4th of July Cake Recipe

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 50

Servings: people

Calories: 1230kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

This red, white, and blue 4th of July cake is the perfect bright and colorful way to celebrate Independence Day!

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

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.

Storage: Store unfrosted cake tightly wrapped with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 24 hours, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store frosted cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store buttercream frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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