Ingredients
375 g finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
60 g white sugar
30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
85 g butter, melted
225 g cream cheese, at room temperature
225 g mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
80 g white sugar
300 ml cold heavy whipping cream
20 large fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise, or as needed
24 large fresh blueberries, or as needed
Directions
Step 1
In a bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, 60g sugar, cocoa powder, and melted butter until crumbly and well combined.
Step 2
Transfer the crust mixture to a 23x28 cm baking dish. Press the mixture into the bottom of the dish until smooth and even. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until set.
Step 3
In another bowl, combine the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
Step 4
In a separate bowl, whisk 80g sugar into the whipping cream until fluffy and soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until soft, fluffy, and well combined.
Step 5
Spoon the filling on top of the graham cracker crust, spreading and smoothing the top. Tap the pan gently on a work surface to settle the crust and filling. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until chilled and set.
Step 6
Starting at the bottom long edge of the cake, arrange the 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.
Step 7
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.
Step 8
Arrange the blueberries with the blossom ends pointing up in the upper left square space. Continue to arrange the blueberries in lines, touching the previous line, until the square is filled. Cut the cake into squares to serve.