The Flag Cake Tradition

Making flag cake for Fourth of July is a tradition in our family. When did it start? I couldn't really remember, until I went back through photo albums looking for evidence and found this:

(Yes, we once took photos on film and printed them to put in books!)

Officially, based on this photo, we have been making the cake for 26 years!

I can't remember exactly where we found the flag cake recipe, but by my best recollection, I discovered it in the weekly magazine insert that came with the Sunday newspaper (you know, the one with all the celebrity gossip and glossy photos). I believe the original recipe was a collaboration between Cool-Whip and Sara Lee. Kraft has since taken over the recipe. Whether we made it according to recipe or not that first time, I am not sure, but obviously, we made it.

What exactly is flag cake? It's pretty simple: pound cake made in loaf tins and cut into slices, which are laid on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan, covered with blueberries, strawberries, and Cool-Whip, and then topped with more berries to form a flag. It's kind of like a trifle, but a whole lot easier.

We've changed the ways we have made the cake over the years. Most of the time, Mom makes her own special pound cake recipe. We switched from Cool Whip to Dream Whip at some point. (Technically, we could probably make our own whipped cream using heavy cream.) My brothers make their own versions of the cake with their family and friends. (I have helped make the cake with Mom, but never actually made it alone.) The components of the cake matter less than the tradition of making it.

How, when, and why we eat flag cake changes. We ate it early this year since we would not be with my parents for the actual Fourth of July. It's a tradition, though, something special my family does to commemorate times and seasons. For me, flag cake has special significance, as it has become part of not only celebrating America's birthday, but my return to Arizona. For as long as we live here, I'll celebrate, and even if, or when, we move away, we can still carry on, because sometimes repeating the simple things is what makes them the most significant, regardless of what they mean at that particular time. So with that, here's to many more years of the flag cake tradition and what it means to my family.