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This Angel Food Flag Cake is light, airy and perfectly sweet! It’s easy to make and perfect for feeding a crowd. Paired with fresh whipped cream and fresh fruit in the design of a flag – it’s the perfect dessert for the Fourth of July!
The Perfect Fourth of July Dessert
I’m so in love with this Angel Food Flag Cake and wanted to sit down with a fork and just eat the ENTIRE thing! It’s so light and easy to eat! The angel food cake has wonderful, sweet vanilla flavor and when it’s paired with the light whipped cream and fresh berries, it’s like heaven on Earth. So, so yummy.
And since the 4th of July is such a warm holiday, the lightness of this cake makes it absolutely perfect! Not to mention that fresh fruit should be enjoyed all summer long while it’s at it’s best and usually on sale. The flag design on top is simple and quick to do but will be sure to impress all who enjoy their very own slice of this cake.
The other thing I love about this cake is that it can easy be prepared ahead of time. The angel food cake lasts well for several days, as does the whipped cream. The only thing I’d probably suggest adding the day you’re going to serve it is the sliced strawberries. Those tend to look a little less ideal after sitting on a cake for 24 hours.
How to Make an Angel Food Flag Cake
If you’ve ever been afraid to try an Angel Food Cake, I totally hear you. It seems like a million things could go wrong. And yet as long as you keep an eye out for a few things, it really is super simple to put together. So before you get started, keep these things in mind:
– Make sure you use eggs that are room temperature, not cold and straight out of the fridge. They whip much better that way.
– Don’t over whip your egg whites. Just whip them until you get a stiff peak, then stop.
– Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg whites. Do not mix or stir them together or you’ll deflate the egg whites.
– It feels weird to do it, but DO NOT grease your pan! The cake needs to be able to cling to the sides of the pan to rise and you need to be able to turn it upside down to cool. A greased pan won’t work.
– Cool the cake upside down so it doesn’t collapse while it cools.
To get started on your Angel Food Flag Cake, combine the flour, half of the sugar and salt and sift them together 5 times. Yes, 5 times. This will make sure you have a very fine texture that will incorporate easily into the egg whites and give you a light cake.
Next, whip the egg whites with some vanilla extract and cream of tarter, which helps stabilize the egg whites. As you whip, you’ll add the remainder of the sugar one tablespoon at a time, waiting about 5 seconds between each addition. Continue whipping just until you get stiff, glossy peaks.
Add the flour mixture to the egg whites about a fourth of a cup at a time, then gently fold them together. Repeat until all the flour mixture has been added, then add the batter to your ungreased cake pan.
Before baking, run a knife through the batter quite well to remove any air bubbles. Bake the cake until lightly golden on top, which should take about 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure to set out four cans, or something similar, to rest the four corners of the cake pan on for about an hour while the cake cools.
How to Decorate Your Flag Cake
To decorate this beautiful flag cake, we’re going to start with a good, stable whipped cream. I use powdered sugar to stabilize it and it stays firm and perfect for days and days!
Whip up the cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until you get stiff peaks, then set aside about 1 1/2 cups. Use the rest to spread a layer of whipped cream onto the top of the cake. Place the blueberries in the top left corner of the cake to emulate the “stars” on the flag, then use the strawberries for the red “stripes”. Finally, use the whipped cream that was set aside to pipe the white “stripes”.
The final cake is such a lovely, light dessert that’s so festive for the fourth of July! The flavor is truly amazing, and yet so simple. I have no doubt that you’ll love this Angel Food Flag Cake and come back to it year after year!
More Fourth of July Desserts
Red, White and Blue Mini Cheesecakes
Flag Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Red, White and Blue Ice Cream Cake
Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake
Patriotic Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
How to Throw an America Party and Red, White and Blue Rice Krispy Treats
Triple Berry Trifle
Red Velvet Blondie Cheesecake
Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake
Strawberry and Blueberry Cheesecake Icebox Cake
Red, White and Blue Sangria
Watch How To Make It
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Angel Food Flag Cake
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 12-15 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Angel Food Flag Cake is light, airy and perfectly sweet! It’s easy to make and perfect for feeding a crowd. Paired with fresh whipped cream and fresh fruit in the design of a flag – it’s the perfect dessert for the Fourth of July!
Ingredients
Angel Food Cake
- 2/3 cup (87g) cake flour
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (233g) sugar, divided
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup egg whites (about 8 egg whites)
- 1 tsp cream of tarter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Whipped Cream
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Strawberries, sliced
- Blueberries
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Have an ungreased 9×13 cake pan ready.
2. Sift half of the sugar with the flour and salt. Repeat 5 times. Set aside.
3. Whip egg whites with a mixer on low speed until frothy, then add vanilla extract and cream of tartar.
4. Increase speed to medium and continue whipping, adding remaining sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
5. Increase to medium-high and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks, scraping sides and bottom of bowl once if needed.
6. Sift about 1/4 cup of the flour mixture on top of the whipped egg whites and fold gently to incorporate. Repeat until all flour the flour has been added.
7. Add the batter to the cake pan, smooth the top, then run a knife through batter to break any air bubbles.
8. Bake until lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.
9. Cool upside down for about an 1 hour. I used 4 cans that are the same height and put one can under each corner of the pan.
10.
Once cooled, run a thin knife or offset spatula between the cake and the sides of the cake pan to loosen it.
11. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
12. Set aside about 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream and spread the rest into an even layer on top of the angel food cake.
13. Used the sliced strawberries and blueberries to create the flag design.
14. Use the remaining whipped cream to pipe “stripes” between the strawberry rows. I used Ateco piping tip 844, but you could also use Wilton 1M or 2D
15. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Cake is best when served the day it’s made because of the fresh fruit on top. If you want to make it ahead a day ahead, I’d suggest adding the fruit and whipped cream “stripes” shortly before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 36.1 mg
- Fat: 11.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.3 g
- Protein: 3.4 g
- Cholesterol: 35.9 mg
I used bought egg whites….how long does it take until stiff peaks form? Was that the mistake, to buying egg whites instead of breaking apart each egg for the cup of egg whites?
I haven’t used egg whites from a carton before, so I’m not sure. I’d think they’d whip fine, but if they aren’t working well, I would try regular eggs.
I usually add a layer of mixed cut up strawberries and blueberries (with a bit of sugar) on top of the cake, before frosting. How do you think an angel food cake would hold up to that? I usually make a flag cake with pound cake but was wanting to try something lighter and found your recipe. Please let me know what you think!!
I’m not sure. The sugary berries would release juices onto the angel food cake, which could make it a little soggy.
Thanks for posting an easier-then-bundt pan angel food cake! I am wondering how high this should rise in the pan. Mine only raised just less then half way up, but still tasted great! I may have overwhipped the egg whites (I’m new to this 😉)
It sounds like it was probably about right. Over whipping or over stirring could both affect it. Be sure to gently fold in the flour. Glad you enjoyed it!
Why are the stars BLUE (and there aren’t enough of them anyway)?
Delicious and fresh! I don’t like using food coloring, so this will be perfect!
How long can I keep this in the fridge before serving?
If you read the last part of the instructions, it mentions a little bit about that. Because of the fresh fruit on top, it’s best serving it the day it’s made. You could make it a day ahead and add the fresh fruit before serving.
Can I use tinfoil Pan 9×8 or is the metal pan necessary?
I haven’t ever tried that kind of pan with baking. Angel food cake can be a little testy, so I’d probably suggest sticking with the regular pan. But you could certainly try it.
Could this be made in round pans instead to make a layered cake?
I haven’t tested it that way, but it worked in a 9 x 13 pan so I think it would be OK. I’d use the larger amount of flour though.
I made this cake and took it to a July Fourth party yesterday. It was not only beautiful but so delicious. Everyone loved it and commented on how light it was after the heavy BBQ dinner. Another Lindsey hit! Thanks.
So glad to hear that!
As usual another beautiful creation! I just wanted to know if this whipped cream frosting can be used to frost and fill a round cake? Instead of using buttercream?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, the whopped cream could be used for a cake.
Ahhhhh, I am so excited about this recipe! I was so disappointed this month when Sally from Sally’s Baking Addiction posted angel food cake as the Baking Challenge for this month and I didn’t have the pan to make it in, and I really wanted to try it out. Now I can make angel food cake with this recipe! Thanks so much, Lindsay! I’ll hopefully get to make it this week when some friends come for dinner!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it!
Could you use an angel food cake mix? Thanks. this looks so pretty!
I’ve never actually made an angel food cake mix, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Can you say what is the cake pan brand?
This is the one I used.
I just want to know if I can use the fat free cool whip for the whipped topping? Will it keep ok? It is an easy fix for our WW diet.
Yes, that should be totally fine. It might not pipe quite as well if you want to do the piping, but otherwise will be fine.
We love angel food cake and I would love to make this! Our American friends are coming to stay and we will celebrate July 1st (Canada Day) and July 4th together. I want to make this in addition to my usual Canada flag cake, and I’d like to use your angel food cake recipe for both! I’m a little confused, though, about the cooling of the cake. Since it cools upside down, does that mean the actual cake is placed directly on top of the cans? Wouldn’t the cans go right through the cake? My piping won’t look exactly like yours but I know it will be delicious! Thank you!
You want to put the corners of the pan onto the cans, not the cake itself. Does that make sense?
But you’re putting four cans under the corners of the pan. Doesn’t that mean that the cake is cooling right side up and not cooling upside down? I’m so sorry I’m confused about this. I really want to make this recipe as it sounds like the very best one for angel cake I have ever come across.
Oh I am so sorry! I saw the video today (I hadn’t been able to access it prior) and I feel so very silly! Yes it makes perfect sense, and you explained it great. Please forgive me for my hopefully temporary denseness :). I’m very excited to make what I know will be the best angel food cake we’ve ever had.
This recipe looks ike a five star. but, I cannot print it so I won’t be making it. Your print comes outm so light that after it the print cannot be seen. Are you able to darken it somehow. I can’t and I am so very disappointed.
Hi Elaine – I just tried printing it and it comes out dark and fine. Perhaps your printer cartridge is low? Or maybe it’s something to do with your browser settings? I’m really not sure, but it should print just as it’s displayed when you pull up the print version on your computer. I assume you’re seeing a dark font on your monitor? If so, it has something to do with printing on your side. I hope you give it a try!
It isn’t between the printer and the recipe necessarily. It is fairly dark looking at it on the page. When I press print and the print form comes up, the words are very light. When I print it the printer is copying what is on the print form and it is already too light. That is how it registers in the printer. I have not had any trouble printing before. Everything comes out fine. The printing I am copying is already the right depth of color. The printing on the recipe is lighter to begin with and almost not there on the print form. Still disappointed. I did check my printer and everything is as it should be. A forever question. I am so sorry.
I’m sorry that it’s not printing correctly for you. My developer and I have both tested it and it prints full black for us. It’s hard for us to fix a problem that we can’t re-create. I’m sorry.
LINDSAY, I HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR THE PROBLEM. IT JUST IS WHAT IT IS. I APPRECIATE YOUR QUICK ATTENTION TO THIS VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THERE ARE MANY DISAPPOINTMENTS IN LIFE. THIS IS JUST A GLITCH I WILL PROBABLY NOT GET AN ANSWER TO.
THE CAKE IS A BEAUTIFUL RECIPE. ENJOY.
what can l use instead of cream of tarter? some lemon juice?
I wouldn’t suggest making any substitutions. The cream of tartar helps the egg whites maintain its peaks and not deflate. I don’t believe the lemon juice would have the same affect.
Brilliant! Very awesome cake! I will make this for Independent day celebration!🇺🇸🍓🍰
Wow this looks beautiful and delicious, can’t wait to try it? I’ve never made an angel food cake before, but after learning how to make pavlova, I’m up to giving this a try!
I hope you enjoy it!