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 because 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!
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. 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!
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. They loved the Red White and Blue Fruit Salad and the 4th of July rice Krispie Treats but they loved this Red, White, and Blue cake the best!
Another favorite is 4th of July Chocolate Covered Oreos. This dessert is so simple yet looks amazing!
Super Easy 4th of July Cake
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! It will be our little secret. 😉 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. Especially with this cake!
Ingredients for 4th of July Cake:
- 1 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 1/4 to 1/2 of the bag)
- blue candy melts (1/4 to 1/2 of the bag)
- white candy melts (1/2 bag)
- patriotic sprinkles (optional)
Check out this video to see how easy it is to make this Red White and Blue Cake!
How to make Red, White, and Blue Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix the cake mix with an electric mixer in a large bowl according to directions.
- Separate the batter equally into 3 medium bowls.
- Leave one medium 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 cake layer 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 completely, about 30 minutes. Then flip the cake onto a serving platter.
- Place the melting candy into 3 separate 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!
Look at these beautiful red white and blue layers!
No one will be able to resist this patriotic 4th of July Cake! Be careful, once you make this red, white and blue cake it will instantly become a new tradition and will be requested year after year. Top it with sparkler candles for even more fun!
Other ways to make Red, White, and Blue Cake:
- No bundt pan? No problem! Make this cake into red, white and blue cupcakes instead! Follow the directions through #4. Instead of layering your batter in a bundt pan, you’d layer the batter into a prepared cupcake pan, festive cupcake liners and all. Bake your cupcakes according to the package directions. Then follow directions #10-15.
- If cupcakes aren’t your thing, you can also bake this firecracker cake in regular cake pans. A 9×13 pan works beautifully!
- Use your favorite homemade white cake recipe instead of using a boxed cake mix. Or fake out all of your friends by taking your basic boxed cake mix to the next level. Simply substitute sour cream in place for the oil. This will make it taste more like a from-scratch recipe and will make it super creamy! It will taste just like a homemade cake!
- Top your red, white and blue cake with colored frosting instead of melted candy melts. A simple cream cheese frosting would be delicious! Simply cream together 3 Tablespoons softened butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 ounces of cream cheese, and a couple of tablespoons of milk (depends on how thick you’re wanting your frosting) in a large bowl. You will want your frosting thin enough that you can drizzle it over the top of your cake. Divide your frosting into 3 bowls, color one red, one blue and leave the remaining frosting white. After your cake has cooled, drizzle the red, white and blue frosting over the top of the cake and top with sprinkles.
Print Firecracker Cake recipe below:
Make this Quick and easy red white and blue cake today! The best 4th of July desserts with the bold vibrant colors. Make this 4th of July cake this year.
- 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 1/4 to 1/2 of the bag)
- blue candy melts (1/4 to 1/2 of the bag)
- white candy melts (1/2 bag)
-
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!
Feel free to keep a secret on how simple this vibrant 4th of July cake is!
These 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats are easy to make and are always a crowd-pleaser at cook-outs!
Try these other Red, White and Blue Desserts:
- 4th of July Ice Cream Sandwich recipe
- Easy Bomb Brownie Bites
- 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats
- Patriotic Fruit Kabobs
- Layered Red, White, and Blue Jello
- Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad
- Red, White and Blue Bark Recipe
- Fourth of July Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods
- Crinkle Cake Mix Cookies – Red, White, and Blue!
- Perfectly Layered Red, White and Blue Drink
- 4th of July Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Treats
Karen says
Recipe says red and blue gel icing and directions say food coloring! I think it should be food coloring!
Carrie says
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!