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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Vegan Dessert Recipes

    American Flag Birthday Cake

    Published: Jun 28, 2022 ยท Updated: May 12, 2023 by Jacqui Wormington ยท This post may contain affiliate links. ยท 8 Comments

    53 shares

    This American Flag Birthday Cake recipe is the easiest way to make a festive-looking dessert. This cake is also perfect for Memorial Day and the 4th of July. It is made with a simple homemade sheet cake, (vegan) whipped cream, and fresh berries. Wow, your friends and family with this party cake!

    Jump to:
    • ๐Ÿ’ก The recipe in a nutshell
    • ๐ŸŽ‚ What is a flag cake?
    • ๐Ÿ“‹ Ingredients
    • ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ How do I make a flag birthday cake?
    • ๐Ÿฅฃ Storage
    • โ„๏ธ How to freeze
    • ๐Ÿ“– Recipe
    • ๐Ÿ’ฌ Reviews
    vegan flag cake

    ๐Ÿ’ก The recipe in a nutshell

    • Vegan (eggless and dairy-free)
    • Can be made gluten-free (read recipe notes)
    • Easy to make
    • Festive, decorative and fun!

    ๐ŸŽ‚ What is a flag cake?

    A flag cake is typically a soft yellow sheet cake topped with whipped cream or frosting. It is then decorated to resemble a flag by using ingredients such as fresh fruit and berries, colored icing and more!

    This flag cake recipe resembles the American flag and is the perfect dessert for themed birthday parties and patriotic holidays.

    ๐Ÿ“‹ Ingredients

    To make the vegan sheet cake from scratch you will need:

    • Plant milk, such as almond or soy
    • Apple Cider Vinegar
    • Applesauce
    • Vegetable oil
    • Cane sugar
    • Vanilla extract
    • Almond extract
    • All-purpose flour
    • Baking powder
    • Salt

    To create the US flag onto the cake you will need:

    • Whipped Cream (or frosting), you can use a vegan store-bought variety or make your own with this recipe
    • Strawberries
    • Blueberries

    ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ How do I make a flag birthday cake?

    Making a flag cake is super simple! All you need is your favorite sheet cake, (vegan) whipped cream, or frosting, such as cream cheese frosting and fruit to decorate. To make the sheet cake you can use my recipe below. Or as an alternative, a boxed cake or a pre-made unfrosted one from the store will work too.

    To resemble the red in the American flag use fresh strawberries. For the blue rectangle use fresh blueberries. Putting them next to each other will also form small star shapes in between them. Just like you see in the images! You can also find a how-to video in the recipe card below.

    ๐Ÿฅฃ Storage

    To store the unfrosted sheet cake: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and secure the top, sides, and bottom. Then place the wrapped cake in a plastic zip-log bag or air-tight container and store it on the kitchen counter at room temperature for up to five days. If you need to keep unfrosted layers longer than that, freeze them.

    Store frosted cake covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add berries shortly before serving. If added already the toppings keep fresh for up to 2 days. Check strawberry slices before serving.

    โ„๏ธ How to freeze

    Wrap the unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap and secure the top, sides, and bottom. Place in a zip-log bag or an air-tight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.

    Place frosted cake in an air-tight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

    ๐Ÿ“– Recipe

    vegan flag cake

    American Flag Birthday Cake

    Jacqui Wormington
    This American Flag Birthday Cake recipe is the easiest way to make a festive-looking dessert. This cake is also perfect for Memorial Day and the 4th of July. It is made with a simple homemade sheet cake, (vegan) whipped cream, and fresh berries. Wow, your friends and family with this party cake!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Bake 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Dessert, Sweets
    Cuisine American, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Vegan
    Servings 16 servings

    Equipment

    • mixing bowl, electric mixer (or whisk), 9x13 -inch cake pan (23x33cm), spatula, knife and cutting board to slice strawberries

    Ingredients
      

    Sheet Cake

    • 185 mililiters plant milk, such as almond or soy (6.2 fl oz)
    • 155 mililiters filtered water (5.2 fl oz)
    • 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tablespoons applesauce
    • 75 mililiters vegetable oil (2.5 fl oz)
    • 200 grams cane sugar (7 oz)
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ยฝ teaspoon almond extract
    • 300 grams all-purpose flour* (10.5 oz)
    • 1 tablespoons baking powder
    • a pinch of salt

    Topping

    • 450 grams vegan whipped cream, lightly sweetened (15.8 oz)
    • 300 grams fresh strawberries (10.5 oz)
    • 100 grams fresh blueberries (3.5 oz)
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    Making sheet cake from scratch

    • Preheat the oven to 180ยฐC / 355ยฐF and lightly grease, spray or line a 13 by 9-inch cake pan with parchment.
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plant milk and vinegar. Let sit for 1 minute to curdle. Now add the applesauce, oil, sugar, extracts, and water. Whisk to combine. Then add dry ingredients. Mix with an electric mixer (or whisk) until a smooth batter forms. Do not overmix.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is just slightly golden on top.

    Assembling the cake

    • Prepare vegan whipped cream if making at home, and wash berries. Slice strawberries shortly before assembling.
    • Once the cake has cooled completely, frost the cake, using as much whipped cream as you desire. Then, carefully place the blueberries and sliced strawberries on the cake, making a flag design. The strawberries will resemble the red stripes, the blueberries will resemble the blue rectangle in the upper left corner of the flag. See the pictures above, or watch the video below.ย 
    • Serve immediately and enjoy! Do not keep the cake out in the heat or in the sun for too long. Otherwise, the whipped cream may melt and the berries could spoil. Store any extra cake in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    Video

    Notes

    *Can I make this cake gluten-free? Yes, absolutely! Simply use a 1:1 gluten-free flour such as Bob's Red Mill instead of regular all-purpose.

    The provided nutritional information is an estimate. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment & tag @thesimplesprinkle on Instagram

    PS: Don't forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment on your experience - this helps improve my recipes and serves you with the best instructions, tips, and substitution ideas. Plus, I love hearing about your takes on my recipes! Tag me on Instagram @thesimplesprinkle to show me your pictures.

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    53 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 8 votes

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sabine Schidelko says

      June 29, 2022 at 6:12 am

      5 stars
      Very Delicious

      Reply
    2. Andrea White says

      July 18, 2022 at 1:52 am

      5 stars
      love how cute this cake is! it turned out so delicious as well!

      Reply
    3. Rob says

      July 18, 2022 at 1:57 am

      5 stars
      Such a fun cake!

      Reply
    4. Alexandra says

      July 18, 2022 at 2:27 am

      5 stars
      Such a lovely idea and great presentation!

      Reply
    5. Emily says

      July 18, 2022 at 2:53 am

      5 stars
      So delicious and perfect for summer, we all loved it! I'll be making this every Fourth of July!

      Reply
    6. Jean says

      July 18, 2022 at 3:56 am

      5 stars
      cute and so delicious

      Reply
    7. Donna says

      July 18, 2022 at 4:21 am

      5 stars
      How creative! And delicious too ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    8. Peggy says

      July 18, 2022 at 4:31 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for this awesome recipe. I love the texture and flavor of the cake with the fresh fruit topping. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

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    Hey there, I am Jacqui! I'm a self-taught vegan recipe developer, content creator and food photographer. My goal? To make veganism easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy! With my drool-worthy recipes and savvy tips, I'll prove that going plant-based doesn't mean giving up your favorite meals.

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