Barefoot Contessa's Flag Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 18 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 lb confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 1/2 pints raspberries

Recipe

• 1 heat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 2 butter and flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.
• 3 cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy.
• 4 on medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla.
• 5 scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.
• 6 sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
• 7 with the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined.
• 8 pour into the prepared pan.
• 9 smooth the top with a spatula.
• 10 bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
• 11 cool to room temperature.
• 12 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.
• 13 spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake.
• 14 outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick.
• 15 fill the upper left corner with blueberries. place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe.
• 16 put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of stripes below the raspberries. alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed.
• 17 pipe stars on top of the blueberries.
• 18 ina serves this cake right in the pan.
• 19 if you want to turn it out onto a board before frosting, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.