Home Is Where The Haggis Is

What are your plans this 4th of July?  Travel?  Family gathering?  Backyard barbecue?  If you are looking for a statement dessert that serves a crowd then look no further.  This flag cake can be a new tradition to add to your holiday.

Flag Cake (from Barefoot Contessa)

serves 20-24

Ingredients

For the cake:

18 Tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

For the icing:

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature

1 pound powdered sugar, sifted

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

To assemble:

Approximately 1 half-pint blueberries (discard any moldy or overripe berries)

Approximately 4 half-pints raspberries

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a rectangular sheet pan (18 x 12 x 1 1/2 inch).

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs 2 at a time, combine, then add the sour cream and vanilla.  Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda into a separate bowl.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined.  Pour into prepared pan.  Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick come out clean.  Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, mixing just until smooth.

Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake.  Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick.  Fill in the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe.  Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (I used Wilton) and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries.  Alternate rows of raspberries until the flag is completed.  Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.

• Note:  Due to different sizes of the berries, the flag stripes may look a little wobbly, but that’s okay because it gives it the effect of a wavy flag…or whatever I want to tell myself since I also can’t pipe a straight line to save my life.  People won’t even notice after a drink or two anyway.  😉

Sydney filling in the blueberries.  Atta girl!

Olivia sampling many raspberries.  Leave some for the cake berry girl!

Have a safe and happy Fourth!

For for more summer party ideas check out my latest article on Red Typewriter.