Slice up a serving of our patriotic Probiotic Flag Cake for your July 4th celebrations this year made with creamy, protein-packed Lifeway Farmer Cheese, fresh berries, and probiotic-rich Lifeway Kefir. This flag cake couldn’t be simpler to make and is great for sensitive tummies since it’s gluten-free, low in lactose, high in fiber thanks to the berries, and rich in gut-friendly probiotics.
So make this cake healthier, we use Lifeway Kefir in the cake mix instead of oil, and the creamy frosting is made with Lifeway Kefir, Farmer Cheese, and raw honey instead of heavy cream and refined sugar. This keeps the cake and frosting higher in protein and healthier, not to mention easier to digest and more gut-friendly. The cake is also made with a gluten-free cake mix that’s free of refined sugars and grains making it even better for you. Topping the cake with fresh berries gives this Probiotic Flag Cake a beautiful, classic touch of red and blue colors to mimic the American flag’s pattern.
So what are you waiting for? Pick up the ingredients to make this cake for your July 4th celebrations, and see just how easy and delicious it is to celebrate your holiday with Lifeway!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir is packed with variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese, a creamy high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.
Prep Time: 25 mins + Cooling Time Servings: 10-12Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 box of Simple Mills Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcake + Cake Mix (or your favorite gluten-free cake mix)
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup Organic Whole Milk Plain Kefir
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup Farmer Cheese
- 1/3 cup additional plain Lifeway Kefir (or use Vanilla for extra sweetness)
- 3 tbsp. raw honey or maple syrup
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- fresh blueberries, raspberries and/or strawberries
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Mix the 3 eggs, 1/3 cup Lifeway Whole Milk Plain Kefir, and the unsweetened applesauce in a bowl with a hand mixer until combined. Pour in the dry cake mix from Simple Mills (or another box of your favorite gluten-free cake mix). *Don't add in the other ingredients on the cake mix box since we've taken care of those for you here by subbing kefir and applesauce in place of the oil and water for more flavor and healthier ingredients.
- Once combined, pour the cake batter into a large 9x13 cake pan either sprayed with nonstick spray (or coated very lightly with coconut oil).
- Bake the cake for 20-23 minutes until a fork comes out clean or golden brown on top.
- While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Combine Lifeway Farmer Cheese, 1/3 cup either more plain Lifeway Kefir (or vanilla), 3 tbsp. raw honey or maple syrup, and 2 tbsp. vanilla. Whip it with a hand mixer so it's nice and fluffy for the best results, or use a food processor. Both will work! Keep this frosting in the fridge until the cake is baked and cooled. Don't leave out on the counter.
- Once the cake is done baking, let it cool on the counter in a cool place for at least an hour. Once it's cool, add the frosting on top, spreading out evenly. Place the berries on top in a flag cake pattern as shown in our photos.
- Place the cake in the fridge until ready to serve and to store. Slice up and enjoy!
- This cake will keep in the fridge one week. Do not keep out on the counter to store it since the kefir and farmer cheese in the frosting need to be kept refrigerated.
