This American Flag Sugar Cookie Cake is the kind of patriotic dessert I love most: festive, colorful and cute without requiring three hours of piping frosting, we all know I am a lazy baker. It starts with a soft sugar cookie base, gets topped with creamy white frosting and then fresh berries add the Americana flair.
It is basically a sugar cookie fruit pizza dressed up for the 4th of July, Memorial Day or Labor Day. The best part? You only need a few ingredients, and yes, using store-bought sugar cookie mix is absolutely allowed. We are celebrating freedom, after all.
Why You’ll Love This American Flag Sugar Cookie Cake
- Only a few ingredients: Sugar cookie dough, frosting and fresh fruit make this holiday dessert easy enough for last-minute party planning.
- Kid-friendly decorating: Little hands can help place the berries, which means dessert becomes an activity. A slightly sticky activity, but still.
- Great for patriotic holidays: It works for the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day or any red, white and blue celebration.
- Easy to customize: Use homemade cookie dough and frosting or take the shortcut route with store-bought ingredients.
- Feeds a crowd: Slice it into squares for potlucks, cookouts and backyard BBQs.
What You’ll Need
It only takes a handful of super simple ingredients to make this American flag sugar cookie cake. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Sugar cookie mix + ingredients to make it – There are several routes you can go here. To make this 4th of July dessert I used a packaged sugar cookie mix because I was low on time. Keep in mind you will need the other ingredients listed on the package. You can use your favorite drop sugar cookie recipe too. Chances are you’ll need to double the recipe to have enough dough.
- White frosting– White is the obvious choice.
- Blueberries & Strawberries – Blueberries make the blue corner of the flag, while sliced strawberries create the red stripes.
How to Make an American Flag Cake
- Prepare the sugar cookie dough. Mix the sugar cookie dough according to the package directions or use your favorite homemade sugar cookie dough.
- Press into the pan. Spread the dough evenly into a greased (I prefer to use vegetable shortening) rectangular baking dish or sheet pan. Try to keep the thickness even so the edges do not overbake before the center is done.
- Bake and cool. Bake until the cookie base is lightly golden around the edges and set in the center. Let it cool completely before frosting.
- Add frosting. Spread an even layer of white frosting over the cooled cookie cake.
- Make the flag design. Arrange blueberries in the upper left corner, then use sliced strawberries to create red stripes across the cake.
- Chill before slicing. For cleaner slices, refrigerate the decorated cookie cake for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting.
Variations
There are plenty of ways to make this American flag cookie cake your own! Here are a few ideas.
- Frosting – Instead of using store bought white frosting, try making a homemade vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
- Swap the fruits – You can use raspberries or cherries instead of or in addition to the strawberries.
- Use candy – Instead of using fruit, you could use red and blue M&Ms or a similar candy to achieve the same look.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough– Make the cake the same way, but use premade chocolate chip cookie dough.
Chef Tips
Cool the cookie completely before frosting. Warm cookie plus frosting equals a sweet little landslide. Delicious, but not exactly flag-shaped.
Do not overbake the cookie base. Pull it when the edges are lightly golden and the center looks set. It will continue to firm up as it cools.
Dry the fruit well. After washing the berries, pat them dry with paper towels. Excess water can make the frosting slippery and the cookie base soggy.
Slice strawberries evenly. Thin, even slices make cleaner red stripes and help the cake cut more neatly.
Chill before cutting. A short chill helps the frosting set and keeps the berries from sliding around.
Use an offset spatula. It makes smoothing the frosting easier and gives the top a cleaner bakery-style look.
Plan the flag before placing fruit. Place the blueberry rectangle first, then add strawberry stripes.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftover American Flag Sugar Cookie Cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The cookie base will soften as it sits because of the frosting and fresh fruit, but it will still taste delicious. For the best texture, enjoy it the same day it is decorated.
I do not recommend freezing the fully decorated cookie cake because the berries release moisture when thawed. To freeze ahead, bake and cool the sugar cookie base, wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw, then frost and decorate before serving.
More Patriotic Desserts
Whether for Memorial Day, 4th of July or any time you’re feeling patriotic, these red, white and blue desserts are perfectly festive!
American Flag Sugar Cookie Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 17.25 oz packages dry sugar cookie mix
- Ingredients needed for desired cookie mix
- 2 cans whipped white frosting
- 32 ounces fresh strawberries
- 50 blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven according to package directions for the 2 17.25 oz packages dry sugar cookie mix. Lightly grease a large rimmed baking sheet with vegetable shortening (or other prefered cake release) approximately 12×17.
- Prepare the sugar cookie dough according to package directions. If it gives you the option of making drop cookies or roll out, use the drop cookie instructions. Spread evenly into rimmed cookie sheet.
- Bake according to package directions, plus an additional 8-10 minutes or until the whole giant cookie is lightly brown.
- Allow to cool fully and frost using the premade frosting.
- Do not add the fruit until 3-4 hours before serving. Carefully eyeball the cake in half. In the top left hand corner, add 50 blueberries (or as many as you can fit). Break cake into 7 stripes, add the cut and hulled 32 ounces fresh strawberries.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve and so it slices cleanly.
- If you've tried this recipe, make sure to come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
That sugar cookie looks absolutely amazing!! So patriotic just in time for the 4th!
Nothing wrong with going simple! Especially when you dress it up for the 4th!
That’s such a gorgeous cake. It’s the perfect way to ring in the holiday too. 🙂
looks beautiful. You saved me – I needed a recipe for Fridays events and now I have one. thanks
I’m sure mine wouldn’t come nearly so nice as yours. I absolutely love this though.
Yum. No really. That looks really good and now I need some. I love the fresh berries!
Oh how cute! What a perfect and simple dessert for the Fourth of July.
that cake looks almost too good to eat! very nice. Bet it’s delicious
Very cute! I am a fan of ANY dessert that features strawberries – the flag is just a pretty bonus! 🙂
Beautiful and simple. Two of the best things when making desserts. I am not much of a baker so I do enjoy a super simple recipe like this. I love that the top can be changed with different fruits for non holiday events.