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Active Time
90 minutes
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Total Time
4 hours
As much as we love a simpleno-bake summer dessert(thiseasy cheesecakeis a perpetual favorite), yourIndependence Day cookoutrequires a showstopper. Forget fireworks—this Fourth of July cake is the real spectacle.
In this patriotic layer cake, an alternating stack of red velvet and white cakes mimics the stripes of the American flag. Yes, you will need to make two separate batters, but both recipes are straightforward. The white cake recipe differs from a standardvanilla cakein that it uses only egg whites (not the yolks) for a brighter color. Flavored with vanilla extract and lemon zest, it’s the perfect counterpoint to the rich red velvet cake. For the red velvet cake batter, it’s important to usenatural cocoa powder—avoid Dutch-process or extra-dark cocoa, which would dull the red color. Don’t have time to bake cake from scratch? Swap inboxed cake mix. We won’t tell.
No need to fuss overbuttercreamthat’ll melt in the summer heat: Cover the cake with tangy cream cheese frosting, then garnish with a tumble of fresh berries—we like a mix of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and/or blueberries. From there, let your creativity run wild with the decorations: Shower on red and blue sprinkles or stick in somesparklersfor extra flair.
Not quite the Fourth of July cake recipe you’re looking for? Check out ourAmerican flag cakedecked with fruity stars and stripes, or thispoke cakemarked with vivid blueberry jello stripes. Find these and more, likeGourmet’s classicstrawberry shortcakeand Elvis’s favoritepound cake, in our roundup ofFourth of July desserts.
Ingredients
12 servings
Red cake layers
White cake layer
Frosting
Fruit topping
Special Equipment
Red cake layers
Step 1
Heat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9" round cake pans, then line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with some additional flour, knocking out excess.
Step 2
Resift cake flour together with cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
Step 3
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment if using stand mixer) at medium-high speed until combined well, then add oil and beat until very pale and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Step 4
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
Step 5
Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture and sour cream mixture in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing until batter is smooth.
Step 6
Divide batter between pans (about 3 cups in each) and smooth tops. Rap pans on counter a couple of times to expel any air bubbles. Bake in middle of oven until a wooden pick comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from sides of pans, 25 to 30 minutes. Keep oven on.
Step 7
Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pans. Invert layers onto racks and peel off parchment paper. Cool layers completely.
White cake layer
Step 8
Butter one 9" round cake pan, then line bottom with parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pan with some additional flour, knocking out excess.
Step 9
Resift cake flour together with baking soda and salt into a bowl. Whisk egg whites in another bowl with sour cream mixture until combined.
Step 10
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment if using stand mixer) at medium-high speed until combined well, then add oil and beat until very pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in zest and vanilla extract.
Step 11
Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture and sour cream mixture in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is smooth. Transfer batter to pan and spread evenly. Rap pan on counter a couple of times to expel any air bubbles.
Step 12
Bake in middle of oven until a wooden pick comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from side of pan, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan. Invert layer onto rack and peel off parchment paper. Cool layer completely.
Do ahead:Cake layers can be made 1 day ahead and chilled or 1 week ahead and frozen. Wrap well in wax paper and then in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. No need to thaw before assembling cake (cake is easier to frost when layers are chilled or frozen), but allow plenty of time for cake to thaw and come to room temperature after frosting it.
Frosting
Step 13
Beat together cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt.
Step 14
Sift powdered sugar into a bowl and add to cream cheese mixture. Mix on low speed until incorporated, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until smooth.
Frost cake
Step 15
Brush loose crumbs from cake layers with a pastry brush.
Step 16
Put a red velvet layer, bottom side up, on a cake plate or stand. Spread 1 cup of frosting over layer. Cover with white layer, bottom side up, and spread with another cup of frosting. Top with second red velvet layer, bottom side up.
Step 17
Spread a thin layer of frosting around sides and over top of cake. (This is called crumb-coating. It tamps down any loose crumbs to keep them out of the top layer of frosting and fills in any crevices. This is particularly important with red velvet cake layers.) Chill or briefly freeze cake just until frosting is firm.
Step 18
Spread sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Chill or briefly freeze cake just until frosting is firm.
Do ahead:Cake can be frosted 1 day ahead and kept in a cake keeper, chilled. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.
Fruit topping
Step 19
Toss together fruits in a bowl. Just before serving, top cake with about 1½ cups fruit. Serve remaining fruit on the side.
Editor’s note:This recipe was first printed on Epicurious in June 2011.Head this way for more of our best Fourth of July recipes →
How would you rate Red, White, and Berry Fourth of July Cake?
Leave a Review
Reviews (46)
Back to TopI make this every year for Canada Day as it works perfectly for both countries. Love this cake, double it and make it a sheet cake to feed a crowd. It is delicious.
judithcanada537246
Toronto, Canada
7/3/2019
Absolutely loved this cake!!! Followed instructions to a T. Came out perfectly delicious and beautiful.
Debra817
Franklin Tn
7/5/2018
美味的蛋糕,有赞扬我的聚会。然而, I agree with the other comments about its excessive oiliness and the crumbliness that made it difficult to move the layers. If I made it again, I'd play around with reducing the oil in the red velvet layers. The white lemon layer was especially good. I'd consider making the cake with three white layers instead.
Anonymous
Chevy Chase, MD
5/24/2018
I'm not even a red velvet fan, but I loved this, and so did everyone else at my party. Followed the directions completely: moist cake, nice flavor, great icing, all made beautiful with berries on top!
Anonymous
Pittsburgh, PA
7/4/2017
Having never baked a cake in my life, I'll admit that at times while making this I was thinking oh no, what have I gotten myself into. I followed the instructions to a T though and it turned out absolutely perfect. The velvet layers were not as red as the photo, but they still looked and tasted great. The white layer with the lemon was one of the best cakes I've ever tasted. Excellent and perfect instructions.
ddiml
PGH, PA
6/29/2017
And I forgot to mention that I left out the lemon. As much as I love lemon, it didn't seem right with the cocoa powder.
steingld1
Santa Monica, CA
7/5/2016
What a hit!! For a July 4th party, I only used strawberries and blueberries, and placed them geometrically around the cake (tart style). I did use almond extract instead of vanilla in the center layer. Also, I combined some of the frosting with blueberry jam so that there would be a purple-blue stripe in the middle of the cake. If you do this, don't over-frost the edges. Otherwise, the bluish frosting will mix disgustingly with the white frosting and cause a smurf fiasco!!
steingld1
Santa Monica, CA
7/5/2016
I made this for a July 4th party and it was quite pretty. It's definitely a show-stopper. I agree with the other reviewer who called it a calorie bomb. Certainly the cakes tasted delicious (I tried a few bites of the trimmings), but knowing just how much fat was in them, I couldn't bring myself to have a piece. Based on other reviewers' comments I decided to try the cream cheese marscapone frosting from the red velvet cupcake recipe instead of the frosting called for in the recipe. Again, the frosting was delicious, but incredibly rich. Also, the cupcake frosting recipe recommended by another reviewer was really not enough for this cake. Even after skimping on the frosting between the layers I didn't have enough to cover the outside of the cake with a thick layer. It was OK, but I could have used another 1/2 cup to 1 cup of frosting.
Anonymous
Boston, MA
7/4/2016
I usually complain about red velvet cake (it's ALWAYS dry), but this recipe impressed me! It is the best red velvet cake I've made to date. I followed others' suggestion and used the mascarpone frosting recipe from the Pastry Queen Christmas red velvet cupcakes. Beautiful presentation for 4th of July!
elizabeth_douth
Austin, TX
9/10/2015
This cake is an absolute winner. It has become my go to cake for feeding a large group. It is delicious and gorgeous,
RobinDiane
Toronto
11/6/2014
Sorry, i meant to give 4 forks!
kathleencahill
Chicago
7/7/2014
This cake is wonderful. It is beautiful to behold, and sumptuous to taste. The almond layer in the center is so delicious. I did make a different cream cheese frosting; using one that had mascarpone in it. It was perfect. I will make it every year for a star spangled finish to dinner.
kathleencahill
Chicago
7/7/2014
After seeing the picture, I decided to make the cake. I took it to my neighbor's 4th of July picnic in 2011, and 2012. They started asking for the cake on Memorial Day and I will make it again. The icing was just right and the berries looked just gorgeous atop the cake.
clairedelong
Easton, PA
6/28/2013
这个蛋糕的红色天鹅绒部分是一个真正的说appointment. This is the oiliest cake, very unappealing. Yes, it was light and tender, but just couldn't get past how oily my fingers were when I touched it, or the residual in the pan. The ration of 1 c oil plus 1/2 cup butter AND sour cream (vs buttermilk most recipes use) to only 2.5 cups SIFTED CAKE flour... As I learned in pastry school, if it doesn't mesh with your intuition and what your training has taught you, it probably is for a reason...lesson learned. I might try tweaking the recipe, not sure.
toobzymom2
Orange County
3/29/2013
This cake looks really good, i found similar cake at this site: http://www.feliksa-konditoreja.com/Tortes/Jogurta_Torte
elvispiks
Latvia
10/30/2012
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