This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Make a spectacular red white and blue cake that’s beautifully festive, delicious, and incredibly easy to put together!
A Festive Cake to Love!
Patriotic holidays like the Fourth of July and Memorial Day deserve festive desserts! We love to incorporate the colors of independence and the flavors of summer in our celebrations like this Red, White and Blue Cake.
Best part about this fun and festive cake, is that it’s not only delicious, but it’s rather simple as well. The colorful layers are perfect for celebrating and simple to achieve.
Why we 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!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 45 minutes
BAKE TIME: 25 minutes
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 – How to Soften Butter Quickly
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 whole eggs – room temperature eggs incorporate best.
- 2 egg whites – How to Separate Egg Whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups buttermilk – or make Homemade Buttermilk for this recipe.
- red and blue food coloring – I 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 3⅔ cups cake flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon baking soda, and set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 1½ cups butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and 1 tablespoon 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 1½ cups 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 and let cool completely.
Frost and ASSEMBLE
- FROSTING. To make the frosting, beat 1½ cups butter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add 6 cups powdered sugar, ⅓ cup milk, 1½ teaspoons 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.
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 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.
More Like This
- More summer cake recipes: Angel Food Ice Cream Cake, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Peach Dump Cake
- More patriotic recipes: Patriotic Trail Mix, 4th of July Punch, 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats
More collections: Summer Desserts, 4th of July Desserts, Memorial Day Desserts
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
- To make the 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
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, 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.
Adding the sprinkles to the bottom sides of the cake works really well while putting a baking sheet under the cake to catch all of the excess sprinkles so I could use them again.
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.
Making this recipe? Tag us!
Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!
Recipe FAQ
What piping tips are good to use?
What are some more patriotic ways to decorate the cake?
- berries: fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries
- Maraschino cherries
- decorate with patriotic sprinkles or candies
- forgo candles and top with sparklers
- color the frosting
Can I use a box of cake mix?
- Using a box cake makes this recipe easier and faster to make. Make the batter according to the instructions on the box. Separate it into 3 pans, add food coloring, and bake according to the box.
cut and serve a 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.
Can I prep this cake ahead of time?
- Make the cake rounds ahead of time and store them until ready to assemble and decorate the cake. 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 a red, white, and blue cake?
- 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.
How 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.
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.