This was my first flag cake, back in 2003. These days, I use single rows of raspberries and make the technically accurate thirteen stripes... gotta feed the OCD somehow!

Today, we celebrate the Red-White-and-Blue. Old Glory. The Stars and Bars.

Happy Flag Day, ever buddy!

If you’re like me, you may not even be sure what Flag Day is all about. Does our flag really need its own holiday? Well, after reading up a wee bit, I’m convinced that yes – yes, it does.

June 14th is Flag Day because on that date in 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act in order to establish an official flag for our new nation:

“Resolved, that the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.”

Before then, the flag already had the familiar thirteen red and white stripes, but the canton (the top inner quarter) consisted of the British Union Jack. Why is this significant? Well, I thought you’d never ask.

Britain’s colonies each had their own varied and distinct flags, for ease of identification — but they all had the Union Jack in the canton, to show their allegiance to the United Kingdom.

So our forefathers were symbolically saying hey, George III, we’re not a measly colony anymore. We’re our own country! So we’re tossing your Union Jack and replacing it with our own stuff. And by the way, our new design is so cool, it’s a constellation. Nyah!

To me, the funny part is that they did this six years before the Revolutionary War ended. Call me crazy, but it seems to me that they’d have been a bit more focused on trying not to get their hineys kicked.*  We’re at war with the world’s foremost superpower, but hey ya’ll, let’s huddle up and debate a new flag design!

Clearly, our flag was borne of our own hubris and rebellious attitude, and on Flag Day, we celebrate that attitude and everything else the flag has come to represent – both to us and to everyone around the world. On many an occasion, our flag has been a sight for sore eyes, designating freedom, safe haven, opportunity, and abundance. Some have set a lifelong goal to one day make it to America and build a life under that flag, like my mother’s grandparents, who came on a boat from Czechoslovakia when my grandmother was just a girl.  And to think that my lucky toosh was born here.

So yeah, I’ll give the flag its own holiday. Researching this post has actually made me want to buy a flag and display it. In reality, I’ll be lucky to have it up by this time next year – but it’s the thought that counts, right?

When Freedom from her mountain height
Unfurled her standard to the air,
She tore the azure robe of night,
And set the stars of glory there.

-From The American Flag, by Joseph Rodman Drake
(For the rest of this poem, click here.)



*I mentioned this to Matt, and he pointed out that back then, during war, having a flag was a big deal. A flag to be proud of was a huge morale booster. After all, he said, the soldier carrying the flag didn’t have a gun. Huh. Good point. Smart guy, that Matt!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I make this flag cake every chance I get: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and now, Flag Day. Aside from being an impressive dessert to take to a summer party, it’s a blast to make and not nearly as difficult as it looks. Plus I have an excuse to break out the pastry bag and tips. I can’t draw to save my life, but making straight lines on a rectangular cake is something even I can manage.

If you don’t have a pan as big as the one called for, split the batter among two pans and reduce the baking time appropriately. Don’t try to halve the recipe, because - geek alert! – when cake recipes are halved or doubled, bad things happen. (In other words, the proportions are not linear.)

p.s., I adore Ina Garten – this recipe includes the cream cheese frosting that I now use on everything that it’s remotely appropriate for. Yum!



Flag Cake
from The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten’s show on the Food Network
circa 2003

2 1/4 sticks butter, room temperature
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 recipe cream cheese frosting (see recipe on this post)
1 half-pint blueberries
3 half-pints raspberries

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter an 18x12x1-inch rimmed baking pan, line bottom with parchment paper, and butter the parchment paper.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs, two at a time. Add sour cream, vanilla and zest and beat until just incorporated.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Reduce speed to low and add to butter mixture until just combined. Pour into pan, spread evenly and bake for 25-35 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

To decorate, spread 3/4 of the frosting over top of cooled cake with spatula. Place remaining frosting in large pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Outline a flag on the cake with toothpick. Fill upper left-hand corner with a layer of blueberries. Place two rows of raspberries across top of cake to form first red stripe. Pipe two rows of stars just below raspberries to create first white stripe. Repeat with remaining raspberries and frosting until all stripes are formed. Pipe stars on top of blueberries.