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This Red, White, and Blue Cake is crazy easy to make but will impress your guests and your family. This has become our new 4th of July Cake. We just can’t get enough of the vibrant red, white and blue colors. That run from the inside all the way to the outside.
Easy 4th of July Cake Recipe:
I’m so excited to share with you this Red White Blue Cake perfect for Memorial Day or 4th of July. It is our new favorite patriotic dessert. See 97 of The Best Memorial Day Food Ideas for more easy ideas.
This red white and blue cake is crazy easy to make. We are cheating a little by using a boxed cake mix. But it would work great if you used a homemade white cake mix as well. The rest is really simple.
The colors in this cake are so bold and vibrant that it will impress everyone. No one has to know how easy it really is to make. I don’t know what it is about red, white and blue desserts and food, they all just seem to taste better.
Maybe it’s the company or the summer vibes either way, you can’t go wrong. This is the perfect for any occasion. For even more holiday ideas, check out 23 Easy 4th of July Cookies.
Red White and Blue Cake Recipe:
My entire family loves the 4th of July. We love gathering together, cooking out, playing games and just enjoying some family time to celebrate. We love dressing in our best red white and blue attire. But most of all the kids love the fun and festive 4th of July desserts.
Another favorite is 4th of July Chocolate Covered Oreos. This dessert is so simple yet looks amazing!
How to Frost Red White and Blue Cake:
We love to melt red, white and blue candy melts to frost this cake. It gives the cake so much vibrant colors to make it so fun and festive. Feel free to use whatever icing your prefer to make it your own.
Melting the candy melts allows you to easily drizzle the frosting over the cake then add the sprinkles.
Ingredients for 4th of July Cake:
- White Cake Mix (i used Duncan Hines classic white cake mix)
- Eggs, Oil, and Water, according to the directions on box
- Red Food Color (I used Wilton no taste red, which is a gel coloring)
- Blue Food Color (I used Wilton royal blue, which is a gel coloring)
- Red Candy Melts (just use about a ¼ to ½ of the bag)
- Blue Candy Melts (¼ to ½ of the bag)
- White Candy Melts (½ bag)
- Patriotic Sprinkles (optional)
How to Make Red, White, and Blue Cake:
- Step 1 – Heat Oven – Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Step 2 – Make Cake – Mix the cake mix with an electric mixer in a large bowl according to directions.
- Step 3 – Separate Batter – Separate the white batter equally into 3 medium bowls.
- Step 4 – Add Food Coloring – Leave one medium bowl white. Add the red gel food coloring to one bowl until it is the vibrant red you want.
- Step 5 – Add Blue Food Coloring – Add the blue gel food coloring to the 3rd bowl. Until it is the vibrant blue you want.
- Step 6 – Prepare Pan – Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray.
- Step 7 – Add Red Layer to Pan – Spread the red cake layer in the bottom of the pan.
- Step 8 – Top with White & Blue – Spread the white over it and then finish with the blue on top.
- Step 9 – Bake Cake – Bake according to directions on the box.
- Step 10 – Cool Cake – Once cooked, allow it to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Then flip the cake onto a serving platter.
- Step 11 – Divide Candy Melts – Place the melting candy into 3 separate microwave bowls. Microwave in 30-second intervals until it is melted and smooth.
- Step 12 – Frost with White Candy Melts – Smooth the white melting candy over the cake to cover. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Step 13 – Top with Sprinkles – Add sprinkles if you want.
- Step 14 – Add the Red and Blue – Spoon the red and the blue melting candy into piping bags. Cut the tip of the bags and drizzle the two colors over the cake giving the firecracker effect. You can even use a star tip to add texture.
- Step 15 – Top with Sprinkles – Top with more sprinkles.
- Step 16 – Cool Serve and Enjoy – Allow to cool and the chocolate to harden on cooling rack. Then cut and serve.
How to Color the Cake Batter:
We start with a white cake mix and add red and blue food color to add vibrant colors to the cake. Continue to add the food coloring until it is the right vibrant color you desire.
How to Decorate the Red, White and Blue Frosting:
This cake is so easy to decorate. We love that the cake is red, white and blue festive colors as well as the frosting. You can use candy melts to frost the cakes or use regular frosting and add food coloring.
Top the cakes with sprinkles and an American Flag to complete the cake.
Recipe Tips:
- Prepare Cake Pan – Make sure to spray the bundt cake pan with cooking spray. This helps for the cake can easily be removed from the pan.
- Food Coloring – We like to use gel food coloring to give the flag cake the vibrant colors.
- Cool Cake – Make sure the cake is at room temperature before frosting the cake.
- Frosting Cake – Frost the entire cake with the frosting. We recommend making sure the outside of the cake is frosted.
Variation Ideas:
- Cake Pan – We used a bundt pan to make the cake. But you can also make a sheet cake to make this fourth of July cake.
- Poke Cake – Make this cake as a poke cake for a fun variation.
- Strawberry Shortcake – Make a fun and festive strawberry shortcake with fresh strawberries and a white cake.
- Frosting – Feel free to use store bought frosting or top the cake with powdered sugar.
- Sprinkles – We love to top with red and blue sprinkles on top of the cake for a fun and festive look. Feel free to use different spinkles.
How to Store:
This red, white, and blue cake can easily store at room temperature. Make sure to cover with a cake dome or plastic wrap. This cake will last about 5 days.
Print Red White and Blue Cake Recipe:
Red White and Blue Cake
Ingredients
- 1 white cake mix (I used Duncan hines classic white cake mix)
- Eggs (oil and water according to the directions on box)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- red gel food coloring (I used Wilton no taste red)
- blue gel food coloring (I used Wilton royal blue)
- red candy melts (just use about a ¼ to ½ of the bag)
- blue candy melts (¼ to ½ of the bag)
- white candy melts (½ bag)
Instructions
- Mix the cake mix according to directions.
- Separate the batter equally into 3 bowls.
- Leave one bowl white. Add the red gel food coloring to one bowl until it is the vibrant red you want.
- Add the blue gel food coloring to the 3rd bowl until it is the vibrant blue you want.
- Spray a bundt pan with non stick spray.
- Spread the red batter in the bottom of the pan.
- Spread the white over it and then finish with the blue on top.
- Bake according to directions on the box.
- Once cooked, allow it to cool and then flip the cake onto a serving platter.
- Place the melting candy into 3 seperate microwave bowls. Microwave in 30 second intervals until it is melted and smooth.
- Smooth the white melting candy over the cake to cover (doesn’t have to be perfect)
- Add sprinkles if you want.
- Spoon the red and the blue melting candy into piping bags. Cut the tip of the bags and drizzle the two colors over the cake giving the firecracker effect.
- Top with more sprinkles.
- Allow to cool and the chocolate to harden. Then cut and serve!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
More Red, White and Blue Desserts:
- Easy Bomb Brownie Bites
- 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats
- Layered Red, White, and Blue Jello
- Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad
- Red White and Blue Cheesecake Salad
- Check out all our Memorial Day Desserts or Best 4th of July Cakes for more ideas.
Yes, it’s gel food coloring. I will correct the post. I find that the gel food coloring are generally more bold. Thanks for letting me know!
Recipe says red and blue gel icing and directions say food coloring! I think it should be food coloring!