American Flag Cake

Name: American Flag Cake
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 10 - 12 serving(s)
Ingredients: Cooking spray; 2 1/2 c. cake flour; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; 1 oz. (2 tbsp.) liquid red food coloring; 1 1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 1/2 tsp. distilled white vinegar; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 3/4 c. granulated sugar; 1 1/4 c. vegetable oil; 2 large eggs; 1 c. buttermilk; 8 oz. cream cheese, softened; 1 stick unsalted butter, softened; 1 lb. powdered sugar; Pinch of salt; 1 tbsp. whole milk, plus more if needed; Red, white, and blue nonpareils (not mixed), for decorating

Celebrate patriotic holidays with a grand ol' sheet cake!

By Ree DrummondPublished: May 25, 2023

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Yields:

10 - 12 serving(s)

Prep Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

1 hr 20 mins

This homemade cake is one of the most festive and tasty desserts you could make for Memorial Day, Flag Day, or the 4th of July! Everyone will amazed at your ability to create such perfect stripes. Speaking of, I know what you're thinking... it's too complicated. But it's not! I promise. It does require a pencil and a ruler and a little bit of cutting, but once that's done, all you have to do is coat it in sprinkles, then watch the stars and stripes of Old Glory come to life. I make a red velvet cake for an extra pop of red, but you could make any flavor in one of these sheet cakes. It makes one of the easiest yet impressive Memorial Day desserts or 4th of July desserts. Scrap the centerpiece and stick this in the middle of your table! It's a real showstopper!

What flavor is the frosting?

I slather on a smooth layer of classic cream cheese frosting. It's so rich and creamy and satisfying, especially with the rich red velvet cake. You can use any kind of white-colored icing, though, so just make your favorite!

How do you decorate American flag cake?

A little icing and a lot of sprinkles! To get straight stripes, I cut a sheet of parchment paper into strips and a square; then, I press them onto the cake, and scatter sprinkles around them to create distinct red and white stripes and the blue square. A sprinkle of white nonpareils over the blue square is the finishing touch. (They represent the stars—cute, right?!)

How do you serve American flag cake?

Straight from the pan. Just slice it into squares and use a spatula to lift each piece out and onto a plate. Bonus: this makes it both easy to transport and easy to cut and serve!

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Ingredients

For the Cake:

Cooking spray
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 oz. (2 tbsp.) liquid red food coloring
1 1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. distilled white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk

For the Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
1 Tbsp. whole milk, plus more if needed
Red, white, and blue nonpareils (not mixed), for decorating

Directions

1. Step 1For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a rimmed baking sheet (about 13 by 18 inches) with cooking spray. Whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the food coloring, cocoa powder, vinegar, and vanilla in a small bowl.
2. Step 2Combine the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low; beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Add the food coloring mixture; beat on high speed until smooth, 20 to 30 seconds.
3. Step 3Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the surface. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely in the pan.
4. Step 4For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the milk, adding more as needed until spreadable. Frost the surface of the cake smoothly with an offset spatula.
5. Step 5To decorate: Trim a piece of parchment so it's the size of the surface of the cake. Position the parchment with a long side facing you. Measure and mark 13 horizontal stripes that are equal in width. From the upper left corner, mark a square that goes a little less than halfway across the top and down to the bottom of the seventh stripe.
6. Step 6Cut out the square. Lay the remaining parchment on top of your frosted sheet cake, pressing gently, then cover the exposed square in the corner with blue nonpareils. Lift the cake to pour off any excess nonpareils, then carefully peel off the parchment.
7. Step 7Cut the same piece of parchment into 13 strips, following your marks. Place every other strip on the cake where the white stripes will be; leave the rest exposed and cover those with red nonpareils. Pour off any excess nonpareils, then carefully peel off all the parchment strips. Top the blue square with a few white nonpareils.