This Red White and Blue Layer Cake is a stunning centerpiece for any patriotic gathering.
With bold layers of red, white, and blue, it’s both visually impressive and delicious, making it the perfect dessert for celebrating.
If you’re looking for more themed desserts, check out these red, white, and blue recipe ideas for inspiration!
Each layer is soft, moist, and flavored with a hint of vanilla and almond. Topped with a rich cream cheese frosting, this cake is as flavorful as it is festive. Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue or a holiday party, this cake is sure to impress.
Steps to Make a Patriotic Layer Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Gather all of your ingredients:
Using three separate bowls, beat butter and salt together. Add sugar and mix until creamy. Incorporate the wet ingredients: egg, milk, vegetable oil, warm water, vinegar, and extracts.
For the white layer, mix in flour, baking soda, and baking powder. For the red and blue layers, add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder.
Add red food coloring to the red velvet batter and blue food coloring to the blue velvet batter. Mix until well combined.
Pour each batter into its respective pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
While the cakes cool, make the cream cheese frosting.
Place the blue layer on a cake plate, spread a thin layer of frosting, then add the white layer and frost again. Finally, top with the red layer and frost the entire cake.
Sprinkle with red, white, and blue sprinkles and for more ways to decorate your cake, check out these Red, White, and Blue Cake Decorating Ideas for festive and creative inspiration!
Yes! You can bake the cake layers up to two days in advance. Wrap each cooled layer tightly in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature. For longer storage, freeze the layers for up to three months.
Use gel food coloring instead of liquid food dye for bold, rich colors without altering the cake’s texture. Start with a few drops, then add more as needed.
Apply a thin crumb coat—a light layer of frosting—to seal in any loose crumbs. Chill the cake for 15-20 minutes before adding the final layer of frosting for a smooth finish.
Looking for festive desserts? Try these!
- Celebrate the holiday with these Memorial Day Cake Recipes, perfect for adding a festive and delicious touch to your gathering.
- These Red White & Blue Cupcakes are a fun and easy way to bring patriotic colors to your dessert table.
- Try this Red White & Blue Poke Cake for a moist, flavorful treat that’s bursting with color and perfect for any celebration.
Red White and Blue Layer Cake
Red White Blue and Layer Cake is the perfect dessert for a patriotic celebration! Learn how to make this stunning cake for the 4th of July or Memorial Day.
Ingredients
White Layer
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅛ cup warm water
- 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Red Layer
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅛ cup warm water
- 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Red food coloring
Blue Layer
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅛ cup warm water
- 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- blue food coloring
- Cream cheese Frosting
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Coat 3, 8-inch round pans with nonstick spray.
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Grab 3 separate bowls to make all three layers at the same time.
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Add the butter and salt to each bowl and beat together with a hand mixer.
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Then add white sugar to each bowl and beat until creamy.
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Now add the respective amounts of all the wet ingredients of egg, milk, vegetable oil, warm water, white vinegar and extracts to the bowls. Once again use the hand mixer to combine everything.
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In the white cake layer bowl first add the flour, baking soda and baking powder, then mix until the white batter is smooth to complete that layer.
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Then add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and powder to the red and blue velvet bowls, mixing with the hand mixer until the batters are smooth.
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Add 3-4 drops of red food dye to the red batter and 3-4 drops of blue dye to third bowl. Use a rubber spatula to mix in the colors in each and finish off those batter layers.
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Pour the cake batter into each of the 3 round pans
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Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
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Let the cakes cool completely before frosting on a cooling rack.
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Make the cream cheese frosting while the cake cools.
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On a cake plate, place the blue cake layer on the bottom. Add a thin layer of frosting to that layer using an offset spatula. Place the white layer next as the second layer of cake, frosting again, and then top off with the red cake layer.
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With the remaining frosting, frost the entire cake.
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Sprinkle with red, white and or blue sprinkles if desired.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best texture.