Buttercream Flag Cake (Simple 4th of July Party Dessert)
Celebrate your summer gatherings with our Buttercream Flag Cake, a delightful and festive dessert that captures the spirit of Independence Day! This easy-to-make cake features vibrant red and blue swirls inside and is beautifully topped with fluffy buttercream stars, designed to resemble the American flag. Perfect for BBQs, picnics, or family reunions, this cake not only looks impressive but also delivers a rich vanilla flavor that will satisfy sweet cravings. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced baker, this simple recipe will help you create a stunning centerpiece for any celebration!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Total Time: 48 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 1 cup (240 g) full-fat sour cream
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
- ⅓ cup (75 g) butter (melted)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- blue food coloring
- red food coloring
- 1 cup (227 g) butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup (190 g) vegetable shortening
- 2 lbs (907 g) confectioners' sugar
- 1½ tbsps. (22 ml) water
- 1½ tsps (7 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp red, white and blue sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the vanilla cake mix, sour cream, whole milk, melted butter, and eggs. Beat on high speed for 4 minutes until smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. Add blue food coloring on top and swirl gently; repeat with red food coloring.
- Bake for 25–28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cooling completely.
- For the frosting, beat room-temperature butter and vegetable shortening until fluffy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and continue mixing until smooth.
- Divide frosting into three bowls; tint one red, one blue, and leave one white. Pipe decorations onto the cooled cake to create your flag design.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (85g)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 36g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 45mg