Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Sheet Cakes This Flag Cake Will Be The Star Of Your Holiday Dessert Table 4.7 (6) 6 Reviews An impressive flag cake will be the centerpiece of a patriotic party. By Ann Taylor Pittman Ann Taylor Pittman For 20 years, Ann Taylor Pittman built a career of creating healthy recipes at Cooking Light magazine, where she most recently served as Executive Editor. She is the recipient of two James Beard Foundation Awards: a feature writing award and a cookbook award. She is now a freelancer specializing in recipe development, writing, and video. Follow her on Instagram. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on May 22, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Active Time: 22 mins Total Time: 1 hr 52 mins Servings: 18 This cake is made from a simple whisk-together batter, so it has a heartier snack cake–type texture instead of the fine crumb of a layer cake. The cake and frosting both taste vanilla-rich, and the frosting is creamy and buttery. For the flag effect, we prefer blueberries and raspberries, but you can also use strawberries or a combination of the two. If you're making this for an outdoor party, you can cool and frost the cake up to two days in advance, but save the decorating until just before you serve the cake so that the fruit doesn't become mushy or water out on the cake. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Ingredients Cake: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (10 5/8 oz.) 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 tsp. baking soda 3/4 tsp. table salt 1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk 1/2 cup canola oil 2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 large eggs Frosting: 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 5 cups powdered sugar (20 oz.) 1/4 cup milk 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. table salt Topping: 1/2 cup blueberries 3 cups raspberries Directions Prepare baking pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13 x 9–inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing excess to hang over edges of pan. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Make cake batter: Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Whisk together buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; whisk until well combined. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Add batter to pan: Pour batter into prepared pan. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Bake cake: Bake at 350°F until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 33 minutes. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Cool cake: Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. Lift cake out of pan using parchment paper; cool cake completely on a wire rack. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Make frosting: To prepare frosting, place butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar. Add milk, vanilla, and salt; mix on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Decorate cake: Place cake on a large platter; spread frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Arrange blueberries in top left corner of cake to resemble the stars of the American flag. Arrange rows of raspberries over cake to resemble stripes. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Rate It Print