Happy 4th of July! Celebrate with a Flag Cake!
Flag Cake ( Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook)
(serves 20 to 24)
18 tablespoons (2 and ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature1 and ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose 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 and ½ pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 and ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
To Assemble
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 18 x 12 x 1and1/2-inch sheet 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. 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, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined.
Pour into the prepared pan.
Smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
Note: you can serve out of the pan or of you want to turn it out onto a board, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.
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 ¾ of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top with a toothpick. Fill the upper left hand 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 and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries alternating raspberries and icing stripes, until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.
