stars and stripes chiffon cake

I owe this recipe entirely to Deb, the darling wit behind smitten kitchen. In case you aren't already an adoring fan, it's my favorite food blog. I know you will love it, too. Deb. Can. Make. Anything. She's amazing, and her recipes are tried and true. She does it the Julia Child way: she makes them over and over until they are perfect. Friends, I don't have the patience, so I borrow from Deb. Go there and you'll find a strawberry chiffon cake that is well worth the effort to make. This cake is a celebration. And here's my patriotic version-- in 3 layers instead of a towering 4.

No one has to know what happened to the 4th layer... And the extra whipped cream... And the ugly strawberries.

A link to Deb's adapted recipe follows:  http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/06/skyscraper-cakes.