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Dessert is my favorite thing about the 4th of July and this American Flag Cake is one of the best! It’s an easy cake (from scratch) topped with gorgeous berries to look like an American flag. Your guests are going to love it!
Funfetti Flag Cake Recipe
This American flag sheet cake recipe is one of my favorite Summer dessert recipes! The creative berry topping is so fun to put together for the Fourth of July. Not only does it look delicious with the vibrant berries and fluffy frosting, but it always turns out looking amazing!
To make this patriotic dessert you just need my from scratch cake and frosting, plus some strawberries and blueberries. I know I don’t have 13 stripes exactly, there just isn’t enough room on the 9×13 pan. If you really want to be accurate, slice the berries smaller. Make this recipe for any patriotic July party. Everyone will love the combination of funfetti and berries!
Ingredients Needed for the cake
- Butter: I used unsalted butter that will be melted.
- Sugar: I’m using granulated sugar for a fluffy cake. You’ll want confectioners’ sugar for the buttercream frosting.
- Buttermilk: you can learn how to make buttermilk if you don’t have it. I’ve also used nondairy milk.
- Sprinkles: rainbow jimmies sprinkles or use red white and blue for the 4th!
- Berries: You can use any red and blue berry you like. I halved my strawberries for the red stripes and used blueberries for the stars. The white stripes are just the white buttercream showing through.
Variations
- I have made this cake recipe with non-dairy milk and gluten-free flour so you can easily substitute.
- Feel free to use any cake mix for the cake in place of the homemade funffetti cake. White cake mix or yellow cake mix would be perfect with added sprinkles.
- Any flavor cake actually works – you just need the white frosting for the topping. I think chocolate cake would be fantastic – or even zucchini cake!
- Cream cheese frosting is another great choice in place of buttercream, or you can use whipped cream frosting.
How to make a Flag Cake
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mix butter and sugar in a large bowl or use the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix in eggs one at a time, then mix in pure vanilla extract.
- Add the buttermilk alternately with the dry ingredients, mixing just until the batter comes together.
- Stir in sprinkles.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs sticking to it.
- Cool completely before frosting. Beat all frosting ingredients together until nice and creamy and smooth.
Expert Tips
- Don’t have berries? Use food coloring to tint your frosting and use a 1M (star tip) to make a rosette flag. I did that for my Flag Cupcake Cake.
- Love sprinkles and colored sugars? Use one or the other to decorate the top of this cake, like I decorated my Peanut Butter Flag Dip.
- You can use all raspberries or all strawberries if you prefer.
- Find Red, White, and Blue sprinkles for the funfetti to make it even more patriotic!
Storage
Store loosely covered for up to 2 days in the fridge. It’s best served the day it’s made so the berries don’t weep. You can freeze the cake frosted or unfrosted but don’t freeze it with the berries on top.
FAQs
Just use the fruit that coordinates with your country. For example, to make the Canadian flag you’d just want red fruit.
Easy Flag Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted buter , melted
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (237ml) buttermilk (see note)
- 1 cup rainbow sprinkles
Frosting:
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter , softened
- 4 cups (452g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2-5 tablespoons (30-75ml ) heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup blueberries
- 2 cups strawberries or raspberries or combination
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mix butter and sugar on medium speed in a large bowl using a hand or a stand mixer until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla.
- Add the buttermilk alternately with the dry ingredients, mixing between each, starting and ending with the buttermilk, and mixing just until the batter comes together. Stir in sprinkles.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs sticking too it. Cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting: beat butter with a hand or a stand mixer until creamy. Slowly add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until a crumbly mixture forms. Mix in vanilla and salt, then add 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Mix until smooth, adding more cream until you reach your desired consistency. Stir in sprinkles.
- Frost cake with frosting and top berries in an American flag pattern. Store loosely covered for up to 2 days.
- Also makes 24 cupcakes or two 8-inch rounds.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- To make your own buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup then fill with milk to make one cup. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- You can use a box mix for the cake for an even easier recipe – use any flavor cake mix and make it in a 9×13-inch pan.
- Other options for frosting: cream cheese frosting, homemade whipped cream, or use whipped cream frosting or a can of frosting.
- Don’t want to use fruit to top the cake? Use sprinkles!
My mom used to make a cake similar to this when I was young for the 4th, but for the white stripes, she would use banana slices and it was pretty awesome! Just wanted to share an idea 🙂