Made with homemade cake and homemade buttercream, you will be shocked at how easy it is when you learn How to Make an awesome Flag cake! You can also change it up and use a boxed cake if you want to!
American Flag Layer cake
Want an awesome 4th of July dessert? Make this amazing and easy American Flag layer cake. It looks amazing on the dessert table and looks even more amazing when you slice it to serve.
If you are looking for the perfect cake for the 4th of July, this American Flag Layer cake is one you have to make! It makes a perfect addition to your summer barbecues or fun holidays like the Fourth of July.
While it might look complicated is actually quite simple to make. Making this American Flag Layer cake involves laying three different colored cakes, some frosting and thats it! If you can make a boxed cake then you can make this flag cake!
Easy 4th Of July Dessert
- Red, White and Blue Oreos
- Strawberry Blueberry trifle
- Fruit Lasagna Frozen Ice Box Cake
- Red, White and Blue Chocolate Covered Marshmallows
- Red White and Blue M&M Cookies
- Red, White and Blue Slushie
How to Decorate the Flag cake
You can decorate the cake on the outside however you would like because the inside is what’s really going to wow everyone. I like to decorate the outside to be red, white and blue. You can make extra buttercream frosting to put colorful swirls around the outside and make it fully festive if you want to.
These Red, white and blue star sprinkles sprinkled all over the cake are an easy way to decorate it.
Variations Of This Recipe
Change up the Frosting.
I used Vanilla buttercream for this recipe, however you can use a different frosting if you want to. It needs to be a white buttercream to match the cake, Almond buttercream, marshmallow buttercream, vanilla whipped frosting, cream cheese frosting and Bailey’s Irish cream buttercream are all great options.
Change up the cake flavor.
I used homemade vanilla cake with this recipe, which the full recipe is included in this post. But you can also use white cake or a boxed white cake mix for this cake. If you want a bakery tasting cake but super easy, make a boxed cake mix taste like a bakery cake with my Boxed cake mix hack.
Change up the decorations.
I put red white and blue swirls with frosting on mine, but you can change it up by using 4th of July sprinkles on this flag cake.
Tips for Making this Recipe
Allow cake to cool completely before frosting. If you frost a cake while they are still warm then the frosting will melt.
Make sure the bowl is dry. When you are making the frosting you will want to use a mixer and the bowl. It is important that you make sure the bowl is dry if you only have one mixer bowl and need to wash it in between making the 2 different frosting flavors.
Properly fill the piping bag with frosting. If you have never filled a pastry bag with frosting check out how to fill a pastry bag with frosting.
How to Store Cakee
It is best to store cake in an airtight container on the counter. Cake is best to be enjoyed with in 48 hours of making. It won’t be bad to eat after 48 hours but they will start to dry out and not be as fresh.
American Flag Layer cake Ingredients
- 1 8″ vanilla cake colored red
- 1 8″ vanilla round cake colored blue
- 1 8″ vanilla cake left with out color (this will be your white layer)
- 1 6″ round vanilla cake colored red
- buttercream frosting
How to Make American Flag Cake
Bake your cake and allow it to cool completely. While cooling make your buttercream frosting.
Cut the red cakes and white cake in half lengthwise so you end up with six layers of cake.
Cut out a 4-inch circle out of parchment paper. Use this as a template to cut one of the 6-inch red cake layers into a 4-inch circle. Used this same template to cut out a 4-inch white cake. Then cut out a blue 4-inch circle but save the outside ring, not the inside 4-inch circle
Place one of the 8-inch red cake layers on your cake plate and add a layer of frosting then sandwich a white layer of cake on top of the frosting.
Add another layer of frosting on top of the white cake and place the red layer of 8-inch cake on top of that. Spread a layer of frosting on top of the red cake.
Place the outer circle of the blue cake on top of the red cake. Spread a layer of frosting on top of the 4-inch white cake.
Insert the 4-inch white cake into the middle of the blue cake. Top the white cake with the 4-inch red.
Frosty outside of the cake and then design as you would like.
American Flag Layer cake
Ingredients
American Flag Layer cake Ingredients
- 1 8 inch ” vanilla cake colored red
- 1 8 inch ” vanilla round cake colored blue
- 1 8 inch ” vanilla cake left with out color this will be your white layer
- 1 6 inch ” round vanilla cake colored red
- buttercream Frosting
Vanilla Cake Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons self rising flour
- 1.5 cups cake flour
- 2.5 cups granulated sugar
- 1.25 cups unsalted butter
- 1.25 cups milk
- 1.25 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Butter
- 1.5 cups Shortening
- 2 tablespoons Vanilla Extract
- 3 pounds Confectioners sugar
- 3 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
How to Make Homemade Vanilla Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place your self-rising flour, cake flour, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Mix them together for a minute or two until they are well combined.
- Cut your butter into tablespoon pieces. Slowly add your butter into the flour mixture one piece at a time continue mixing until you have reached the texture of sand.
- Pour half of your milk into the flour mixture and mix just until the milk is incorporated. Use your rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of your bowl. Add your remaining milk and the vanilla to your batter and mix until combined.
- Slowly add in one egg at a time to the cake batter, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next egg.
- Once your batter is made, pour vanilla cake mix into one 8 inch round cake pan and the 6 inch cake pan. Use food coloring to color the 6 inch vanilla cake mix red.
- Divide the remaining cake batter in to 2 bowls. Color one blue with food coloring and the other red with red food coloring.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes clean when you stick it in the cake.
- Remove cakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely. While the cake is cooking make the buttercream frosting.
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Place butter and shortening together in the bowl of your mixer. On medium speed mix them together until it is all creamed together.
- Turn the mixer to the lowest setting and slowly add the powdered sugar.
- Once all the powdered sugar has been added and mixed well add the vanilla extract and hot water(if you need to thin out the buttercream frosting)
- Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and continue mixing until the frosting is light and fluffy.
How to Assemble American Flag Cake
- Cut the red cakes and white cake in half lengthwise so you end up with six layers of cake.
- Cut out a 4-inch circle out of parchment paper. Use this as a template to cut one of the 6-inch red cake layers into a 4-inch circle. Used this same template to cut out a 4-inch white cake. Then cut out a blue 4-inch circle but save the outside ring, not the inside 4-inch circle
- Place one of the 8-inch red cake layers on your cake plate and add a layer of frosting then sandwich a white layer of cake on top of the frosting.
- Add another layer of frosting on top of the white cake and place the red layer of 8-inch cake on top of that. Spread a layer of frosting on top of the red cake.
- Place the outer circle of the blue cake on top of the red cake. Spread a layer of frosting on top of the 4-inch white cake.
- Insert the 4-inch white cake into the middle of the blue cake. Top the white cake with the 4-inch red.
- Frosty outside of the cake and then design as you would like.
Notes
64 Weight Watchers Smart Points per serving when this cake is 8 servings
43 Weight Watcher SmartPoints per servings when this cake is 12 servings
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Comments & Reviews
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Stephanie says
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