Description
You’re going to love this one—imagine the burst of vibrant red, white, and blue layers, the luscious vanilla buttercream, and that show-stopping festive finish that makes this 4th of July Layer Cake absolutely irresistible; trust me, you need to bring this to your Independence Day picnic!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (cold, cubed)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¾ cup whole milk
- Gel food coloring: super red, royal blue
- 2 cups unsalted butter (cold, cubed)
- 7 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare vanilla cake batter, divide into three bowls—leave one white, color one red, and one blue using gel food coloring.
- Gently fold in the colorings without overmixing.
- Bake each layer in 8-inch pans at 350°F for 20-23 minutes, then cool completely.
- Beat cold butter for 5-7 minutes until pale and creamy, add powdered sugar gradually, alternating with vanilla and cream, then beat for an extra 3-5 minutes.
- Level the cake layers and stack: blue at the bottom, then buttercream, white layer, more buttercream, and the red layer on top.
- Apply a thin crumb coat and chill the cake for 20-30 minutes.
- Create a tricolor ombre frosting effect by piping red, white, and blue stripes using plastic wrap in a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
- Decorate with red, white, and blue sprinkles and piped stars or swirls for a playful finish.
- Store at room temperature in a cake carrier or refrigerate if it’s hot, bringing to room temperature before serving.
- For clean slices, dip your knife in hot water and wipe between cuts.
Notes
Pair this cake with our 4th of July trifle for a dessert table that screams celebration or serve alongside festive strawberries for a fruity touch. Transport it carefully in a sealed cake carrier to your fireworks picnic.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 1005
- Sugar: 113g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 50g
- Saturated Fat: 30g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 136g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 5.9g
- Cholesterol: 165mg
Keywords: 4th of July, patriotic cake, layer cake, buttercream, summer dessert, party cake