American Flag Cake Recipe

Every 4th of July or Memorial Day party needs an American Flag Cake! This recipe is super easy and not complicated at all. Let the kids help and make it an annual tradition!

American flag cake

Patriotic desserts are so fun and this American Flag Cake is tasty and festive. We have a blast making red white and blue desserts. They are a must for July 4th! We also make them for Memorial Day.

The blueberries and strawberries make such a pretty flag and the cake is delicious too.  I love that this cake is not heavy or overly sweet. The berries really lighten it up so you don’t feel like the cake is too much for hot weather. 

This American Flag Cookie Cake is another favorite.

American Fruit Flag Cake:

This cake is always a crowd pleaser! It always brings happiness to the dessert table. There is just something about a cake that resembles a flag. I love that you can turn in ordinary cake into something so festive.

This cake starts off with a vanilla cake mix. But you can use any flavor. I have used a strawberry cake mix and a white cake mix. Then topped with vanilla frosting that can easily be changed as well.

Then layered with fresh strawberries and blueberries. I love that we can change the fruit to candy or sprinkles. The kids are always eager to help and it is always a family traditon.

Ingredients for American Flag Cake:

• Vanilla Cake Mix (and the ingredients needed to prepare the cake.)
• Vanilla Icing 
• Blueberries
• Strawberries

With just these simple frosting and decorating ingredients, you can make this amazing and delicious American Flag cake. 

How to make American flag cake:

• Prepare the Oven – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare Fruit – Rinse and chop blueberries and strawberries and set aside. 
• Make the Cake – Prepare the betty crocker vanilla cake mix according to directions in a 9×13 pan. I used this Wilton pan for even baking and electric mixer to mix the ingredients.
• Put cake in pan – Pour cake into greased pan and bake. Cake is done when toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Let Cake Cool – Before cake can be frosted, allow for it to cool completely. 

• Frost Cake – Evenly spread the vanilla icing over the room temperature cake. 

• Decorate The Cake – Cut the stems of the strawberries off and slice the strawberries. The thinner the better, because it will lay flatter. I used my JA Henckels knife. 
• Serve and Enjoy

How do you decorate a cake like an American Flag?

• Place the blueberries in a rectangle on the cake in the upper left corner. 
• Then lay the strawberries slightly overlapping them to make the red stripes. 

American Flag Layered Cake:

Another fun way to make this cake is to make an American Flag Cake Layers. Bake your cake as indicated, but layer the pan with parchment paper. This allows for the cake to be easily removed from the pan.

After the can has cooled, remove the cake from the pan. Take the cake and slice horizontally so the cake is in to pieces. Put the bottom cake back into the pan.

Then frost the bottom half, and top with the berries. Then place the other half of the cake on top of the berries and decorate the top with the American Flag.

What size pan do I use to bake the Cake?

This cake is best in 9×13 pan. The ones with the lid are really handy if you are taking this dish somewhere. I have used a sheet cake pan as well to make this cake. It turned out just as good.

I use the disposable pans for the ones I’m taking to a cookout or if I’m transporting the cake.  This cake is also perfect to take to cookouts and such for July 4th or Memorial Day. 

I love not worrying about getting the dish back and can just leave it at cookouts and such. One less thing to worry about and you can pick them up cheap at the dollar store. 

Variation Ideas:

• Use different Fruits – You can change the fruit to blackberries and raspberries to makes this cake just as festive.
• Use Candy – If you don’t have fruit on hand, and need a last minute dessert, use M&M’s. We always seem to have M&M’s and it was a great to use this on this cake.
• Sprinkles Work Great – You can even use patriotic sprinkles to make a flag cake.

Frosting Options:

You can even change the frosting. Here are some of our favorites:

• Cool Whip – Cool whip is easy frosting switch. We like that it is light and the fruit really holds up on the frosting.
• Change the coloring – You can easily change the coloring of the frosting by adding food coloring.

Make an American Flag Cookie Cake:

Instead of using a box cake mix, make a cookie instead. You will make the cookie out of your traditional cookie ingredients. These include the following:

• Butter
• Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Vanilla
• Eggs
• Flour
• Salt
• Baking Soda
• Chocolate Chips

Mix ingredient together and spread into a 9×13 pan and bake. Then top with your favorite frosting and fruit. My kids love when I make cookie cake. It is so easy and the ingredients are so easy.

Tips and Trick for the best fourth of July cake:

• Preparing Berries – Slice the berries very thin so that they will lay flat to make the red stripes.
• Use different flavors of cake – We used a white cake mix but angel food cake or yellow cake would work as well. You could even use those patriotic funfetti cake mixes. 
• Change the Color of the Cake – Try using food coloring to make the cake different colors. You can do a row of red layers and a row of blue layers. My always love when I do a red cake and a blue cake.
• Change the Frosting – Substitute whipped cream for the icing for a change. This is also really good!
• Refrigerator Cake – Make sure to keep this cake in the fridge or serve immediately.
• Make sure to use the right size of pan – Use a 9×13 pan to have plenty of room to make the flag design out of the fruit. Smaller size pans will not produce the desired outcome of a flag shape.

Can you make a Flag Cake ahead of time?

Yes, you can. You can prepare the cake and frost it and place in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve the cake, decorate it with your fruit topping to make a flag.

You can place the fruit on up to a day before serving. I don’t recommend doing it any earlier than that as your fruit might get mushy.

How to Store:

To store leftovers, cover with saran wrap or with the pan lid and place in the refrigerator. It will stay good for up to 3 days.

A Fun and Festive Cake to Make:

Everyone will be so impressed you made this and it tastes amazing. It taste so much better than what you can get at the bakery.

We all look forward to making this each year. The kids have a blast helping and I love creating these special memories with them.

Give this a try and let us know how it turns out. We love making cookie cakes and this patriotic one is a favorite around here.

Since we started making this cookie cake for the 4th of July, everyone expects us to bring it. It is a fun tradition that I look forward to. Everyone just loves a cookie cake.

Print this American flag cake recipe below:

Try these other 4th of July desserts:

• Red white and blue crinkle cake mix cookies
• American Flag Candy Charcuterie Board
• Red White and Blue Chocolate Covered Pretzels
• Easy Bomb Brownie Bites
• The Best Red White and Blue Cake to Impress!
• 4th of July Chocolate Covered Oreos