Every year, I make this 4th of July cake to celebrate with my family, and it’s always the star of our dessert table! I start with boxed white cake mix and add vibrant red and blue coloring for those festive layers, then finish it with a rich homemade buttercream frosting. It’s colorful, crowd-pleasing, and surprisingly simple. If you’re looking for a showstopping patriotic cake, this one checks all the boxes.
Red, White, and Blue Cake Recipe
With all the prep that goes into my annual 4th of July party, I need an easy dessert I can count on. This red, white, and blue cake starts with three colorful layers that bake up beautifully using pantry ingredients. The real magic is in the decorating– swirls of buttercream and patriotic sprinkles give this cake its signature festive flair. The result is a buttercream 4th of July cake that looks bakery-worthy but is totally manageable for a home baker like me.
Whether we’re hosting a big backyard BBQ or just enjoying fireworks with the kids, this Fourth of July cake brings the spirit of the holiday to life in the sweetest way possible. Don’t be surprised if it disappears fast–this one never lasts long at my house!
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Cool Your Cakes
I recommend baking the cake layers the night before and letting them cool completely overnight. This not only saves time on the day of your celebration, but also makes frosting easier. A fully cooled cake helps the buttercream stay smooth and stable, especially on a warm 4th of July afternoon.
4th of July Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 3 8-inch Round Cake Pan
- Stand Mixer
- Piping Tip Set
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 28.5 ounces white cake mix (2 (14.25-ounce) boxes)
- 2 cups water
- 6 large eggs
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- Red and blue food coloring
For the Frosting
- 7½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups butter room temperature (4 sticks)
- ¼ cup milk
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Red and blue food coloring
For Decorating
- 1 cup red sanding sugar optional
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and grease them. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the water, eggs, and vegetable oil. Add the dry cake mix to the wet ingredients and stir just until the flour is incorporated.28.5 ounces white cake mix, 2 cups water, 6 large eggs, ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- Evenly divide the batter between 3 separate bowls. Mix red food coloring into one of the bowls of batter. Mix blue food coloring into one of the bowls of batter. Leave one of the bowls of batter plain.Red and blue food coloring
- Pour the batter into each of the prepared cake pans. Place into the oven to bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool.
For the Frosting
- While the cakes cool, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all of the frosting ingredients except for the food coloring. Beat on low for 1 minute to allow the powdered sugar to incorporate so that your kitchen does not become dusted with powdered sugar. Increase the speed to high and continue to beat for an additional 3 minutes, or until a smooth and fluffy frosting has formed.7½ cups powdered sugar, 2 cups butter, ¼ cup milk, 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Equally portion about ⅓ of the frosting into 2 separate bowls. Color each bowl with red food coloring and blue food coloring, respectively. Leave the remaining ⅔ of the frosting white.Red and blue food coloring
- Using the back of a spoon, spread a little bit of red frosting on the sides of the inside of a piping bag fitted with a tip. Spread a little bit of the blue frosting in spaces where there is not red frosting. Fill the bag with about ¾ cup of the white frosting.
Assembly
- Once the cakes are cooled, place the red layer down on a plate or cake plate. Using an offset spatula or rubber spatula, spread ⅓ cup of white frosting over the surface of the bottom layer. Place the white layer directly on top of the red layer and frost with another ⅓ cup of the white frosting. Place the blue layer on top of the white layer. Frost the top and the sides of the cake with the remaining white frosting.
- For smooth frosting, spread the frosting with the spatula at a 45 degree angle for optimal smoothing. Frost the top first then the sides so that a wall of frosting forms around the top edge of the cake. Smoothing the sides may take several times around the cake to achieve. Once the wall is formed, pull the frosting in a circle towards the center and then smooth the top.
- Cup your hand at the base of the cake and fill with red sanding sugar and press onto the sides of the cake. Frost swirls onto the top of the cake with the prepared colored frosting. To achieve a round circle, pipe in a clock formation. When you pipe one swirl, pipe another directly across from it. Pipe first in a 4 star point then continue piping around the cake.1 cup red sanding sugar
- Once the cake is frosted, slice and serve!
Notes
- The cakes will take around 20 minutes to bake, and they are ready to cool when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
How to Store
Once you have frosted your 4th of July cake, keep it covered and refrigerated. It will keep well for 1 week. The unfrosted cake will keep well covered at room temperature for 24 hours and up to 3 days in the refrigerator. The buttercream frosting will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator.
How to Freeze
Both the red, white, and blue cake and the frosting will keep well frozen for up to 3 months. You can freeze the cake with the frosting, though I find it easier to do it separately. The cakes can be thawed at room temperature to be frosted, and the buttercream should be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight.
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