Perfectly festive, this Flag Cake consists of a delicious vanilla cake topped with buttercream and fruit for the perfect red, white and blue dessert.
This Flag Cake is the perfect way to end a festive celebration! Start the meal off with burgers on Homemade Hamburger Buns with these Easy Baked Beans with Bacon on the side and you have the perfect summer holiday meal!
The Perfect Patriotic Dessert for Fourth of July
One of my favorite things to do for a holiday is make holiday themed food. I don’t know why, but it just always seems to taste better when it is served on a holiday!
This American Flag Cake is the perfect dessert for any patriotic holiday. Whether it’s your Memorial Day bbq or that 4th of July block party, this cake is sure to be a hit.
And my favorite part of it is that you don’t have to be a master cake decorator to be able to make it!
I’ve often thought it would be fun to learn how to really decorate cakes, but I just don’t have the patience for it. That is why I love this red, white, and blue cake so much!
Ingredients
Here is what you’ll need for the cake, frosting and decorations.
- Sugar
- Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Milk
- Powdered Sugar
- Cream
- Fresh Blueberries
- Fresh Strawberries
How to Make the White Cake
This cake recipe is really almost as easy to make as a boxed white cake mix. It is a more dense cake, so you won’t get the same texture as a boxed cake. But it holds up well to the toppings, and I prefer a denser cake to the texture of a boxed cake, personally. Here is how you make it:
- Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You can do this with a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- Beat in the eggs, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Add all of the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder and salt and mix until it’s mostly combined.
- Add the milk while mixing on low, just until combined.
- Pour into a greased and floured baking dish and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, or until the center bounces back when you lightly touch it.
- Cool completely!
How to Make the Buttercream Frosting
This is my very favorite buttercream, perfect for cakes, especially this one!
- Beat the butter until light and smooth.
- Add the vanilla and salt.
- Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
- Add in a bit of milk or cream, just until you reach your desired consistency.
- Beat until the buttercream is light and fluffy and smooth.
How to Decorate a Flag Cake
Spread half of your buttercream over the cake. I think this is easiest with an offset spatula.
Use the blueberries and strawberries to make the flag.
Take the remaining buttercream and place it in a pastry bag with a star tip. Pipe in between the strawberry rows for the white stripes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes and no. You can make the cake ahead of time. If making one day ahead, I would cover it tightly and refrigerate it. Any longer than one day, I would wrap it tightly and freeze it. Either way, make sure to bring it to room temperature before decorating and serving.
The buttercream can be made ahead of time, but I always like it best when it is freshly made. If you do make it ahead of time, refrigerate it, then bring it to room temperature and re-whip it before decorating.
The strawberries and blueberries need to be placed the same day as you serve the cake.
I think the strawberries and blueberries are easiest, but you can get creative! Use raspberries or cherry halves or any other red berries for the stripes. Sprinkles or candy can be used for the stars. Or you can tint part of the buttercream blue for the star section and use mini marshmallows for the stars. The sky is the limit!
This recipe also works well as a cupcake recipe. You won’t be able to do the flag the same, but you could still keep it red, white and blue easily!
More Red, White and Blue Recipes
4th of July White Chocolate Fudge
4th of July Cake Roll
4th of July Breakfast Toast
Red, White and Blue Baked Donuts
Jello Poke Cupcakes
Flag Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
Frosting/Decoration:
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Dash of salt
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
- Blueberries
- Sliced strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the sugar and butter together until it is lighter in color and smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix just until mostly combined. With the mixer on low, add the milk and continue to beat just until the mixture is smooth, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes.
- Let the cake cool completely.
- Once cool, make the frosting. In another large bowl, beat the butter until light and smooth. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Start adding in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing completely after each addition. Add enough cream and/or more powdered sugar until you have reached your desired thickness. Continue to beat the frosting for another 5-7 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Spread 1/2 of the frosting over the top of the cooled cake. Decorate in a flag pattern with the blueberries and strawberries.
- Use the remaining frosting to decoratively pipe in the white stripes, if desired.
- Slice and serve.
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