Flag Cake

Hot dogs, fireworks, and flag cake—if your 4th of July party doesn’t end with a red, white, and blue dessert, then you’re doing it wrong! This cake is about as patriotic as it gets, but is easy enough to allow you maximum time outside the kitchen soaking up the best bits of summer. With a simple frosting, boxed cake mix, and sweet fresh fruit, this cake is as easy to make as it is to devour.

How To Make A Flag Cake

INGREDIENTS

• Boxed Cake Mix: Lean into the Americana vibe with a boxed cake mix for the ultimate ease. Follow the instructions as directed on the box, or zhuzh it up with optional additions like a splash of vanilla extract and pinch of salt, swapping in EVOO (as an option) for the fat, and squeeze in the juice of a lemon (don’t forget the zest!) for a wildly easy twist on the cake base. If you have some dairy floating around in the fridge (think buttermilk, milk, or plain yogurt), go ahead and swap it in for the water for a little extra richness to the mix.
• Frosting: Speaking of easy, let’s talk frosting. This cream cheese whip comes together in just a couple of minutes using ingredients straight from the fridge. No butter softening, no sugar sifting. Best yet, it sits out at room temperature like a dream while being perfect straight from the fridge–no tempering required.
• Fruit: The best part of this cake is the decorating! Line up the raspberries into perfect stripes, pile the blueberries high, and practice your piping. Strawberries are sometimes used instead of raspberries, but I find raspberries easier to make uniform stripes without any chopping required.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

The best part about this cake? Every part is as simple as can be. We start with a boxed vanilla cake mix. You can amp it up with any of the ingredients I suggest above, or keep it simple with the ingredients required on the box. Once you make the cake mix, pour into a baking dish, smoothing the top with a spatula before baking. Bake until golden brown, and don’t forget the toothpick test—if it comes out clean, it’s done.

Next it’s time to prepare the frosting. Add cream cheese, sugar, and a pinch of salt to a stand mixture, then beat until the mixture turns light and very fluffy. This should only take a couple of minutes—don’t overdo it. Add cream and vanilla to the bowl gradually, and beat until everything is not only combined, but fluffy and holds its shape on the whisk attachment.

Now comes the fun part: decorating the cake! Spread about half of the frosting over the cake in an even layer. Fill a piping bag with a star tip (obviously) with your remaining frosting, then pipe a border in the top left hand corner—this is where you’ll put the blueberries (AKA stars). Line the square with tight rows of blueberries. Pipe a small dollop of frosting on top of the blueberries to mimic stars, then dust them all with confectioners’ sugar if you’re looking for that extra touch.

Let’s get on with the stripes! Add raspberries in 2 even rows, making sure they're snug for the most even, stunning stripes. Leave a blank space in between each row of raspberries—this is where we’ll put the white stripes (frosting!). Pipe the remaining frosting in the blank spaces however you like: in stripes, swirls, or your own creative pattern.

Once your cake is done, cut out slices (I know, it's almost too pretty to cut), and serve as you watch the fireworks.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Storage

If you want to get ahead of your party, make the cake a day before, then assemble with the frosting and fruit on the day of the party. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3 days.