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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
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How to Make Red White and Blue Cake

  1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 (8-inch) cake pans with parchment paper, then grease and set aside.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
Adding sprinkles to a frosted layered cake.

How to Frost and Assemble

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  • 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.
Frosted and decorated red white and blue cake.
5 from 16 votes

Red White and Blue Cake

By: Lil’ Luna
Make a spectacular red white and blue cake that's beautifully festive, delicious, and incredibly easy to put together!
Servings: 12
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Cool Time: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients 

Cake

  • 3⅔ cups cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • cups butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • cups buttermilk
  • red and blue food coloring

Frosting

  • cups butter, softened
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • cup milk or half and half
  • 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.
Make ahead of time. Make the cake rounds ahead of time and store them until ready to assemble and decorate the cake. Wrap cooled round in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-5 days. Add a layer of aluminum foil and freeze 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.  
Store frosted cake at room temperature or in the fridge for a couple of days. Use a cake keeper or cover with a large bowl to keep dust off. Be aware of odors in your fridge that could seep into the cake. Do not top with fresh berries or fresh flowers until 1-2 hours before serving. 
Store leftover cake. 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 frosted cake. 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.

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.

This recipe was originally published May 2023.

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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5 from 16 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




17 Comments

  1. mo says:

    5 stars
    Amazing cake! Turned out perfect and relatively simple to make.

  2. Sha says:

    5 stars
    This is a go-to 4th of July dessert! Sooo easy yet delicious and delightful!

  3. Freida O says:

    5 stars
    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!

  4. susan morris says:

    5 stars
    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 !

  5. Brenda says:

    5 stars
    Kids thought this was neat to do different colors and enjoyed eating it as well. Love all your recipes!

  6. Margie says:

    5 stars
    Very moist and awesome cake.

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