Surprise-Inside Flag Cake
Serves16
Prep30 minutes
Cook25 minutes to 30 minutes
One of my favorite annual traditions is making this super-simple flag cake with my daughter. Yes, turning a cake into an American flag is somewhat cliché, but if you consider this the best way to dress up berry shortcake then it’s as fun to make as it is to share.
This charming, whipped cream-frosted cake has a colorful surprise inside. It’s what makes this vanilla-cake-meets-berry-shortcake recipe stand out from the rest.
The Secret Surprise Inside Flag Cake
To make a big impact, portions of the batter are dyed red and blue and then swirled into the pan to create a patriotic surprise inside.
A sweetened whipped cream is the best topping for this cake, as it complements both the cake and the berries. Use blueberries and sliced strawberries to decorate the top of the cake.
Flag Cake
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes to 30 minutes
Serves 16
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the cake:
Cooking spray
- 3 cups
all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups
granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon
salt
- 3
large eggs
- 3/4 cup
canola oil, or melted and cooled unsalted butter
- 1 cup
whole milk
- 1 tablespoon
vanilla extract
Red food coloring
Blue food coloring
For the whipped topping:
- 2 cups
cold heavy cream
- 3/4 cup
granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
- 4 cups
fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced
- 1 1/2 cups
fresh blueberries
Instructions
Make the cake:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in together a large bowl. Add the eggs, oil or butter, milk, and vanilla and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Divide the remaining batter between two bowls. Dye one red with 3 to 4 drops of red food coloring, and dye the other blue with 4 to 5 drops of blue food coloring. Dollop the red and blue batter onto the white cake batter. You can do a pattern or random placement.
Bake until the cake is lightly browned and springs back when tapped gingerly, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on the rack.
Make the whipped topping:
Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
Cover the entire cake with the whipped cream frosting. Arrange the berries in a flag shape by making a square of blueberries in the top lefthand corner and then making stripes with the sliced strawberries. You can use a small offset spatula to mark lines for the stripes, if needed.
Refrigerate the cake for up to 4 hours before serving or serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The cake can be baked, cooled, wrapped, and stored in the fridge several days in advance. Bring to room temperature before frosting.