With hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, and custom cocktails on the menu, July 4th can be a tricky holiday to navigate if you're watching calories.
To make things easier—and sweeter—Lo Bosworth shared a healthier version of her flag cake recipe on her blog, TheLoDown.com.
"I've been making a patriotic Flag Cake for the 4th of July holiday for 10 years now," The Hills alum wrote. "In honor of this decade of baking, I lightened up the recipe from top to bottom, adding greek yogurt to both the batter and the frosting for a moist, delicious cake everyone will go gaga for."
Her festive cake won't be the only dish Bosworth, who graduated from the International Culinary Center in June, is responsible for on Independence Day. "I've been nominated by my friends to do all the cooking this holiday weekend at home in Sagaponack, New York!" she tells Us Weekly.
Lo Bosworth's Flag Cake
Serves 12
Cake
3 cups of white sugar
3 cups white flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 sticks of unsalted butter, soft (leave it out for an hour or so)
6 eggs at room temp.
1 cup of non-fat greek yogurt, room temp.
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy for 3-4 mins, taking the paddle off the mixer and scraping down the bowl every couple of minutes. Add eggs one at a time to the mixing bowl until incorporated, then yogurt and vanilla.
Sift together dry ingredients over a piece of parchment paper, then pick up the parchment paper by both ends and gently funnel the dry ingredients into the wet on low. Be careful to not overmix!
Pour batter into a buttered 18"x13" pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Make sure to check the center of your cake using a wooden skewer. If the skewer doesn't come out clean, cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, checking every 5 minutes.
Once your cake is done, flip it onto a large cutting board to cool overnight, wrapping with plastic wrap.
Frosting and Topping
2-3 cups of powdered sugar (I say 2-3 because I play with it to get the right consistency)
8 oz. of cream cheese
8 oz. of non-fat, plain Greek Yogurt (I prefer Chobani)
1/2 cup of butter (or Earth Balance – it’s vegan in addition to being yum) softened to room temp.
Couple drops of vanilla extract
One big squeeze of lemon juice from half a lemon
2 packages of fresh raspberries
2 packages of fresh blueberries
Whip up the butter, cream cheese and yogurt in a mixer. Add the powdered sugar until the consistency and sweetness is where you want it. Add the vanilla extract and lemon to taste.
Frost a crumble layer on the cake by applying a thin layer of frosting all around. Place cake in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.
Frost the presentation layer of the cake on top of the crumble layer. Wash and dry berries completely, and decorate cake in the design of an American Flag.
