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4th of July Cake is the showstopper that turns a boxed mix into a red, white, and blue marbled bundt the whole cookout crowds around, and I baked our first one last summer when Maddie begged for something firework colored for the party. If you love a festive dessert like our berry 4th of July trifle, this sliceable firecracker cake is the easy, no fuss companion to it.
You get bakery worthy red, white, and blue swirls from one box of cake mix, so it looks like you fussed for hours when it really took minutes.
4th of July Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 40 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 330kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet vanilla cake with a festive candy melt drizzle
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our easy raspberry jello poke cake
Quick Answer
Make a 4th of July Cake by mixing one box of white cake mix with dry vanilla pudding, milk, egg whites, and oil, then dividing the batter into three bowls and tinting one red, one blue, and leaving one white. Spoon the colors randomly into a greased bundt pan, bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, then drizzle with melted red, white, and blue candy melts and add patriotic sprinkles.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- A boxed mix does the heavy lifting. Starting with white cake mix guarantees a tender, foolproof crumb so you can focus on the fun part, the colors.
- Pudding mix keeps it moist. A box of dry vanilla pudding adds richness and structure that keeps every slice soft for days.
- Gel coloring stays vibrant. Gel food coloring saturates the batter without thinning it, so the red and blue bake up bold instead of washed out.
- Random spoonfuls make the marble. Dropping the colors in randomly is what creates that firework swirl inside, and there is no wrong way to do it.
- Candy melts make decorating easy. A quick drizzle of melted candy melts sets fast and hides any imperfections on top, with no frosting skills required.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a true showstopper that looks like fireworks the second you slice into it.
- You only need one box of cake mix plus a few pantry basics, so it comes together fast.
- It travels beautifully to cookouts and pairs perfectly with our easy candied grapes on a red, white, and blue dessert table.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes this 4th of July Cake work, and why each piece matters.
- White cake mix: the blank canvas that takes color beautifully, use a plain white mix so the red and blue stay true.
- Vanilla pudding mix: dry mix only, it adds moisture and a soft, bakery style crumb.
- Gel food coloring: red and blue gel saturate without thinning the batter, so skip the liquid coloring here.
- Candy melts: red, white, and blue melts make a fast, festive drizzle that sets firm for slicing.
- Patriotic sprinkles: star and nonpareil sprinkles add the final firework finish, similar to how we top our strawberry cupcakes.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This 4th of July Cake is easy to make your own.
- Swap the colors for any holiday, like pink and red for Valentines Day or orange and black for Halloween.
- Add a teaspoon of almond or lemon extract to the batter for a brighter flavor.
- Bake it as cupcakes instead, just reduce the time to 18 to 20 minutes.
- Use a simple vanilla glaze instead of candy melts if you prefer, like the drizzle on our no bake raspberry icebox cake.
How to Make 4th of July Cake
- Mix the cake batter. In a large bowl, beat the white cake mix, dry vanilla pudding, milk, egg whites, and vegetable oil until smooth and thick.
- Divide and tint the batter. Split the batter evenly into three bowls, then tint one red, one blue, and leave the third white.
- Layer it into the pan. Drop random spoonfuls of each color into a greased and floured bundt pan, then bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Decorate and serve. Cool the cake completely, then drizzle with melted red, white, and blue candy melts and add sprinkles before the candy sets.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use gel, not liquid, food coloring. It keeps the batter thick and the colors bold.
- Grease and flour the pan well. A bundt pan has lots of crevices, so coat every one to release the cake cleanly.
- Do not overmix the colored batters. Stir just until the color is even to keep the swirl distinct.
- Cool completely before decorating. Warm cake melts the candy drizzle and makes it run.
- Add sprinkles fast. Candy melts set quickly, so decorate one color at a time and sprinkle right away.
- Reduce the heat for dark pans. If your bundt pan is dark, bake at 325 degrees F to avoid over browning.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This 4th of July Cake is the centerpiece your holiday dessert table has been waiting for. Set it on a cake stand and let those red, white, and blue swirls do all the talking next to a spread of summer treats.
Slice it alongside our berry 4th of July trifle and a strawberry angel food cake for a full patriotic dessert board. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side never hurts either.
It is perfect for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day cookouts, and leftovers keep beautifully so you can enjoy a slice with coffee the next morning. For another crowd pleaser, try our easy Oreo dirt cake.
4th of July Cake FAQs
Yes, bake the 4th of July Cake up to two days ahead and store it covered at room temperature. Add the candy melt drizzle the day you plan to serve so it looks fresh and bright.
Keep leftover 4th of July Cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days, or refrigerate for up to a week. Bring slices back to room temperature before serving for the softest texture.
Absolutely. Wrap the undecorated cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight at room temperature, then add the candy melt drizzle and sprinkles.
A standard 10 to 12 cup bundt pan gives this 4th of July Cake its classic ring shape. If you use a dark pan, lower the oven to 325 degrees F so the edges do not over brown.
Gel food coloring is concentrated, so it gives the 4th of July Cake bold red and blue color without thinning the batter the way liquid coloring would.
Yes, spoon the colored batters into a lined muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes. You will get about 24 festive cupcakes from one batch.
Looking for more festive treats? Try our easy raspberry jello poke cake next.
4th of July Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 3 ounce box vanilla pudding mix dry mix only, do not make
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 large egg whites
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon red gel food coloring
- ½ teaspoon blue gel food coloring
- 3 ounces red candy melts
- 3 ounces white candy melts
- 3 ounces blue candy melts
- sprinkles of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, egg whites and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat on medium speed for two minutes.1 box white cake mix, 3 ounce box vanilla pudding mix, 1 cup whole milk, 3 large egg whites, ½ cup vegetable oil
- Divide the mixture evenly into three separate bowls.
- Add the red food coloring to one of the bowls and mix until well combined. Repeat with the blue food coloring in another of the bowls. The third bowl will remain uncolored.½ teaspoon red gel food coloring, ½ teaspoon blue gel food coloring
- Drop spoonfuls of the three different colored batters into the prepared bottom of the pan in a random pattern and fill it. Ensure the batter is evenly distributed on all sides of the pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Melt the candy melts according to the package directions in microwavable bowls.3 ounces red candy melts, 3 ounces white candy melts, 3 ounces blue candy melts
- Add the melted candy melts to three small resealable bags, one for each color. Cut the tip of one of the corners on each bag. Drizzle the melted candy melts over the top of the cake once it is completely cool.
- Immediately add the sprinkles while the candy melts are still wet. Allow candy melts to set before slicing and serving.sprinkles of your choice
Notes
- Use gel food coloring as it saturates better.
- Other colors can be a great thing for different occasions.
- If you are using a dark bundt pan reduce the heat to 325 degrees F.
- You can decorate the top in anyway that you like, we like to use melting chocolate and sprinkles. Secret tricks of the trade, haha!
- Don’t skip the cooling rack. It helps get just the right consistency.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
Nutrition
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