EASY AMERICAN FLAG CAKE
preparation time: 15 MINS cooking time: 45 MINS total time: 1 HR
This incredibly easy American flag cake recipe is perfect for Memorial Day or the 4th of July. No special decorating skills required, this cake is a combination of a moist white cake covered with a cream cheese glaze and then the flag is made with fresh fruit. This is one of the easiest flag cakes to make.
INGREDIENTS
PASTRY
2½ c pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ c butter or softened vegetable shortening
1½ c granulated sugar
1¼ c whole or 2% milk
1 teaspoon of light vanilla can use regular vanilla but the cake will be a little darker)
5 lg egg whites at room temperature
1 c of blueberries
1 c red raspberries
ICING
8 oz of softened cream cheese
½ c softened butter
3 tablespoons of cream or milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (of course it will help keep the glaze lighter)
2½ c powdered sugar
32 oz of red raspberries this amount will depend on the size of the berries. I used 83 raspberries in this cake.
12 oz of blueberries like the raspberries, this amount will vary depending on the size of the berries. I used 48 berries.
INSTRUCTIONS
CAKE
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Spray a 9×13 inch mold with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine cake flour, baking soda, sugar, baking powder and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, with whisk attachment, combine butter and sugar at medium speed until smooth.
Add the egg whites and beat on high speed until combined.
Add milk and vanilla and blend on medium speed until combined.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, in small amounts at a time, mixing on medium speed until combined. Do not over-mix.
Pour the dough into the prepared tray. Place blueberries and raspberries on top of dough and mix gently. The berries will sink mostly to the bottom like cakes.
Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. After cooling, remove from pan and place on ice.
ICING
**This icing is not a “white-white” but still looks nice on top of the cake.
Mix the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Add the cream and vanilla and mix until combined.
Add the powdered sugar and mix at medium speed until well combined.
Put ice on top of the cake, keeping the ice soft.
Make sure the berries are dry by placing them on a paper towel, place another towel on top and gently pat them dry.
Place the blueberries in a rectangular pattern in the upper left corner of the cake. 8 wide and 6 low for a total of 48.
Place the raspberries side by side along the long top edge of the cake to form a “stripe”. The amount you use depends on the size of the berries. Do the same with the bottom edge of the cake.
“Eye” or measure to the center of your cake and make a raspberry stripe in the center.
Make two more lines inside each of the two unfilled areas
At this point, you can simply leave the white areas blank and let the frosting represent the white stripes or make a white stripe.
For the tubing stripe I used a 2D open star tip and tubed an edge type stripe.