Perfect American Flag Berry Layer Cake
A quick and festive vanilla layer cake decorated with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries to mimic the American flag, topped with a light whipped cream frosting. Perfect for patriotic celebrations and summer gatherings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups (350 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
- 1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy whipping cream, chilled
- ¼ cup (30 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until smooth but do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Tap pans to release air bubbles.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks and cool completely.
- In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
- Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread whipped cream over it and arrange sliced strawberries to form red stripes.
- Add second cake layer on top, cover top and sides with whipped cream.
- Decorate top with blueberries in the upper left corner and alternating rows of strawberries and raspberries for stripes.
- Refrigerate cake for at least one hour before slicing to set whipped cream and meld flavors.
Notes
Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Chill bowl and whisk when whipping cream to achieve stiff peaks. Pat berries dry if very juicy to avoid soggy layers. Rotate pans halfway through baking for even cooking. Cake layers can be leveled with a serrated knife if domed. For dairy-free version, substitute milk with almond or oat milk and use coconut cream for frosting (chill overnight). Gluten-free flour blend can replace all-purpose flour for gluten-free option.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cak
- Calories: 320
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Protein: 3
Keywords: American flag cake, berry layer cake, patriotic dessert, Fourth of July cake, vanilla cake, whipped cream frosting, summer dessert