Bake up some patriotic fun with this American flag cake. The easy cake is perfect for the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or any red, white, and blue celebrations when you’re looking to impress with a sweet dessert everyone will love.
I love making this American flag cake because it’s simple but impressive. The homemade cake gets topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream to create the flag design. There’s no better way to celebrate with friends and family than enjoying a slice of this sweet fruity cake.
It’s always a hit at patriotic celebrations and it’ll look beautiful on the dessert table. Don’t be surprised if you get asked to bring it every year!
Why You’ll Love This American Flag Cake Recipe
- Patriotic and Fun – This American flag cake always gives that impressive “wow” reaction. With the whipped topping and fresh fruit in the design of the flag, it’s perfect for your 4th of July parties or Memorial Day celebrations. It’s also a great dessert to serve throughout the summer for BBQs and parties.
- Easy To Make – With just as simple mix of ingredients, the cake comes together easily. Decorating the American flag design is also easily done with the fresh fruits and whipped topping. No special tools or fancy decorating supplies needed.
- Fruity and Fresh – Guests will love the addition of the fresh blueberries and strawberries.
- It’s Light – This cake is a light dessert. It’s not heavy on the stomach and won’t leave you feeling overfull so you can still enjoy all of the festivities without feeling weighed down.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the Cake
- Unsalted Butter – Using unsalted butter in cake allows you to control the amount of salt that goes into the cake.
- Sugar – Sugar will give the American flag cake it’s sweetness.
- Eggs – The eggs will bind the ingredients together and help give you that perfectly textured cake.
- Flour – A good all purpose flour will help give the cake it’s structure.
- Cocoa Powder – This turns your plain boring cake into a delicious chocolate cake.
- Baking Powder -In cakes, baking powder helps the batter rise while cooking. It’s an important ingredients that you don’t want to skip.
- Heavy Cream – The cream gives the cake its richness, moisture, and extra flavor.
For the Topping
- Whipped Cream – The whipped cream is used to create the white stripes when decorating the cake.
- Blueberries & Strawberries – Fresh blueberries and strawberries are used to create design of the flag (the stars and stripes). I recommend using fresh blueberries because they’re more flavorful and juicy.
How to Make this American Flag Cake
As impressive as this American Flag Cake is, you’ll be happy to know that it’s a simple process and incredibly easy. With just a few steps, you’ll have a delicious cake that’s decorated with stars and stripes for your patriotic celebration.
Step 1: Make the Cake
Cream the butter and sugar together until you get a light and fluffy mixture. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Next, add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients alternately with the cream. Mix until smooth.
Pour the batter into a rectangular baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely.
Step 2: Create the American Flag Topping
Spread a generous layer of whipped cream over the cooled cake. Be sure to save some cream so that you can make the textured rows in between the fruit layers.
In the top-left corner, arrange the blueberries in a square to represent the stars section. Slice strawberries and arrange in horizontal rows.
Pipe some whipped cream between the strawberry rows to create red and white stripes.
Tips for Making The Perfect American Flag Cake
- Use a 9×13 inch cake pan to make the cake.
- Before baking, make sure the batter is even in the pan so that as it rises correctly. You can smooth it out with a spatula or give it a little shake to even out the batter.
- Use fresh berries for the best results. They’re juicier and more flavorful than frozen berries.
- Make sure the cake has cooled down completely before decorating. If the cake is still warm the whipped topping will melt and it won’t give that “wow” factor. If you need to chill in a hurry, you can place the cake on a wire rack and then put it in the fridge or freezer for a bit.
- To save time, make the cake in advance.
Storing and Reheating
You can store the American flag cake in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure it’s covered tightly so that it keeps the freshness in.
American Flag Cake Recipe FAQs
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can make the cake up to 3 days in advance. Keep it covered and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Can I freeze this American Flag Cake?
You can make the actual cake ahead of time and freeze it for up to 3 months without the toppings. When you’re ready to serve the cake, let it thaw in the fridge and then decorate it with the whipped topping and fresh fruits.
Can I use frozen blueberries or strawberries?
Fresh berries are more flavorful and you get that juicy crisp fresh flavor making it the best option for this cake. You can use frozen berries but it won’t give you the same delicious flavor.
American Flag Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Cream the butter and sugar together until you get a light and fluffy mixture. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Next, add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients alternately with the cream. Mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter into a rectangular baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely.
- Spread a generous layer of whipped cream over the cooled cake. Be sure to save some cream so that you can make the textured rows in between the fruit layers.
- In the top-left corner, arrange the blueberries in a square to represent the stars section. Slice strawberries and arrange in horizontal rows.
- Pipe some whipped cream between the strawberry rows to create red and white stripes.
Notes
- Use a 9×13 inch cake pan to make the cake.
- Before baking, make sure the batter is even so that as it rises correctly. You can smoothe it out with a spatula or give it a little shake to even out the batter.
- Use fresh berries for the best results. They’re juicier and more flavorful than frozen berries.
- Make sure the cake has cooled down completely before decorating. If the cake is still warm the whipped topping will melt and it won’t give that “wow” factor. If you need to chill in a hurry, you can place the cake on a wire rack and then put it in the fridge or freezer for a bit.
- To save time, make the cake in advance.