Easy No-Bake Cheesecake Flag Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 0.25 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup mascarpone cheese at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 0.33 cup white sugar
• 1.25 cups cold heavy whipping cream
• 20 large fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise, or as needed
• 24 large fresh blueberries, or as needed

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup of sugar, cocoa powder, and melted butter until the mixture is evenly moistened and resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Transfer the crumb mixture to a 9x11-inch baking dish. Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom of the dish to form a compact crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until firm.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and mascarpone cheese and mix until smooth and fully combined. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
4. In a separate metal or glass bowl, whisk 1/3 cup of sugar into the heavy whipping cream until the cream forms soft, fluffy peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until the filling is light, airy, and well combined.
5. Spoon the cheesecake filling over the prepared graham cracker crust, spreading it evenly to the edges. Gently tap the pan on a flat surface to help the filling settle. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, or until completely chilled and set.
6. Starting at the bottom long edge of the cake, arrange halved strawberries in a horizontal line, positioning the pointed ends of the strawberries to the right. Begin a second stripe of strawberry halves at the top right of the cake, arranging the strawberries with the bottoms pointing right in a line stretching about 2/3 of the cake's length.
7. Continue creating strawberry stripes, starting approximately 3/4 inch above the bottom stripe, laying down 3 more stripes extending the full length of the cake. Create one additional line of strawberries beneath the short stripe to form a square space for the blue field of stars.
8. Arrange a line of blueberries with the blossom ends facing up in the upper left square space. Continue adding blueberries in lines, placing them snugly against the previous line, until the square is entirely filled with blueberries. Cut the cake into squares to serve.

Nutrition

• Calories: 381 kcal
• Fat Content: 32 g
• Fiber Content: 1 g
• Sugar Content: 15 g
• Sodium Content: 182 mg
• Protein Content: 5 g
• Cholesterol Content: 94 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 22 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 19 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g