American Flag Cake – Immaculate Bites

Red, White, and Blue Layered Flag Cake

As we all know, all the colors of our beloved flag have a corresponding meaning. Red for bravery, courage, and the readiness for sacrifice. Blue represents justice, vigilance, and perseverance. And white signifies purity and innocence.

What else could be better than representing its every color with vanilla frosting, blueberries, and strawberries? Aah! Aside from making our cake aesthetically pleasing, you’ll also enjoy the nutrition-packed deliciousness added to our cake. Oh yes!

Recipe Ingredients

A traditional American flag cake recipe always uses a basic vanilla cake base but feel free to choose any cake and flavor you like. But if you’re a first-timer, I recommend sticking to my recipe, and you’ll be fine. 😉

1. All-Purpose Flour and Baking Powder – These two work hand in hand to give us a firm and stable cake with a good rise.
2. Butter, Oil, and Sour Cream – These three are responsible for keeping our cake moist even in the following days.
3. Eggs and Milk – They act as a binder while adding rich creaminess to our cake.
4. Frosting – I used the basic vanilla frosting made with butter, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and milk for this recipe. And it’s perfect for the white stripes of our flag cake design. 😉
5. Strawberries and Blueberries – Their vibrant colors perfectly represent the American flag’s colors. Not to mention incredibly nutritious and delicious additions to our cake, too.

How to Make American Flag Cake

The Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃. Then generously grease a 10x15x2-inch sheet pan with baking spray and set aside.
• Cream – Using a hand mixer, cream the butter, oil, and sugar for about 3 minutes. Then add sour cream and continue mixing until it is fluffy and starts to look white – 2 minutes or more. (Photos 1-2)
• Dry Ingredients – Add in the eggs one at a time beating well between each addition. Next, add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined. (Photos 3-4)
• Add Liquids – Then add the milk and vanilla extract. Continue mixing, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so everything gets mixed in. (Photos 5-6)
• Bake – Pour batter into the rectangular sheet pan, shake gently back and forth to ensure the batter is evenly distributed, and bake at 350℉/177℃ for 18-20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the cake’s center comes out clean. (Photos 7-8)
• Cool – Remove the cake from the pan, transfer it to a wire rack, and let it cool completely before frosting.ting with your vanilla frosting.

The Frosting

• Combine – Add butter to a medium bowl, then sift in powdered sugar a little at a time. Mix using a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Pour in the vanilla extract.
• Add Milk – Gently add just enough remaining milk to make the frosting easy to spread. Adjust the thickness of the frosting with more powdered sugar if too thin. If too thick, add more milk.

Assembly

• The Fruit – Use a paper towel to wash and dry fruits well. Slice strawberries to the desired shape.
• Decorate – Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Arrange blueberries in rows in the top left corner to form the “star” portion of the flag. Line the strawberry slices in 5 rows to create the “stripes.” Use the remaining frosting to decorate the “white stripes” as desired. (Photos 9-12)
• Chill – Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Variations

1. Whipped Cream – Vanilla frosting may come out yellowish because of the vanilla extract and sometimes may be too intimidating to make. You can quickly solve the color and consistency problem with whipped cream as a replacement for frosting. Easy peasy!
2. Cream Cheese Frosting – This one is less sweet, creamy, and has a tangy taste. And it perfectly matches our fruit toppings, too.
3. Food Dye – No time to buy blueberries and strawberries? No problem! You can use blue and red color gel to add color to our frosting. Unleash your inner creative skill and pipe away to copy the American flag.
4. Cake Swap – How about indulging in a fudgy chocolate cake to make your heart happy? Or keep it simple with the classic sponge or chiffon cake. Yum!

Tips and Tricks

1. Go the extra mile and incorporate berries into your batter to add more flavor.
2. You can swap strawberries with raspberries or cherries to make the red stripes.
3. Make sure to dry the fruits before adding them to our frosting to avoid a messy color bleeding.
4. Take a shortcut and use any of your favorite store-bought box cakes to make this patriotic dessert.

Make-Ahead Instructions

I prefer baking the cake a day ahead to save time. Just cover it tightly with cling wrap, then store it at room temperature or in the fridge. However, it’s easier to frost the cake when it’s chilled. Just frost the cake on the day of serving to keep the fruits fresh.

You can also prepare the frosting a day before and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. And to make it easier to spread, let it come to room temperature before using.

Serving and Storage Instructions

When I’m too lazy to make the buttercream frosting, I use my good buddy Cool Whip to skip the whisking. And surprisingly, it’s stable, too. So, yay!

As for the leftover, which is very unlikely to happen, you can store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days or up to 3 months if frozen. You can also wrap it tightly with foil and place it inside a freezer-safe resealable bag before refrigerating or freezing.

FAQs

What to Serve with Flag Cake

I always enjoy my slice of happiness with a warm cup of tea or coffee. But if you’re not a fan of these two hot beverages, you might want to try these refreshing beverages below.

1. Pumpkin Spice Latte
2. Chai Tea Latte
3. Southern Sweet Tea
4. Peach Tea
5. Strawberry Banana Smoothie

More Indulgent Cake Recipes to Try

1. King Cake
2. Pecan Pie Cheesecake
3. Spice Cake
4. Buttermilk Pound Cake
5. Pumpkin Cheesecake

Conclusion

Making a cake representing our beloved flag warms my heart. I get to honor our troops for restoring our independence and enjoy a delicious cake at the same time. What else do you plan on making for Independence Day? Check out my 4th of July Recipes to help you plan your menu this coming holiday. 😉