American Flag Cake

Name: American Flag Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 ¾ sugar; 3 eggs; ½ cup sour cream; ¾ cup butter; ¼ cup vegetable oil; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 1 cup buttermilk; 2 ½ cups powdered sugar; 1 cup butter; ½ cup cream cheese (softened); 1 tsp almond extract; 2 tbsp heavy cream; pinch salt; 25 strawberries; 50 blueberries

This beautiful red, white, and blue American flag cake is the perfect dessert for any Memorial Day or 4th of July gathering!

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This beautiful red, white, and blue American flag cake is the perfect dessert for any Memorial Day or 4th of July gathering. The flag cake starts with a from-scratch vanilla sheet cake recipe. Then, by using white icing, strawberries, and fresh blueberries, the pattern and design of an American flag are created. It makes this the perfect dessert for patriotic holidays like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July.

For another star-spangled treat, try our 4th of July sugar cookies. You could also customize our sugar cookie bars with white icing and red, white and blue sprinkles for a fun and patriotic treat.

MORE CAKE RECIPES:
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AMERICAN FLAG CAKE INGREDIENTS

You will need:

For the cake

¾ cup butter
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk

Pro Tip: You can make your own buttermilk using whole or 2% milk and lemon juice or distilled vinegar. For every 1 cup of milk, stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.

For the Almond Cream Cheese Icing

2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter
½ cup cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Pinch of salt

For assembling the flag

25 strawberries
50 blueberries

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

Cake: We love this creamy, traditional cake recipe. But, you can substitute your favorite cake recipe in place or use a box cake mix if you prefer.

HOW TO MAKE THIS AMERICAN FLAG CAKE RECIPE

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12 x 17-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

STEP TWO: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar with paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

STEP THREE: While the butter and sugar are creaming, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and set it aside.

STEP FOUR: Beat in eggs into butter mixture one at a time. Scrape sides of the bowl after each addition and then add the vanilla extract.

STEP FIVE: Add the sour cream and vegetable oil and mix until combined.

STEP SIX: Alternate the flour mixture with the buttermilk ⅓ at a time, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix!

STEP SEVEN: Spread cake batter into the pan and bake cake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350°F. Check at 15 minutes. Allow the cake to cool while you slice strawberries in half and prepare the icing.

STEP EIGHT: For the icing, mix the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed for 1 minute with the whisk attachment.

PRO TIP: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature or you will end up with lumps in your icing.

STEP NINE: Add sugar all at once and turn the mixer on low to combine. Once combined add cream, salt and almond extract mix on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes.

STEP TEN: Ice cake using an offset spatula and decorate the top of the cake with strawberries and blueberries. Space rows of strawberries for the red stripes with a “row” of white icing between them for the white stripes. I like to use a star icing tip to pipe stars using the remaining icing in between blueberries. Pipe a shell border around the cake to finish edges if you wish!

PRO TIP: It’s important to make sure that your fresh fruit is completely dry when you put it on the cake, otherwise it can cause the icing to get soggy and it will ruin the look of your beautiful cake!

HOW TO SERVE

This perfect patriotic dessert will be the star of the show at your festivities this year. It would be a fantastic centerpiece surrounded by a few of our yummy summer potluck dishes including grilled chicken, bacon-wrapped corn on the cob, broccoli slaw, and egg pasta salad. Add our iced tea, raspberry iced tea, sweet peach iced tea, or our southern strawberry sweet tea to drink.

STORAGE

IN THE FRIDGE: This cake will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days covered with plastic wrap.

IN THE FREEZER: If you have space in your freezer, you could make the cake ahead of time and freeze it. Wait to ice it and decorate it with the berries until you are ready to serve it.

This American flag cake is bound to blow everyone away at your next gathering. It makes the perfect centerpiece and dessert all in one. The flavors are perfectly balanced between the vanilla creaminess of the cake mix and the cream cheese frosting. The fresh berries add a tart and fruity accent. They are the perfect complement to one another!

FAQ

Could I use raspberries in place of the fresh strawberries?

Instead of strawberries, you could use rows of raspberries for the red stripes on your flag cake.

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

If you want to make the cake ahead of time, you can, although we would suggest that you wait to decorate it with the icing and berries until you are ready to serve it.

Can I use boxed cake mix instead of making the cake from scratch?

You can use boxed cake mix in whichever flavor you prefer insteading of making the cake from scratch.

MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

American Flag Cake

5 from 1 vote

This beautiful red, white, and blue American flag cake is the perfect dessert for any Memorial Day or 4th of July gathering!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings

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Ingredients

Cake

2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ sugar
3 eggs
½ cup sour cream
¾ cup butter
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Almond Cream Cheese Icing

2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter
½ cup cream cheese softened
1 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp heavy cream
pinch salt

Toppings

25 strawberries
50 blueberries

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 by 17 inch cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar with paddle attachment in a stand mixer for 4 to 5 minutes on medium high speed until light and fluffy!
While butter and sugar are creaming, whisk together dry ingredients.
Beat in eggs one at a time. Scrape sides of bowl after each addition then add vanilla.
Add sour cream and vegetable oil and mix until combined.
Alternate dry ingredients with buttermilk ⅓ at a time, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Do not over mix!
Spread batter into pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Check at 15 minutes. Allow to cool while you slice strawberries in half and prepare icing.
For icing, mix cream cheese and butter on medium high speed for 1 minute with whisk attachment.
Add sugar all at once turn mixer on low to combine. Once combined add cream, salt and almond extract mix on medium high speed for 4 to 5 minutes. Ice cake and decorate with strawberries and blueberries. Use a star icing tip to pipe stars in between blueberries. Pipe a shell border around cake to finish edges if you wish!

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American Flag Cake