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Home » Recipes » July 4th, Memorial, Labor Day

American Flag Cake

Published: May 26, 2022 | Last Updated: December 17, 2022 | Lisa 5 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links.

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Last Updated December 17th, 2022 at 08:29 pm by Lisa

A graphic showing how to decorate a sheet cake into an American Flag Cake using raspberries and blueberries.

Bake a patriotic American Flag Cake with red, white, and blue marbled cake inside and bakery-style frosting.

Always a party crowd pleaser and a great way to show your patriotism for the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Summer cookouts, or a picnic...

As a young girl, I still remember when my Aunt Barbara made an American Flag cake. She shared it at a picnic and fireworks at Lacy Park in Los Angeles

So for years, I made a festive flag cake original recipe from Ina Garten in my home on July 4th for friends and family. In the past, I would also sometimes buy bakery-style frosting and bake one in a sheet pan size. One year I ran out of time, and let everyone help decorate the cake during the July 4th party! 🇺🇸

People loved it, and I kept it simple. But I saw these marbled cakes and thought how cute it would be as a colorful surprise inside? Then I set out to frost it with homemade fluffy frosting. Canned frosting and the buttercream I normally make are too sweet and not the right "spreadability".

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So I set out to create a smooth, creamy, not-too-sweet frosting as they make in bakery shops. And here is what awaits, it is now my favorite cake...

One slice of red white and blue marbled cake decorated with white frosting and raspberries.

American Flag Cake Recipe

Marbled Cake

  • white vanilla boxed cake mix
  • water vegetable oil eggs called for on the box
  • red food color or gel
  • blue food color or gel
  • fresh raspberries (or fresh strawberries)
  • fresh blueberries

Frosting

  • salted butter - room temperature
  • vegetable shortening
  • powder sugar (confectioners' sugar)
  • hot water
  • vanilla extract
  • almond extract (optional but great!)

Prep The Pan

  1. Put a few drops of vegetable oil in the bottom of your cake pan. Next, line with parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of the pan.
  2. This prepared pan will release the cake easier and makes for a faster clean up. If you are serving right from the pan and not removing the cake to decorate it, don’t line the pan of course!

Mix The Cake Frosting

  1. Beat soft butter and shortening in a mixer on medium-high speed until creamy for 5 minutes.
  2. At low speed, add powder sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth.
  3. On high speed, mix in vanilla, almond extract, and hot water for 5 minutes until fluffy and smooth. This frosting holds really well at room temperature for a few hours.

Bake The Flag Cake

  1. Stir your boxed cake mix and ingredients in a medium bowl, the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer on medium speed.
  2. Deeper pans might need more batter. I used a deeper pan that is 3 inches deep, so I mixed up 2 boxes of cake batter. Most standard pans are 2 inches deep.
  3. In a small bowl place 1-2 cups of batter and scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go, stir in red food color until it’s the red you like. In another small bowl, place 1-2 cups of the batter; stir in blue food color until it’s the blue you like. Save 1-2 cups of plain white batter.
  4. Now, pour batter in dollops into the prepared baking pan alternating from red, white and blue. Try to place the batter on top of each area, it will begin to spread out.
  5. When all the batter is in the pan, use a skewer to pull lines from the center outward, and then do some slight swirls around the pan. This helps create the marble design. Rap the pan down on the counter to help level the batter and pop any bubbles in the batter that would make it bake unevenly.
  6. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake in the center of the oven according to your box mix directions. Most classic boxed mixes require a 350-degree oven for 28 minutes for a regular 9 x 13 pan. If you use a pan deeper than 2 inches, reduce the baking temperature to 325 degrees and bake longer for 55 minutes. Check with a toothpick, if it comes out clean the cake is done.

Decorating A Flag Cake

  1. Cool it for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cool it in the refrigerator for at least two hours or preferably overnight before decorating. I like to bake one day, then decorate them the next. This helps release the steam in the cake and the frosting holds on when chilled, otherwise, it tends to melt.
  2. Place a dollup of frosting on a small piece of cardboard or a tray, and set the cake on top. This keeps it from sliding around while decorating and makes it easier to transfer cakes to a party.
  3. Frost the entire cake with the vanilla buttercream using a small offset spatula. Smooth out the frosting in an even layer as best you can all over the top and sides.
  4. For the flag design, use the tip of a small knife and draw a line about 5 inches long and 4 inches tall for the blue part of the flag in the upper left corner. Place blueberries in that box, pick the best larger ones and place them with the smooth side up.
  5. Starting at the top edge, use large raspberries pointed up and make long rows of red, leaving a 1" white stripe in between each row of raspberries.
  6. Fill a large pastry bag with a large 1M large star tip and the frosting. To fill the piping bag, rest the piping bag in a tall sturdy jar or glass and pull the piping bag down around the edge of the container, this helps to fill it up the bag. Pipe stars on blueberries for the stars of the flag working in slightly offset rows like the American flag.
  7. For the white stripes of the flag, pipe stars in between rows of raspberries, and decorate the sides if you wish. You will have some frosting leftover, it freezes great in a zip-top bag, and can be used for another dessert like cupcakes.
  8. The cake will hold well overnight in the refrigerator for 1 day, and possibly 2 days if your berries are really fresh. I would decorate either the day of your party or the night before. I have also had guests decorate it during the party which was SO much fun!
  9. The best way to keep any leftovers is to cover it on the board with plastic wrap and put the entire thing in the refrigerator. Eat up the leftovers within a couple of days.
Showing how to decorate a flag cake with white frosting, raspberries, and blueberries for Fourth of July.

Flag Cake Decorating Tips

Baking Pans - You can bake this in a sheet pan, glass 9 x 13 dish, or metal cake pan. If you use a pan deeper than 3 inches, you will want to lower the temperature from 350 down to 325 degrees and bake it longer, about 50 minutes. Also, be sure to line the pan with parchment, it makes taking the cake out so much easier, and in one piece. 🍰 Sheet cakes are already in the shape of a flag, so this is a simple bake.

Batter - Coloring the batter is really easy. PRO TIP: Be sure to use bowls that won't stain with the dye. To create the marble look, just work to put big dollops on top of each other, with lots of white batter all over. Then use a chopstick to pull outward from the center and then in a circle. This makes the swirls you want! 🥣

Baking - You can bake a day ahead, and keep it chilled in the fridge. You will want the cake very cool before you frost it!

Cake Frosting - A small offset spatula makes it really easy, but you can use a butter knife too. I had fun piping the stars. Totally optional, but looks so patriotic. 🇺🇸 Use a large piping bag and 1M tip to create the stars. I used regular food coloring, just mix until it's a dark enough shade. Red took the whole little bottle. You can also use cool whip cream or a cheese frosting, but those will not hold up on the cake in hot weather or at an outdoor party. This is a popular "bakery-style" cake frosting that is soooo fluffy and not too sweet.

Fresh Berries - I chose to use fresh fruit and love the look of blueberries and raspberries 🫐❤️. But you could slice strawberries for the red stripes. You could also use colored sugar or sprinkles for the stripes or even colored candy.

Marbled Cake FAQ

What is a marbled cake?


A cake that is baked using light and dark-colored cake batters that has a swirled appearance once baked and sliced. The effect is easy to create by using at least two flavors of cake batter (like chocolate and vanilla) or colored batter like red, white and blue.

When the batter is loaded in the cake pan by alternating colors on top of each other, then a skewer is used to make a "marbleized" effect. When the cake is baked, and sliced open, it will have color layers and swirls.

Close up of the corner on a Flag Cake decorated with white frosting, raspberries, and blueberries.

The cake will hold well overnight in the refrigerator for 1 day, and possibly 2 days if your berries are really fresh.

I would decorate the cake either the day of your party or the night before. I have also had guests decorate it during the party which was SO much fun, they still talk about it.

It is so fun to slice into the corner of the cake and surprise your guests...

More July 4th Desserts

These recipes are a great way to show your patriotism for July 4th, Memorial day, or as a summer dessert for your cookout or picnic.

I have a collection of over 100+ July 4th Desserts with treats from my food blogger friends plus a few of mine, with something for everyone! Make a fabulous Patriotic Ice Cream Cake or these Patriotic Cookies. Bake a patriotic flag-shaped pie like this Grill Baked Blueberry Pie (yes you can bake in your grill!) or a sheet pan American Flag Pie that serves a big crowd. Happy July 4th 🇺🇸, you can also get over 100+ July 4th Recipes and ideas for your party...

  • Patriotic July 4th M&M Cookies
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  • American Flag Pie
  • 100+ July 4th Recipes

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An American flag cake decorated with blueberries, raspberries, and white frosting with a patriotic star towel.
Print Pin Recipe

American Flag Cake

Bake a patriotic American Flag Cake with red, white, and blue marbled cake inside and "bakery-style" frosting. Always a party crowd pleaser for July 4th!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 20
Calories 585kcal
Author Lisa Hatfield

Equipment

Rectangle 9 x 13 Cake Pan (3" deep)
Offset Icing Spatula
Large Reusable Piping Bag
Large Star Piping Tip (1M)

Ingredients

9 X 13 rectangle cake pan

  • 1 white vanilla boxed cake mix
  • water vegetable oil eggs called for on cake mix box
  • red food color or gel
  • blue food color or gel
  • fresh raspberries
  • fresh blueberries

cake frosting

  • 2 cups salted butter - room temperature (4 sticks)
  • 1 cup vegetable shortening
  • 10 cups powder sugar (confectioners' sugar)
  • 4 tablespoons hot water
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional but great!)

Instructions

cake pan prep

  • Put a few drops of vegetable oil in the bottom of your pan. Next, line with parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of the pan.
  • This prepared pan will release the cake easier and makes for a faster clean up. If you are serving right from the pan and not removing the cake to decorate it, don’t line the pan of course!

make frosting

  • Beat soft butter and shortening in a mixer on medium-high speed until creamy for 5 minutes.
  • At low speed, add powder sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth.
  • On high speed, mix in vanilla, almond extract, and hot water for 5 minutes until fluffy and smooth. This frosting holds really well at room temperature for a few hours.

baking

  • Stir your boxed cake mix and ingredients in a medium bowl, the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer on medium speed.
  • Deeper pans might need more cake batter. I used a deeper pan, 3 inches deep, so I mixed up 2 boxed mixes. Most standard pans are 2 inches deep, so 1 box will be fine.
  • In a small bowl place 1-2 cups of batter and scrap down the sides of the bowl as you go, stir in red food color until it’s the red you like. In another small bowl, place 1-2 cups of the batter; stir in blue food color until it’s the blue you like. Save 1-2 cups of plain white batter.
  • Now, pour batter of dollops into the prepared baking pan alternating from red, white and blue. Try to place the batter on top of each area, it will begin to spread out.
  • When all the batter is in the cake pan, use a skewer to pull lines from the center outward, and then do some slight swirls around the pan. This helps create the marble design. Rap the pan down on the counter to help level the batter and pop any bubbles in the batter that would make it bake unevenly.
  • Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake in the center of the oven according to your box directions. Most classic cake mixes require a 350-degree oven for 28 minutes for a regular 9 x 13 cake pan. If you use a pan deeper than 2 inches, reduce baking temperature to 325 degrees and bake longer for 55 minutes. Check with a toothpick, if it comes out clean the cake is done.

decorate cake

  • Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cool the cake in the refrigerator for at least two hours or preferably overnight before decorating. I like to bake one day, then decorate the next. This helps release the steam in the cake and the frosting holds on well.
  • Place a dollup of frosting on a small piece of cardboard or a tray, and set the cake on top. This keeps it from sliding around while decorating and makes it easier to transfer cakes to a party.
  • Frost the entire cake with the vanilla buttercream using a small offset spatula. Smooth out the frosting in an even layer as best you can all over the top and sides.
  • For the flag design, use the tip of a small knife and draw a line about 5 inches long and 4 inches tall for the blue part of the flag in the upper left corner. Place blueberries in that box, pick the best larger ones and place them with the smooth side up.
  • Starting at the top edge, use large raspberries pointed up and make long rows of red, leaving a 1" white stripe in between each row of raspberries.
  • Fill a large pastry bag with a large 1M large star tip and cake frosting. To fill the piping bag, rest the piping bag in a tall sturdy jar or glass and pull the piping bag down around the edge of the container, this helps to fill it up the bag. Pipe stars on blueberries for the stars of the flag working in slightly offset rows like the American flag.
  • For the white stripes of the flag, pipe stars in between rows of raspberries, and decorate the sides of the cake if you wish. You will have some frosting leftover, it freezes great in a zip-top bag, and can be used for another dessert like cupcakes.
  • The cake will hold well overnight in the refrigerator for 1 day, and possibly 2 days if your berries are really fresh. I would decorate either the day of your party or the night before. I have also had guests decorate it during the party which was SO much fun!
  • The best way to keep any leftovers is to cover it on the board with plastic wrap and put the entire thing in the refridgerator. Eat up the cake within a couple of days.

Notes

cake storage

The flag cake will last up to 2 days chilled in the fridge. The frosting will firm up, so remove it at least one hour before serving to let the frosting soften up before serving. 

frosting

This frosting recipe is SOOO fluffy and easy to spread at room temperature. But it firms up nicely when chilled in the fridge, so decorate your cake with room temperature frosting. You can freeze any leftover frosting, and use it for another dessert.

baking pans

You can bake this in a sheet pan, glass 9 x 13 dish, or metal cake pan. If you use a pan deeper than 3 inches, you will want to lower the temperature from 350 down to 325 degrees and bake it longer, about 50 minutes. Also, be sure to line the pan with parchment, it makes taking the cake out so much easier, and in one piece. 🍰

batter

Coloring the batter is really easy, be sure to use bowls that won't stain with the dye, and just work to put big dollops on top of each other, with lots of white batter all over. Then use a chopstick to pull outward from the center and then in a circle, this makes the swirls you want! 🥣

baking

You can bake a day ahead, and keep it chilled in the fridge until it's time to decorate it. You will want the cake very cool before you frost it!

decorating

A small offset spatula makes it really easy, but you can use a butter knife too. I had fun piping stars on the cake, totally optional but looks so patriotic. 🇺🇸 Use a large pastry bag and 1M tip to create the stars. I used regular food coloring, just mix until it's a dark enough shade. Red took the whole little bottle.

berries

I used blueberries and raspberries, but you could use fresh strawberries and slice them for the red stripes. You could also use colored sugar or sprinkles for the stripes. 🫐❤️

 

July 4th Recipes

I have a collection of over 100+ July 4th Desserts with treats from my food blogger friends plus a few of mine, with something for everyone. Happy July 4th 🇺🇸, you can also get over 100+ July 4th Recipes and food ideas for your party.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin A: 567IU | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let's see it on Instagram! Follow us @Delicious.Table and tag us on your recipe photo with #delicioustable
Need ingredients or equipment to make this recipe? Shop Now Every cooking product recommended I own, use, and love how they perform in my kitchen. Happy Cooking! Lisa
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Delicious Table earns advertising fees from qualified purchases linking to Amazon.com

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Seanna Borrows says

    June 28, 2021 at 1:55 pm

    5 stars
    This cake is so beautiful! Cannot wait to make this for July 4th! Yum!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 28, 2021 at 2:02 pm

      Aww thank you so so much Seanna! This cake was so much fun to design and decorate..and I ate so much frosting making sure it was delicious... haha!

      Reply
  2. Laura says

    June 14, 2021 at 1:14 pm

    5 stars
    This cake is gorgeous and so easy to make. I only hope that mine will come out as pretty as yours.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 14, 2021 at 3:19 pm

      OH it will Laura! Just follow the steps, it is SO fun to decorate, or have your family and friends help at your party.

      Reply
  3. Jessica Robinson says

    June 14, 2021 at 1:01 pm

    5 stars
    Such a great idea for Flag day or July 4th! And so simple to make! Thanks for sharing this!

    Reply

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