Description
This American flag cake is the perfect patriotic dessert for a Memorial day or Fourth of July celebration! So, if you’ve got a party planned that is full of iconic barbecue favorites – this beautiful cake, decorated with red, white, and blue should be in the mix as well!
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or whole-wheat flour)
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup avocado oil or organic canola oil
- 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 8-ounce block of reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel cheese), softened
- 2 tablespoons low-fat Greek-style yogurt
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, divided
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 1/2 cups raspberries
- 1/2 cup blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 by 13-inch cake pan with parchment. Coat with cooking spray.
- Whisk whole-wheat pastry flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat lemon zest, granulated sugar, oil and butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until completely combined, about 30 seconds. Add in eggs, one at a time. Add in lemon juice and beat to combine.
- Combine buttermilk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and almond extract in a 2-cup measuring cup.
- Alternately add 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture into the egg mixture beating on low between each addition just until combined.
- Spread batter in the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the cake until the center is set up and springs back when lightly touched about 28 to 34 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Turn out onto the cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add Greek yogurt, 6 tablespoons confectioners sugar, and the remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
- Mark lines in frosting in a flag pattern with a long knife to demark the lines and box for stars.
- Arrange raspberries in alternating rows to represent the stripes of the flag. [Once dusted with powdered sugar these will be the white stripes.] Arrange several blueberries for the stars. Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar in a fine-mesh sieve and dust over the raspberries and blueberries. Lay the strawberries between the rows of white raspberries. Arrange the remaining blueberries around the white blueberry “stars.”
Notes
Make this dessert throughout the summer by changing up the decoration. Instead of a flag, make a flower garden. Use blueberries and raspberries to make flowers and arrange strawberry slices around the edge.
Make Ahead: The cake and frosting can be made 1 day in advance; however, we recommend keeping the components separate until ready to assemble. Bake cake according to the recipe card, allowing it to completely cool, then tightly cover and store at room temperature. Then, make the frosting and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to assemble, allow frosting to come to room temperature so it’s easier to work with.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 264
- Sugar: 16 g
- Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g