Description
A festive and easy-to-make patriotic sheet cake featuring moist yellow cake and tangy cream cheese frosting, decorated with fresh strawberries and blueberries to resemble the American flag.
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix (about 15.25 oz / 432g)
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (120ml)
- 1 cup water (240ml, cold)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (225g)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (115g)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (480g), sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
- 1 teaspoon blue gel food coloring
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, mix yellow cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water until smooth, about 2 minutes with a mixer on medium speed.
- Pour batter into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- While cake cools, beat softened cream cheese and unsalted butter until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Divide frosting into three bowls: leave one plain white, add red gel food coloring to the second, and blue gel food coloring to the third. Stir until colors are vibrant and even.
- Spread a thin crumb coat layer of plain white frosting over the entire cooled cake. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.
- Using red frosting, pipe or spread three horizontal stripes across the cake, leaving spaces for white frosting stripes between them.
- Fill spaces between red stripes with plain white frosting.
- Spread blue frosting in a rectangle on the upper left corner (about one-third the width and half the height of the cake).
- Press fresh blueberries evenly into the blue frosting to mimic stars.
- Slice fresh strawberries lengthwise and lay them in neat rows to form the red stripes.
- Keep white stripes as plain frosting, smoothing them clean and neat.
- Chill the decorated cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
- Slice into squares and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
[‘Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning the frosting.’, ‘Chill the cake after crumb coating and after decorating for crisp design.’, ‘Use room temperature cream cheese and butter for smooth frosting.’, ‘Fresh fruit adds brightness and juiciness to the cake.’, ‘Take your time decorating for a neat flag appearance.’, ‘Make the cake a day ahead for better flavor melding.’, ‘Substitute gluten-free cake mix to make gluten-free.’, ‘For vegan version, use vegan cake mix, dairy-free cream cheese, and plant-based butter.’, ‘Whipped cream frosting can be used but is less stable and best served immediately.’]
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cak
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 35
- Sodium: 300
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
Keywords: Memorial Day cake, patriotic dessert, flag sheet cake, cream cheese frosting, yellow cake, easy dessert, summer dessert, berry cake