Description
That you can make this lovely, sweet treat without turning on the oven is probably enough of a reason to give this serious consideration. Besides the taste and light mousse-like texture, I think your guests will enjoy the iconic stars and stripes design provided by the fresh blueberries and strawberries. USA! USA! USA!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ 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
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 1 ¼ cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 20 large fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise, or as needed
- 24 large fresh blueberries, or as needed
Instructions
- Combine graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- cocoa powder
- and melted butter in a bowl until mixture is thoroughly combined and crumbly.
- Transfer crust mixture to a 9×11-inch baking dish. Press crust into bottom of dish until smooth and even. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set
- about 30 minutes.
- Mix cream cheese and mascarpone cheese in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Stir in lemon zest
- lemon juice
- and vanilla extract into mixture.
- Whisk 1/3 cup sugar into whipping cream in a separate metal or glass bowl until the cream is fluffy and forms soft peaks. Add whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently whisk until filling is soft
- fluffy
- and well combined.
- Spoon filling on top of the graham cracker crust
- spreading and smoothing the top. Tap the pan gently on a work surface several times to settle the crust and filling. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set
- at least 3 hours.
- Starting at the bottom long edge of the cake
- arrange strawberry halves in a horizontal line with the pointed bottoms of the strawberry halves pointing to the right. Start a second stripe of strawberry halves at the top right of the cake
- arranging strawberries with the bottoms pointing right in a line stretching about 2/3 of the length of the cake.
- Continue to make strawberry stripes
- starting about 3/4 inch up from the bottom stripe and laying down 3 more stripes stretching the full length of the cake. Make 1 more line of strawberries beneath the short stripe to leave a square space for the blue field of stars.
- Lay a line of blueberries with the blossom ends pointing up in the upper left square space. Continue to lay down blueberries in lines
- berries touching the previous line
- until the square is filled with blueberries. Cut cake into squares to serve.
Prep Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 12