About This Mini American Flag Cake
This mini American flag cake is a small batch version of the popular American flag sheet cakes for 4th of July celebrations.
The cake starts with a fluffy, white sheet cake base baked in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. The cake is then topped with freshly whipped cream and fresh fruit (typically, blueberries and raspberries or strawberries). This fruit is arranged in the shape of an American flag.
However, if you’re not feeling particularly patriotic, feel free to skip the flag decor! Simply top the cake with any fruit of your choice instead.
Why You Should Make The Recipe
The recipe is based on a popular 4th of July celebration cake by Ina Garten.
Although American flag cakes have apparently been around for centuries, we can credit Food Network star and best-selling cookbook author Ina Garten for introducing this fruit-adorned sheet cake version into the mainstream.
According to this Food52 article on the history of flag cake (it’s ABSOLUTELY worth reading if you have the time), Ina began by selling the flag cake out of her specialty food store for the 4th of July. It became so popular that she had to limit orders to 50 per summer. Later, after she published the recipe in one of her cookbooks and showcased it in an “All American” episode of her show, the cake picked up steam.
The cake is very small batch.
Ina Garten’s original recipe instructs you to bake the cake in a half sheet pan. A half sheet pan typically measures around 18 x 13-inches. That’s enough for serving around 48 people!
But this recipe makes only enough batter to be baked in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. The resulting cake is approximately a quarter of the size of Ina’s original recipe. What does that mean in terms of serving size? The cake makes 8 petite servings (or 2 generous ones). It’s the perfect amount for a small household celebrating special occasions!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Now that I’ve convinced you to make this mini American flag cake, here’s everything you need to make the recipe:
Shopping List For Mini American Flag Cake Recipe
- whole milk
- large eggs
- pure vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- baking powder
- kosher salt
- unsalted butter
- heavy cream
- confectioner’s sugar
- fresh blueberries
- fresh raspberries
And let’s talk about some key ingredients and potential substitutions:
Ingredient Sources and Substitutions
Here are common substitutions for the ingredients in the recipe:
- Whole Milk. You can also substitute the whole milk for 2% or skim milk (but your cake might be less flavorful). You can also use any plant-based milk to make the cake dairy free (though you’ll need to swap the butter and heavy cream out for a plant-based option too). Flavorful plant based milks (like coconut or oat) will make the cake taste like that flavor, too.
- All-Purpose Flour. Substitute the all-purpose flour with your favorite 1-1 Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (I like the ones by Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur Baking Company) to make the brownies gluten-free!
- Kosher Salt. Kosher salt is the best salt for baking recipes. But you can replace the 1 teaspoon kosher salt in the recipe with ½ teaspoon of table salt.
- Unsalted Butter. You can substitute the unsalted butter with salted butter without any noticeable difference in taste.
How To Make The Recipe
Here are the basic steps to make this mini American flag cake from scratch:
- Prep the ingredients for the white cake batter. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
It’s especially important that your butter, milk, and egg whites are warmed to room temperature. The batter will curdle if some of the ingredients are colder than others. - Make the white cake batter. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
- Bake the white cake. (Bake Time: 25 minutes)
Once the cake is done baking, cool it completely before topping with the whipped cream! If you top the cake while it’s still warm, it will melt the whipped cream and you’ll end up with a mess. - Once the cake is cool, prep the ingredients for the whipped cream topping. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
- Make the whipped cream. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
- Finish assembling the flag cake. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
Best Recipe Tips
Ingredient Tips
- It’s especially important that your butter, milk, and egg whites are warmed to room temperature. The batter will curdle if some of the ingredients are colder than others.
- Most white cake recipes are made with clear, artificial vanilla. That’s because artificial vanilla is colorless—using it in this recipe will result in a snow white crumb. If you have a bottle at home, I suggest you use it instead! In a pinch, pure vanilla extract works just fine. The cake, however, will be slightly yellower.
Tip About The Recipe Results
- Don’t panic if the top of your cake comes out pretty yellow looking! That’s normal. When sliced, the crumb will still be pretty white!
Get the Recipe: Mini American Flag Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For The White Cake
- ⅓ cup (2.65 ounces or 75 grams) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 large egg white, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (3 ounces or 85 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (3.5 ounces or 99 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 Tablespoons (2 ounces or 57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For The Whipped Cream And Fruit Topping
- ⅓ cup (2.65 ounces or 75 grams) cold heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon confectioners' sugar, sifted if necessary
- fresh blueberries
- fresh raspberries
Instructions
- First, make the sheet cake. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the pan's two long sides. Spray the parchment, too.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Pour the milk into a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Scoop out 1 tablespoon into another small bowl. Add the egg white and vanilla to the bowl with the small amount of milk and whisk to combine.
- Mix the dry ingredients, then add the butter and milk and egg mixture. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low until just combined, about 15 seconds. Add the butter all at once and beat on low until the mixture has the texture of coarse meal, with pea-sized pieces of butter throughout, about 3 minutes. Add the first bowl of plain milk all at once and increase the mixer to medium. Beat until the batter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the milk and egg white mixture in two or three additions, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition, then beat until just combined.
- Bake and cool the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the cake bounces back when gently pressed. A skewer inserted into the cake should come out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
- When the cake is cool, make the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream and confectioners’ sugar. Whisk on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- Assemble the cake. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the cake and use an offset spatula to smooth it evenly across the cake. Arrange the fresh berries into the shape of an American flag.Serve immediately. The cake will keep, loosely covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Weeknight Baking:
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Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
Ha, I was wondering if people were going to be feeling patriotic this year given our atrociously the country’s being run. I’d still eat a delicious American flag like this though!
Would I be able to bake this in an 1/8th sheet pan? Thank you!
Yup, a 1/8th sheet pan works! Just test for doneness maybe 5 minutes earlier, 1/8th sheet pans have a slightly larger surface area than loaf cake pans.