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We LOVE to celebrate patriotic holidays with plenty of desserts. We always include plenty of red white and blue.
Our red white and blue cake is a FAVORITE! It’s a showstopper the kids request every year. It may be decorated simply, but the surprise comes when you cut a slice!
The best part about this fun and festive cake is that it’s not only delicious but also easy. We start with three simple cake layers, each dyed a different color – then layer and frost!
For another patriotic favorite, try our 4th of July Cookies.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Anyone can do it. We’ve made it easy to achieve with step-by-step directions so even a novice baker/cake decorator can enjoy this beautifully tasty cake.
- Customize. Make it yours with different decorations and toppings from sprinkles to fresh fruit!
- Show-stopper. This cake has a beautiful presentation with red, white, and blue layers, a festive 4th of July dessert or Memorial Day dessert!
Red White and Blue Cake Ingredients and Substitutions
Cake
- 3⅔ cups cake flour – To make your own, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into a 1-cup measuring cup. Fill it the rest of the way up with all-purpose flour. Level the top. Dump the contents of the measuring cup into a bowl and use a whisk to sift them together.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ cups unsalted butter – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 whole eggs – Room temperature eggs incorporate best.
- 2 egg whites – see How to Separate Egg Whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups buttermilk – or make Homemade Buttermilk for this recipe
- red and blue food coloring – We use blue gel food coloring and red gel food coloring to get a deeper color. Using too much liquid food coloring can affect the texture of the cake batter.
Frosting
- 1½ cups unsalted butter – softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup milk – or half and half
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- sprinkles – or other patriotic decorations
- optional – add fresh blueberries and strawberries to the top
How to Make Red White and Blue Cake
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 (8-inch) cake pans with parchment paper, then grease and set aside.
- BATTER. In a medium bowl, whisk cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, egg whites, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour in buttermilk and mix until combined.
- COLOR. Divide the batter into 3 bowls and add red food coloring to one and blue to another, keeping the third white. Pour into three prepared cake pans.
- BAKE. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool completely.
How to Frost and Assemble
- FROSTING. To make the frosting, beat butter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Mix to combine. Add milk or powdered sugar as needed to make a smooth frosting. Beat on high for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- ASSEMBLE. Once each cake layer has cooled, level the tops. Use a long serrated bread knife to cut off the domed portion of the cake leaving a flat and level top.
- Place the blue cake layer down on a cake turntable or serving platter.
- Spread on one cup of frosting.
- Place the white cake layer on top and spread with another cup of frosting.
- Place the red cake layer on top, then spread the frosting around the top and sides of the cake.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- When we have them we love topping this cake with sparklers.
- Eggs separate best when they’re cold, see this post for more tips on How to Separate Egg Whites.
- Ateco 848 or Wilton 1M piping tips work great to get a fluffy textured frosting design.
- To keep crumbs from getting into the frosting apply a very thin layer of frosting and chill for 30 minutes. This layer seals any crumbs in and you can then apply a thicker final layer of frosting.
- For a shortcut version, use a box cake mix to make the 3 layers and assemble as directed.
Red White and Blue Cake
Make a spectacular red white and blue cake that's beautifully festive, delicious, and incredibly easy to put together!
Ingredients
Cake
- 3⅔ cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ cups butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 whole eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- red and blue food coloring
Frosting
- 1½ cups butter, softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup milk or half and half
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- sprinkles
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 (8-inch) cake pans with parchment paper, then grease and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the whole eggs, egg whites, and vanilla, and mix until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour in buttermilk and mix until combined.
- Divide the batter into 3 bowls and add red food coloring to one and blue to another, keeping the third white. Pour into three prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat the butter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Mix to combine. Add milk or powdered sugar as needed to make a smooth frosting. Beat on high for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Assemble
- Level the tops of each of the cake layers with a serrated knife.
- Place the blue cake layer down on a cake turntable or serving platter.
- Spread on one cup of frosting.
- Place the white cake layer on top and spread with another cup of frosting.
- Place the red cake layer on top, then spread the frosting around the top and sides of the cake.
Notes
Recipe Tips.
- When we have them we love topping this cake with sparklers.
- Eggs separate best when they’re cold, see this post for more tips on How to Separate Egg Whites.
- Ateco 848 or Wilton 1M piping tips work great to get a fluffy textured frosting design.
- To keep crumbs from getting into the frosting apply a very thin layer of frosting and chill for 30 minutes. This layer seals any crumbs in and you can then apply a thicker final layer of frosting.
- For a shortcut version, use a box cake mix to make the 3 layers and assemble as directed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 952kcal, Carbohydrates: 123g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 49g, Saturated Fat: 30g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 167mg, Sodium: 688mg, Potassium: 164mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 94g, Vitamin A: 1539IU, Calcium: 84mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How to cut and serve?
Use a large kitchen knife to cut a 4-inch diameter circle right in the center of the cake.
This will also create a 2-inch band around the perimeter of the cake. Cut that band into 1-inch sections (wedding-size pieces) or 1½ inch sections (party-size pieces).
Once the outer pieces have been served, slice the remaining center circle into 6-8 triangles.
Prep ahead of time?
Bake the cake rounds ahead of time and store until ready to assemble and decorate. Wrap the cooled rounds in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-5 days. Add a layer of aluminum foil and freeze up to 3 months.
How to store?
Remove any fresh fruit before storing. Keep the cake in an airtight container(s) at room temperature for 3-5 days or in the fridge for 5-7 days. To freeze, wrap the cake in plastic and freeze for 3-4 months. It will be safe for longer but will begin to lose some of its flavors.
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This recipe was originally published May 2023.
Amazing cake! Turned out perfect and relatively simple to make.
This is a go-to 4th of July dessert! Sooo easy yet delicious and delightful!
I made this last year for July 4 and everyone loved it! I am making it for memorial day (as per my kids request) Thanks for a yummy recipe!
This cake looks great and easy to make – the kids will love it and I’m sure the colors will be a little different after they help make it!
Happy 4th everyone !
Kids thought this was neat to do different colors and enjoyed eating it as well. Love all your recipes!
Very moist and awesome cake.