Red White and Blue Cake is beautifully festive and absolutely delicious. This show-stopper is easy to make!
This layered Red White and Blue Cake is a gorgeous patriotic dessert for all of your festive occasions. For more red, white, and blue desserts, try 4th of July Cookies, Patriotic Jello Poke Cake, and Fourth of July Rice Krispie Treats!
Patriotic Cake
We love to serve up red white and blue desserts on patriotic holidays. They are festive, fun, and delicious!! This red white and blue cake in particular is a show stopper and is so easy to make!
This patriotic layered cake with strawberries and blueberries on top will become a favorite dessert recipe for serving after those BBQs and July 4th activities. Isn’t it gorgeous?!
I’ve made it easy to achieve with step-by-step directions so even a novice baker/cake decorator can enjoy this beautifully tasty cake.
Making 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.
DRY INGREDIENTS. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and set aside.
WET INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, egg whites, and vanilla, and mix until smooth.
COMBINE. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour in the buttermilk and mix until combined.
COLOR. Divide the batter into 3 bowls and add red food coloring to one and blue to another, keeping a third white. Pour into three prepared cake pans.
**Note: Use gel food coloring. Using too much liquid food coloring can affect the texture of the cake batter.
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 and let cool completely.
Frost and ASSEMBLE
MAKE FROSTING. To make the frosting, beat the butter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt, and 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. To assemble the cake, 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 with 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.
Tips for Frosting and Assembling
How to level cake tops. Once each cake layer has cooled, level the tops. Use a long serrated bread knife to cut off the domed portion of the cake round leaving a flat and level top.
Crumb coating. For a smoother look, add a light layer of frosting (known as a crumb coat) around the top and sides of the cake (after assembling), then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Once the cake has chilled slightly, spread a thicker layer of frosting around the sides and over the top, and add dollops of frosting for decoration, if desired. Sprinkle with patriotic sprinkles. Refrigerate any leftovers.
decorating Tips
Piping tips. Ateco 848 or Wilton 1M piping tips work great to get a fluffy textured frosting design.
Red White and Blue Cake Ideas: Here are some of our favorite ways to add patriotic colors to our cake.
- Berries: fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries
- Maraschino cherries
- Decorate with patriotic sprinkles or candies
- Forgo candles and top with sparklers
- Color the frosting
Ingredient Tips
Homemade cake flour. Cake flour is finer than all-purpose flour which yields a lighter and more tender crumb. Make your own cake flour:
- 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.
Homemade Buttermilk. Make your own buttermilk for this recipe.
Additional Recipe Tips
Make ahead of time. Make the cake rounds ahead of time and store them until ready to assemble and decorate the cake.
- Once the rounds have cooled, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap.
- Store the rounds for 3-5 days in the fridge.
- To freeze them, wrap the rounds again with aluminum foil and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- If desired, layer the cakes and add a crumb coating (light thin layer of frosting) over the entire cake. The light layer will help keep the cake from drying out and it can be kept in the fridge overnight.
Best way to cut and serve the round layered cake:
- 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.
Storing Info
Maybe you’re making the cake a day or two ahead of your party, and need to store it safely, or maybe you need to store leftovers after the party’s over. Either way, here are the best tips for easy storage!
Decorated and Uncut
STORE. Once the cake has been fully frosted with a buttercream frosting can be kept for a couple of days at room temperature or in the fridge.
- Use a cake keeper or cover with a large bowl to keep dust off. Also, be aware of odors in your fridge that could seep into the cake.
- Do not top with fresh fruit or fresh flowers until 1-2 hours before serving.
Transporting a cake. I recommend a cake carrier or cake box that is fitted for the shape. When transporting, place the carrier on the floor and take precautions so that it won’t slide around.
Leftovers
STORE. To help the leftover cake last longer, remove any fresh fruit before storing it. Keep the cake in an airtight container(s) at room temperature for 3-5 days or in the fridge for 5-7 days.
FREEZE. The cake can also be stored in the freezer for 3-4 months. Wrap the cake in plastic before placing it in the freezer container. It will be safe for longer but will begin to lose some of its flavors.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, white cake mix can be used if you’re short on time! Make the batter according to the instructions on the box. Separate it into 3 pans, add food coloring and bake according to the box.
Hold one hand, palm up, fingers slightly spread, over a bowl. Crack the egg into the open hand. Allow the egg whites to drip through your fingers into the empty bowl.
Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cakes are done.
For more Holiday worthy cakes, try:
- No Bake Strawberry Shortcake
- Angel Food Cake
- Berry Icebox Cake
- Jello Poke Cake
- Strawberry Sheet Cake
Red White and Blue Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 ⅔ cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 whole eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- red and blue food coloring
Frosting
- 1 ½ cups butter softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup milk or half and half
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- sprinkles
Instructions
- 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 together the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the 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 the buttermilk and mix until combined.
- Divide the batter into 3 bowls and add red food coloring to one and blue to another, keeping 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.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt, and 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.
- To assemble the cake, 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 with one cup of the frosting. Place the white cake layer on top and spread with another cup of frosting. Place the red layer on top, then spread the frosting around the top and sides.
- For a smoother look, add a light layer of frosting (known as a crumb coat) around the top and sides of the cake, then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Once the cake has chilled slightly, spread a thicker layer of frosting around the sides and over the top, and add dollops of frosting for decoration, if desired. Sprinkle with patriotic sprinkles. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Your recipes sound and look amazing! Newbie on your site. Cannot wait until I use them.