Perfect Strawberry Shortcake Flag Cake
A light, fluffy strawberry shortcake transformed into a festive American flag design with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream. Perfect for patriotic celebrations and easy to make.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for shortcake)
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for whipped cream)
- 2 pints (about 500g) fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
- 1 pint (about 150g) fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add cold, cubed butter to dry ingredients and work in with a pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits.
- Pour in whole milk and vanilla extract; stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Chill mixing bowl and beaters for 10 minutes. Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high until soft peaks form. Avoid overwhipping.
- Hull and thinly slice strawberries about 1/4-inch thick.
- Spread a generous layer of whipped cream over cooled shortcake. Arrange sliced strawberries in horizontal stripes, leaving a block in the top left corner for blueberries.
- Fill the top left corner with fresh blueberries to mimic the stars on the flag.
- Optionally, spread another light layer of whipped cream for a softer look.
- Refrigerate assembled cake for at least 30 minutes before serving to let cream firm and flavors meld.
Notes
Keep butter cold until mixing to ensure flaky texture. Do not overmix batter to avoid toughness. Whip cream to soft peaks only. Assemble cake close to serving time to prevent sogginess from berry juice. Refrigerate cake after assembly for best texture and flavor melding. Frozen berries can be used if thawed and drained well.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of cake
- Calories: 280320
- Sugar: 20
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 33
- Protein: 4
Keywords: strawberry shortcake, flag cake, patriotic dessert, Fourth of July, berry cake, whipped cream cake, easy dessert