American Flag Cake

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This American Flag Cake is the perfect dessert for Memorial Day and Fourth of July celebrations! It’s an easy, homemade vanilla sheet cake topped with cream cheese frosting and fresh berries, but decorated as stars and stripes. It’s the perfect treat! If you’re needing some patriotic cupcakes for a gathering, try my 4th of July Cupcakes!

Perfect Cake for Holidays!

Today I’m posting about this super patriotic, fresh, and fun American Flag Cake recipe! I took my vanilla cake recipe and made it into a sheet cake then topped it off with my super yummy cream cheese frosting. After that, I decorated the whole thing with fresh berries and more frosting. This kind of reminds me of a fruit pizza but made with a cake base instead of a sugar cookie base.

I love a good celebration and this cake is the perfect way to be festive. Here are a few American Holidays to make this Flag Cake for:

• Memorial Day
• Flag Day
• Fourth of July
• Election Day
• Veterans Day
• Olympics

Variations

Can I use a boxed cake and frosting?

Yes, you can! While I used my Homemade Vanilla Cake Recipe and baked it on a sheet pan, you can use your favorite vanilla cake recipe or if homemade isn’t your thing you can always use a boxed vanilla or white cake mix and two tubs of frosting. All the decorating instructions stay the same.

Can I use other fruit instead of blueberries and raspberries?

Yes, of course! You could also use thinly sliced strawberries if raspberries aren’t your favorite. Also don’t let this stop you from making whatever type of flag you’d like. There are all sorts of colored fruits out there so the sky is the limit!

Can I use a different frosting?

Sure! If you don’t like cream cheese frosting, you can use just plain Vanilla Buttercream. (You’ll want to double the recipe if using mine.)

A Note About Vanilla Extract

You’re going to want to use a good vanilla extract. Look for ‘pure vanilla extract’ instead of imitation vanilla for best results. (Both will work, I just recommend pure vanilla extract. This is a great one.) 

How to Make American Flag Cake

For full details on how to make this American Flag Cake, see the recipe card down below 🙂

Preheat Oven + Prep Pan

Preheat oven. Line sheet pan with parchment paper and/or spray well with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Make the Cake Batter

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together to combine. Set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, stir milk and vanilla together. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, mix butter, oil and sugar together until combined. Mix in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, until mixture becomes very light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.

Alternate adding in flour mixture with milk mixture, being sure to start and end with flour. Scrape the sides and mix again to ensure a smooth batter.

Bake + Cool

Pour into the prepared sheet pan and smooth the top. Bake in the lower 2/3rds of the oven. The cake will be done when a toothpick comes out clean or mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Depending on your oven, this will take more or less time. Anywhere between 12-20 minutes.

Cool completely before frosting and decorating.

Make Cream Cheese Frosting

Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Stir with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until completely combined, thick and smooth. Scrape the sides and stir again briefly to ensure a smooth frosting. Use as desired. If you don’t like cream cheese frosting, you can use just plain Vanilla Buttercream. (You’ll want to double the recipe if using mine.)

Decorate

Over cooled cake spread half of the cream cheese frosting in an even layer. It doesn’t have to be perfect since its getting covered with berries and more frosting.

With a toothpick or butterknife, outline the best you can the American flag. You don’t need all 13 stripes, I only had room for 7.

Fill the upper left rectangle with blueberries. Then alternate adding raspberries to each flag line. I started and ended with a red stripe (so four red stripes total and three white stripes).

With remaining cream cheese frosting, place in a piping bag with a star-shaped tip. Pipe on a couple of ‘stars’ then pipe two lines in each place of a white stripe.

Storing Leftover American Flag Cake

Because this recipe calls for cream cheese frosting any leftovers need to be stored in the fridge. Cover with plastic wrap and store for up to 3 days. After that the berries tend to turn and the base starts to get a little soggy. While still totally edible, I’d recommend eating this Flag Cake within the first 24 hours.

Make-Ahead + Freezing Instructions

Make this Flag Cake ahead of time by making the vanilla cake and cream cheese frosting in advance. Frost and store in the fridge for up to 4 days (reserving a bit of cream cheese frosting for later). Then when you are ready to serve, wash and dry those berries and go to town decorating.

To Freeze

You can even freeze this recipe in parts and then assemble it on the day you plan on serving it. Simply wrap the cake layer in plastic wrap a couple of times then freeze for up to three months. Similarly, you can freeze the cream cheese frosting in a separate container for the same amount of time. Let both items thaw for about a day. Give the cream cheese frosting a quick whip in the stand mixer or with a hand mixer then used it as normal. Top with fresh fruit and you’ve got yourself a fabulous dessert to share!

Even More Patriotic Treats to Try!

• 4th of July Cupcakes
• Double Berry Galette
• Old-Fashioned Mini Cherry Pies
• Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
• Buttery Apple Pie Recipe

I hope this cake makes it to your dessert table this Fourth of July! It’s a crowd pleaser for sure!

The printable recipe card is below. Enjoy, friends! 🙂