This American Flag Buttermilk Sheet Cake is made with two fluffy buttermilk cake layers, whipped cream cheese frosting, and contemporary summer season berries. Adorned to resemble the American flag, it’s a simple but spectacular cake for patriotic holidays and warm-weather entertaining.
If you happen to’re searching for a simple, crowd-pleasing dessert for summer season, this American Flag Buttermilk Sheet Cake could possibly be your winner. In some ways, it jogs my memory of the traditional New Orleans Chantilly cake, with its fluffy whipped frosting and all these contemporary berries. However this model has an much more distinctly Southern twist with buttermilk within the cake layers and cream cheese within the whipped frosting. This provides the cake a young crumb and the frosting just a bit additional character. (We southerners name it ‘twang’.)
It’s additionally fairly unfussy. The cake layers are stacked with frosting in between without having to frost the edges. The one flourish is the flag design on prime, and even that’s simpler to create than it seems. Just a few rows of strawberries, a handful of blueberries, some piped frosting stripes, and also you’re accomplished.
American Flag Sheet Cake with Recent Berries
This cake feels proper at residence on a Fourth of July dessert desk, and it might be particularly becoming as we strategy America’s 250th anniversary. However don’t reserve it just for patriotic celebrations. Through the canine days of summer season, you’ll be able to skip the flag motif altogether and scatter the berries excessive in no matter association fits you.
Let’s leap in!
Make the Buttermilk Cake Batter
The buttermilk cake batter comes collectively utilizing pantry staples and bakes up gentle, fluffy, and durable sufficient for layering. Cream the butter and sugar till mild and fluffy, then alternate the dry substances with buttermilk for a easy, velvety batter.
Bake the Cake Layers
Divide the batter evenly between two 13×9-inch pans. Bake till frivolously golden on prime and a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear, about 20 minutes. If you happen to don’t have two pans, you’ll be able to reuse one pan. Cowl and refrigerate the cake batter whereas the primary layer bakes. Then, wash and re-prep your pan for the subsequent cake.
Enable the truffles to chill fully earlier than assembling. Whipped cream cheese frosting is so meltable and won’t be steady on a heat cake.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting Substances
This whipped cream cheese frosting makes use of simply 4 substances: cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla bean paste. Begin with chilly cream cheese and chilly heavy cream. This creates a frosting that’s easy, fluffy, and durable sufficient for piping ornamental stripes between the berries.
Assemble the Cake
Place one cake layer on a serving board or platter and unfold a beneficiant layer of whipped cream cheese frosting on prime. Add the second cake layer and canopy the highest with extra frosting.
Earlier than including the berries, frivolously mark the flag design with a ruler, offset spatula, or toothpick if desired. This straightforward step makes arranging the strawberries and blueberries a lot simpler and helps hold the rows straight.
Prep the Strawberries
Minimize the caps on of the berries after which slice them in half vertically. Slice them once more into 1/4ths. In case your berries are very massive, it’s possible you’ll even must slice them into 1/8ths. The concept is to get slender items that may simply be organized into the crimson stripes of the flag.
The picture above reveals how the primary strawberry stripe ought to look. Organize the strawberry quarters facet by facet, alternating the cap ends and pointed ends. Consider the best way footwear are packed in a shoe field – toe to heel. This creates a straighter, extra block-like stripe for the flag design.
Make an American Flag with Recent Berries
Organize a single layer of the strawberries in horizontal rows throughout the cake to create the crimson stripes of the flag, leaving the higher left nook open for the blue area. Fill the open part with contemporary blueberries.
Switch the remaining whipped cream cheese frosting to a piping bag fitted with a big French pastry tip or massive open star tip. Pipe rows of frosting between the strawberry stripes to create the white stripes of the flag. You should utilize a shell border sample for added texture or pipe straight strains for a less complicated look.
THEN (necessary) – return and pile extra strawberry quarters on prime of the primary layers of strawberries. This makes the cake look full and ample. And who doesn’t love extra strawberries? Goal to get the peak of the berries considerably even with the white stripes. Refrigerate the cake for about half-hour to agency the frosting earlier than serving.
Make Forward and Storage
- As a result of the frosting accommodates cream cheese and contemporary whipped cream, this cake ought to be saved within the fridge.
- The cake layers might be baked as much as 2 days prematurely and refrigerated, tightly wrapped. For longer storage, freeze the cooled cake layers for as much as 1 month. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than assembling.
- As soon as embellished, the cake is finest loved inside 1 to 2 days for the freshest berries and finest texture.
When to Serve this Cake
This patriotic sheet cake is ideal for Memorial Day, Independence Day celebrations, Veterans Day, navy homecomings, and summer season cookouts. If you happen to’re not inclined to vogue ‘Outdated Glory’ on prime of the cake, merely pile on the whipped frosting and berries with a couple of mint sprigs. It’s good for any heat climate celebration.
Aspect observe: I couldn’t resist utilizing a classic Bicentennial cake server that I discovered years in the past. It’s so becoming for an American Flag Buttermilk Sheet Cake – proper? Fifty years have handed for the reason that nation’s two hundredth anniversary, however one factor stays the identical: gratitude for the women and men who serve our nation. Thanks to those that selflessly serve.
The Good Patriotic Sheet Cake for Summer time
To me, this cake tastes like a cross between strawberry shortcake and chantilly cake – but in addition one thing which may come out of your Southern grandma’s kitchen. The gentle buttermilk cake stays moist and flavorful, whereas the frivolously sweetened whipped cream cheese frosting provides a cool, creamy distinction to the tart fruit. It’s been an actual crowd-pleaser for us. I hope you’ll discover it as handy and reliable as I’ve. It’s a kind of recipes I’ll return to time and again, particularly throughout berry season.
Associated recipe: American Flag Cake (with a Shock Inside!)
American Flag Buttermilk Sheet Cake
American Flag Buttermilk Sheet Cake is a festive summer season dessert made with two tender buttermilk cake layers, fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting, and contemporary strawberries and blueberries organized in a patriotic flag design. Good for Memorial Day, Independence Day, and summer season gatherings, this straightforward sheet cake serves a crowd and tastes simply nearly as good because it seems.
Buttermilk cake layers
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 massive eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 cup complete buttermilk
Whipped cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese chilly
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream chilly
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Meeting
- 1 cup contemporary blueberries
- 1 lb. strawberries capped and lower into quarters
Buttermilk cake layers
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat two 13×9 inch cake pans with flour-based baking spray (equivalent to Baker’s Pleasure) or grease and flour the pans.
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In a big bowl mix the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder baking soda, and salt. Whisk to mix and put aside.
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Within the bowl of an electrical mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar till mild and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat within the eggs one by one. When the yolk of 1 egg is totally integrated, then add the subsequent egg. Scrape down the bowl and add the vanilla bean paste or extract.
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Beat in 1/3 of the flour combination, after which alternate with 1/2 of the buttermilk. Repeat with one other 1/3 of the flour and the remaining buttermilk. Beat within the remaining 1/3 of flour till simply integrated.
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Divide the batter between the ready baking pans and easy evenly. Bake 20-22 minutes, or till frivolously golden on prime and a toothpick tester comes out clear. Cool within the pans for 10 minutes then end up onto wire racks to chill fully earlier than frosting.
Whipped cream cheese frosting
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Place a big mixing bowl and the whisk attachment of a stand mixer within the freezer for 20 to half-hour earlier than starting.
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Add the chilly cream cheese to the chilled bowl and beat on medium pace till fully easy and freed from lumps, about 2-3 minutes.
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Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Combine on low pace till integrated, then improve to medium pace and beat till easy.
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With the mixer working on medium pace, add about 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and beat till easy. Repeat with one other 1/4 cup of cream. This helps create a easy base and prevents small bits of cream cheese from remaining within the frosting.
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Steadily stream within the remaining heavy cream whereas mixing on medium-high pace.
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Proceed whipping till the frosting thickens and holds medium-stiff peaks. Watch out to not overmix.
Assemble and enhance
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Place one cake layer on a cake board or serving plate. Unfold 2 cups of the whipped cream cheese frosting on prime. Prime with the second cake layer. Unfold about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the whipped frosting on prime of the cake, leaving the edges unfrosted. Switch remaining whipped cream cheese frosting to a piping bag fitted with a big open star tip equivalent to Ateco 869 (additionally known as a French pastry tube).
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Organize a single layer of strawberries on prime of the cake in horizontal rows to create the crimson stripes of the flag, leaving a rectangle within the higher left nook uncovered for the blue area of the flag. Fill the uncovered part with blueberries, piling them excessive.
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Pipe the whipped cream cheese frosting in horizontal rows between the strawberries to create the white stripes. Use a shell border sample or pipe straight strains, as desired.
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Organize extra strawberry quarters on prime of the primary layer of strawberries to provide the cake a full, ample look. Goal to pile the berries as excessive because the whipped frosting stripes.
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Refrigerate till the frosting is agency, about half-hour.Maintain cake refrigerated till able to serve. Let stand at room temperature quarter-hour earlier than serving for finest cake texture.
This cake might be changed into a real Chantilly cake by omitting the cream cheese within the frosting recipe. Simply whip the cream with the sugar till thickened, then add the vanilla extract. Whip till thick and spreadable. Then use to fill and prime the cake layers.
You could have just a little leftover whipped frosting in your piping bag. (It is determined by how generously you pipe the white stripes.) Maintain leftovers within the fridge and serve on an ice cream sundae, or with contemporary peaches.
