American Flag Cake

By
Stephanie Gallagher
Stephanie Gallagher
Stephanie Gallagher is a journalist and food writer who has authored multiple cookbooks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/3/21
American Flag Cake

The Spruce / Julia Estrada
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Cool Time: 2 hrs
Total: 3 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Yield: 1 cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
169 Calories
7g Fat
26g Carbs
2g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 169
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 8%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 191mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 8mg 40%
Calcium 63mg 5%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 73mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Your friends will be impressed by this patriotic dessert recipe for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. This flag cake starts with a cake mix, so it's easy to make, but of course, you can always substitute your favorite homemade cake recipe. It is then topped with a simple whipped cream frosting and decorated with berries. It's best to use fresh blueberries and raspberries, otherwise, the juice from frozen berries will create a red and blue mess.

If using a cake mix, make sure to have the necessary ingredients on hand. Most brands call for three eggs and water, as well as either butter (1/3 to 1/2 cup) or half a cup vegetable oil. Don't worry about making a flag with exactly the right number of stripes; just create as many red stripes as fit—it's the look you're going after.

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Ingredients

  • 1 box vanilla cake mix (plus eggs, water, and oil or butter, as called for on the box)

  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese (softened)

  • 1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping (frozen, mostly thawed)

  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

  • 1 pint blueberries

  • 1 to 2 pints raspberries

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    American Flag Cake ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  2. Prepare cake batter according to box directions, adding called-for amount of eggs, water, and/or oil or butter.

    cake batter

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  3. Pour into a greased and floured 9 by-13-inch pan. Alternatively, line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the sides for easy removal. Bake according to package directions.

    cake batter in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  4. Let cake cool for 15 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter to cool completely.

    baked cake in a baking dish, on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  5. Place cake in the freezer while you prepare frosting (this makes the flag cake easier to frost).

    cake on a baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  6. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, whipped topping, and powdered sugar until smooth.

    cream cheese, whipped topping, and powdered sugar in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  7. Remove cake from freezer and spread top and sides with whipped cream frosting.

    cake covered with frosting on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  8. To decorate flag cake, outline a square in the top left corner with blueberries.

    blueberries on the cake

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  9. Fill in with remaining blueberries, leaving some white space showing through. These are the stars on your flag cake.

    blueberries on a cake

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  10. Make several lines of raspberries next to and below blueberries. These are the stripes of your flag cake. Refrigerate flag cake until ready to serve.

    American Flag Cake on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

How to Store

  • American flag cake can be made several hours ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
  • Store leftover cake well-covered in the fridge for up to three days.

Recipe Variations

  • Virtually any kind of cake mix or sheet cake recipe will work for this recipe. Try a chocolate cake for a chocolate and berries combo, a yellow butter cake for a richer flavor, or a sprinkles cake for a fun, fireworks-like surprise.
  • You can swap the raspberries for capped, sliced strawberries. Overlap them in a line to make the stripes.
  • For a thicker, richer icing, try using this cream cheese buttercream.