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Perfect American Flag Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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A festive and easy-to-make sheet cake featuring vibrant red, white, and blue layers with tangy cream cheese frosting, perfect for patriotic celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • Red and blue gel food coloring
  • 16 ounces (450g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Fresh blueberries (for decoration)
  • White star-shaped sprinkles or mini marshmallows (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch sheet cake pan and line with parchment paper with overhang.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
  4. Beat in eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Mix in vanilla extract.
  5. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
  6. Divide batter: tint about 1 ½ cups red with gel food coloring, a smaller portion blue, and leave the rest plain (white).
  7. Pour white batter evenly into pan. Drop spoonfuls of red batter in rows to mimic stripes, alternating with white. Spread blue batter in upper left corner for the star field.
  8. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent with foil if browning too fast.
  9. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack using parchment overhang. Cool completely before frosting.
  10. Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and salt. Chill frosting 15 minutes if too soft.
  11. Spread frosting evenly over cooled cake with an offset spatula. Decorate blue section with fresh blueberries and white star sprinkles or mini marshmallows.
  12. Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour before serving to set frosting.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients for best texture. Gel food coloring provides vibrant colors without thinning batter. Chill frosting if too soft before spreading. Warm spatula under hot water and dry before frosting for smooth edges. Lining pan with parchment paper helps with cake removal and cleanup.

Nutrition

Keywords: American flag cake, patriotic dessert, sheet cake, cream cheese frosting, Fourth of July cake, easy flag cake, summer dessert

Find it online: https://merrymorsel.com/perfect-american-flag-sheet-cake-recipe-easy-step-by-step-guide/