then add to the blue rectangle.

Roll out more red fondant and cut out two broad panels for the sides of the flag then carefully add them to the cake. Use a template to cut out a maple leaf then add it to the centre of the Canadian side

Use a smaller cake pan to mark off a small circle at the top of your cake. Use a spoon to scoop out some cake. Take the red and blue cake humps you saved and begin crumpling them up in a sieve so you’re left with colorful cake crumbs. Fill your top opening with your plain vanilla cake chunks then sprinkle red and blue cake crumbs on top.

Use a star tip to pipe a shell border of IMBC around the top edge of your cake.

Gather your star wires together in two bouquets - one with just red and white and the other with blue, red, and white. Insert the bouquets into the cake as close to the centre as possible but with the appropriate bouquet on each side. Once inserted, fan the wires out a bit. Sprinkle your edible stars onto the top of the cake and you’re done!