She Strengthens

Celebrate Independence Day with a Show-Stopping Flag Cake

Are you ready to wow your friends and family with a patriotic dessert that’s as delicious as it is visually stunning? Look no further than this three-layer flag sheet cake, perfect for your 4th of July barbecue or picnic.

A Festive Twist on a Classic

This beautiful red, white, and blue dessert is a creative take on the classic vanilla buttercream frosting, paired with the natural sweetness and slight tartness of fresh berries. Plus, it’s packed with antioxidants – a guilt-free indulgence!

Impressive Results, Worth the Effort

With its striking colors and intricate design, this cake is sure to be the star of your patriotic-themed celebration. And the best part? You can make the vanilla cake ahead of time, then whip up the buttercream and assemble the cake just before serving.

Get Ready to Assemble Your Masterpiece

To start, preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare three 9″ x 13″ baking pans with parchment paper and non-stick spray. Next, combine your dry ingredients, including flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.

The Perfect Buttercream

When you’re ready to assemble the cake, make the buttercream by combining powdered sugar, butter, milk, vanilla extract, and salt in a stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, adding more milk as needed to achieve the perfect consistency.

Bring It All Together

To decorate the flag cake, spread a layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. Then, transfer the remaining buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. In the upper left corner of the cake, create a rectangle of blueberries, followed by rows of raspberries and piped frosting. Finish with small stars on top of the blueberries.

Yield: 8-10 servings
Difficulty: Medium
Total Time: 55 minutes
Active Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs

For the vanilla buttercream:

• 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons milk, plus more, if needed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 4 pints of raspberries
• 2 pints of blueberries