American Flag Cake (4th of July Cake)
The most delicious American Flag Cake making it the best Fourth of July celebration cake! You get an extra large, fluffy, and moist vanilla sheet cake topped with a decadent sweet cream cheese frosting, and it's finished with vibrant fresh berries in a simple design that mimics the American flag.
Servings: 24
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (354g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level flour to measure or use kitchen scale), plus more flour for dusting pan
- 4 Tbsp (25g) cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 10 Tbsp (141g) unsalted butter, brought to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (110g) avocado oil or vegetable oil, divided
- 5 large eggs, brought to room temperature
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (340g) buttermilk,* brought to room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting and Berry Topping
- 12 Tbsp (170g) unsalted butter, brought to room temperature
- 8 oz. (226g) cream cheese, brought to room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
- 6 oz fresh blueberries
- 16 oz. fresh strawberries, tops trimmed, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 10 oz. fresh raspberries
Instructions
- To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a rimmed 18 x 13 x 1-inch baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray then lightly dust with flour and shake out excess. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend together sugar, 10 Tbsp unsalted butter and 2 Tbsp avocado oil until well combined. Increase to high spread and whip until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Blend in remaining avocado oil (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp). Scrape down bowl.
- Mix in eggs on low speed one at a time, mixing just until nearly combined after each addition (careful not to over-mix or cake can be spongy).
- Blend in 1 Tbsp vanilla extract.
- Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over surface of the batter, and blend on low speed just until barely combined (lumps are fine). Mix in half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Repeat mixing in 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by remaining half of the buttermilk. Finish by blending in last 1/3 of the flour mixture mixing only until nearly combined. Fold batter with a rubber spatula while scraping bowl just to ensure ingredients are evenly mixed in (don't over-mix, again small lumps are fine).
- Pour batter and spread evenly into prepared baking sheet. Wiggle pan to help level batter.
- Bake in center of preheated oven until just set in center, toothpick inserted into center should come out clean or with a moist crumb (but free of batter), about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cake cool completely on a wire rack about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- For the cream cheese frosting: In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer set on medium-low speed blend together 12 Tbsp butter with the cream cheese until well blended, about 1 minute.
- Add 1 tsp vanilla and the powdered sugar and blend on low speed until combined. Increase speed to high and whip until very until light and fluffy about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Frosting the cake: Once cake is cooled spread cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake using an offset spatula (refrigerate frosted cake while you slice the strawberries so it chills and sets slightly).
- Adding flag design: Shortly before serving spread a rectangle of blueberries in about 1/3 section of the upper left corner of the cake (you may not need to use all of them). Evenly spacing these, add 4 rows of sliced strawberries alternating with 3 rows of whole raspberries going across the long width of the pan.
- Store leftover cake in the fridge.
Notes
*For best results use real buttermilk. Don't shake buttermilk before measuring or you'll end up with a lot of air bubbles and an incorrect measurement. Instead just turn the carton up and down a few times. Measure your amount then bring to room temperature.