Red, White, & Blue Bundt Cake
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Get ready for all the patriotic holidays with this fun and festive Red, White, & Blue Bundt cake made with a boxed cake mix, candy drizzle, and sprinkles!
Summer is here and that means it’s the start of all the patriotic holidays. Whether you are grilling out, hosting a cook out, or relaxing by the pool you are going to want to make some patriotic treats.
While we don’t do much besides grill out for these red, white, and blue holidays I do like to make a fun and easy dessert. I’ve been making my No Bake Berry Icebox Cake for years because of the red and blue fruit on top pairing so well with the white whipped frosting.
I tend to go for desserts that are red, white, and blue in color. They just feel more festive. Since it’s often so hot in the summer my Patriotic No Churn Ice Cream is something we eat a lot.
When I started thinking of a menu for grilling this summer I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I have seen the Firecracker Bundt cake with it’s red, white, and blue swirl on many of my favorite blogs.
What is a Bundt Cake?
A bundt cake is a type of cake that is baked in a Bundt pan. This gives the cake it’s distinctive doughnut-like shape. The Bundt pan has a central tube and fluted sides which in a ring-shaped cake with a decorative pattern. I love all the fun and decorative Bundt cake pans that are available and have several myself.
So the great thing about this cake is that it’s made from a box mix. I like to doctor up my cake mixes so that they taste homemade but you can totally make the cake as it says on the box.
How to Doctor a boxed cake mix:
- Substitute milk, sour cream, or vanilla yogurt for the water. You will be doing a 1:1 substitution. Use regular milk or a plant based version.
- Add an extra egg to the batter. Most box cake mixes use 3 eggs so add in a fourth egg.
- Use melted butter in place of the oil.
- Add a box of pudding mix. Trust me on this, it will enhance the flavor. Choose a flavors that pairs well with your cake mix flavor.
- Add vanilla or almond extract to give the cake additional flavor.
For this recipe you will need a white cake mix or a vanilla cake mix. Sadly all I had was a yellow cake mix when I went to make this so I did the best I could using food coloring to make it look white.
I added in a box of vanilla pudding mix. You could also use white chocolate pudding mix or cheesecake pudding mix. Just use something that is white so it doesn’t color your cake mix.
Ingredients:
- box of white or vanilla cake mix
- eggs
- milk (I used whole milk but you can use plant based)
- salted butter (or you can use unsalted if preferred)
- vanilla extract
- red and blue food coloring
- red, white, and blue candy melts
- red, white, and blue sprinkles
To make the cake preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add in the cake mix and mix for 2 minutes or until the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter into 3 bowls. Add red food coloring to one bowl, blue food coloring to another bowl, and leave the third bowl plain or add super white food coloring to it.
What type of food coloring should I use?
I only use gel food coloring because it keeps it’s vibrant color and you do not have to use a lot to achieve the color you are looking for. If you only have the stuff you get at the market that’s ok, but it’s a good idea to invest in some quality gel food coloring if you bake a lot.
Layer the batter into the Bundt pan starting with the blue, then the white, then the red on top. Use a butter knife and gently swirl the colors together in the pair.
Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Then run a knife around the edges and remove the cake from the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.
At this point you will put the colored candy melts into 3 different heat proof bowls. Heat in the microwave in 20 second intervals stirring after each heating, until the candy is melted. Put in a piping bag or zip top baggie and drizzle over top of the cake. Sprinkle with the sprinkles.
Can I put frosting on top of the cake?
Yes! You can use a can of vanilla frosting and divide it into 3 bowls. Color one bowl red, one blue, and leave the other one white. Heat in the microwave for 10 seconds to thin it out then pipe it or drizzle it onto the cake and top with sprinkles.
This cake is so fun and festive! It’s the perfect 4th of July Cake or any patriotic holiday. The top is covered in red, white, and blue candy and sprinkles and the inside is so pretty with the red, white, and blue swirl. It has a very vanilla flavor to it and it tastes better then a box mix!
How do I store the Patriotic Bundt Cake?
Store the cake in a cake carrier, a cake dome, or place it on a plate and cover with foil. Leave it on the counter in a cool spot. The cake will last up to 4 days.
4th of July Bundt Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15.25 oz. White Cake Mix
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 c. 1 stick salted butter, melted
- 1 c. whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- red and blue gel food coloring
- 1/4 c. red candy melts
- 1/4 c. white candy melts
- 1/4 c. blue candy melts
- red, white, and blue sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- Add in the cake mix and mix for 2 minutes or until the batter is smooth.
- Divide the batter into 3 bowls. Color one with red food coloring, one with blue food coloring, and leave one white.
- Pour the blue cake batter into the bottom of the Bundt pan. Pour the white batter on top, smoothing it over the blue. Pour the red batter on top of the white and smooth.
- Use a knife and gently swirl the batters together.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges.
- Turn the cake pan over and release the cake onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
- Meanwhile, place each color of candy melt in a separate heat safe bowl. Heat them in 20 second intervals, stirring after each heating, until they are melted.
- Place each color in a piping bag or a zip top baggie and snip off the end. Drizzle all three colors over top of the Bundt cake.
- Quickly sprinkle with the patriotic sprinkles.
- Allow the candy melts to harden for 15 minutes then slice and enjoy.
Notes
