American Flag Sheet Cake
Submitted by Mark McEvoy on May 30, 2018

The perfect cake for any American-themed party, such as the Fourth of July.

Servings:
Group

Complexity:   
Medium

Total Time:
2 hours, including icing/decorating the cake

Ingredients:
18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 cup sour cream at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon 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 confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To assemble:
2 half-pints blueberries
3 half-pints raspberries/strawberries (your choice)

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan (available through NordicWare.com, https://www.nordicware.com/catalog/product/view/id/2263/s/high-sided-sheetcake-pan/)

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on LOW SPEED, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until JUST combined. Then hand beat the batter until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes (typically 30), until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, 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 the upper left corner with blueberries. Place raspberries or strawberries across the top of the cake to form the red stripes of the flag. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe rows of white stripes below the red fruit. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries to form the blue field of the flag.

If you want to turn it out onto a board before frosting, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.

2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style, All Rights Reserved

Cook's Notes:
Do not overbeat the batter after adding the flour. Doing so will cause the finished cake to be dense.