Though this stunning red, white and blue American flag cake screams "Fourth of July cake," it's such a good dessert you'll want to make it for any summer party.

We made this flag cake recipe healthy, with less saturated fat and calories than traditional versions, by replacing some butter in the yellow sheet cake with oil. Plus, for the cream cheese frosting, we used reduced-fat cream cheese and low-fat Greek yogurt instead of full-fat cream cheese and butter. And for decorations we used fresh blueberries, strawberries and raspberries dusted with confectioners' sugar instead of loads of piped-on frosting.

Flag Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Serves 20

Active Time: 1 1/4 hours

Total Time: 3 hours

For the cake:

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

Zest and juice from 1 lemon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

For the frosting and decoration:

12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar plus 2 tablespoons, divided

3 tablespoons low-fat plain Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups raspberries

1/2 cup blueberries

2 cups strawberries, sliced

1. To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper; coat the paper and sides of the pan with cooking spray.

2. Beat granulated sugar, oil and butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated.

3. Whisk whole-wheat (or all-purpose) flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Combine buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons vanilla and the almond extract in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl alternately with the buttermilk mixture, beating just until incorporated after each addition, scraping down the sides as necessary. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 28 to 34 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out onto the rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

5. To prepare frosting: Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, the yogurt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth.

6. To decorate: Invert the cake onto a platter. Spread the frosting over the top and sides. Mark 3 horizontal lines for the white "stripes" and a rectangle in the upper left-hand corner for the "blue rectangle."

7. Gently pat berries with a paper towel to dry. Make 3 "stripes" of raspberries on the marked lines. Place half of the blueberries in the "blue rectangle," leaving space between each berry. Sift the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar over the raspberries and blueberries to make them the white "stripes" and "stars." Fill the rest of the "blue rectangle" with the remaining blueberries. Place strawberries between the rows of raspberries as the red "stripes."

Tips: Prepare frosting and refrigerate for up to three days. Let it come to room temperature before using.

Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.

How to: To get the most volume from beaten eggs, it's best for them to be at room temperature. Either set the eggs out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge them in their shells in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.

Recipe nutrition: Per serving: 264 Calories, Total Fat: 11 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 57 mg, Carbohydrates: 35 g, Fiber: 2 g, Total Sugars: 19 g, Added Sugars: 16 g, Protein: 5 g, Sodium: 212 mg, Potassium: 113 mg, Folate: 34 mcg, Calcium: 69 mg

Carbohydrate Servings 2

(EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.)