Flag Cake Recipe - transform cake mix into a festive Flag Cake that is perfect for Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day! It is actually really easy! Bake the cake layers, make a few cuts and assemble. SO impressive and festive!
Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Prepare one box of cake mix and color it red. Divide the batter equally into the two prepared pans. Bake as instructed on the box. Allow to cool and remove from pans.
Grease and flour the 8-inch cake pans again. Prepare remaining cake mix. Pour half of the batter into one of the cake pans. Color the remaining batter blue and pour into remaining cake pan. Bake as instructed on the cake mix box. Cool and remove from pans.
You will end up with 1 (8-inch) round blue cake, 1 (8-inch) round white cake and 2- (8-inch) round red cakes.
Using a serrated knife or cake leveler, slice the red and white layers horizontally in half. So you have one blue layer, four red layers, and two white layers. Set one white and two red layers aside, those will be the bottom three stripes of the flag.
Using a 4-inch cookie cutter, cut a circle out of remaining white layer and another circle out of one of the remaining red layers. (You will not use one of the red layers) Finally cut a 4-inch circle out the center of the blue cake.
You will have 2 (8-inch) layers of red, 1 (4-inch) layer of red, 1 (8-inch) layer of white, 1 (4-inch) layer of white and 1-(8-inch) layer of blue with a 4-inch circle cut out of the center.
Prepare the buttercream frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, whipping cream (or milk), and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add more powdered sugar to reach desired consistency.
To assemble the cake, frost the bottom three layers together - set the uncut red layer on cake plate and spread with frosting. Top with the uncut white layer and spread with frosting. Top white layer with the uncut layer of red cake and spread with frosting. Set blue cake ring on top and place the white inner circle on top of the uncut red layer, inside the ring of blue. Frost, and top with the red inner circle. Frost the entire cake and top with sprinkles if desired.
Notes:
I suggest Duncan Hines white cake mix.For food coloring gel, I use Americolor Super Red & Americolor Royal Blue. They can be found at Hobby Lobby.