This is one of the most kid friendly 4th of July desserts around. And, you can make it as a red white and blue birthday cake or a fun 4th of July firecracker cake for a backyard barbecue or block party.
For more easy desserts, try our No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies.
how to make buttercream frosting without heavy cream
This buttercream frosting is made with heavy cream, but it could easily be made without it. Instead of using heavy cream, use milk instead. It will have a slightly different consistency, but it works just as good.
Mix the buttercream frosting with hand mixer, until it is smooth and the right consistency for spreading. This is best attained by adding 2-3 tablespoons of milk and then adding another tablespoon at a time until the frosting is the perfect consistency.
Can buttercream frosting be left out
Do you need to refrigerate buttercream frosting? Yes and no.
It's okay to leave buttercream frosting out on frosted cake or cupcakes for a day or two. Buttercream frosting can also be stored in the refrigerator.
If making buttercream frosting ahead of time, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
You can also make small batch buttercream frosting to eliminate the need for storage completely.
How to Make Red Frosting
This is an easy red buttercream frosting. It's easy to learn how to get dark red frosting color, or really any colored buttercream frosting. We use Americolor gel food coloring to get a deep shade of any color for frosting.
In this recipe, we used Americolor red gel food coloring. It's a high quality brand with great reviews.
How to Make Blue Frosting
To mix blue buttercream cake frosting, simply mix the Americolor blue gel food coloring into a 1/2 cup of buttercream frosting.
This frosting is the best for the red and blue hombre frosting we use in this recipe, but is also perfect for blue frosting cupcakes...think cookie monster cupcakes.
You'd just use a different amount of gel food coloring to get the right shade of blue, or pick another shade of blue gel food coloring for icing cupcakes for a specific theme.
How to make this Red, White and blue cake
Mix up the ingredients for the red velvet cake. After baking the cake, let it cool completely.
Make the buttercream frosting, and then divide the frosting as the recipe instructions below explain. Top the cake with the white frosting.
Next, mix up the blue and red frostings. Add the each color frosting to a disposable piping bag and then put both of those inside of another piping bag.
Add a large star frosting tip and a frosting bag coupler and get ready to decorate. Pipe dollops of ombre frosting over the top of the white frosting, and then add patriotic sprinkles over the top of the frosting layer.
4th of july cake decorations for Red, White and Blue Cake
If you're looking for more patriotic snacks to make, this is a great one to add to your list. The buttercream frosting used in this recipe would also make a spectacular sugar cookie buttercream frosting. Then, top with some patriotic sprinkles for more red white and blue snacks!
Red, White and Blue Cake for Holiday Desserts
This red, white and blue Red Velvet Cake is one of our favorite kid friendly 4th of July desserts. The cake is topped with red and blue buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Supplies
Ingredients for 4th of July Cake
- 16.5 ounce red velvet cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
Vanilla frosting Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Americolor red gel food coloring
- Americolor blue gel food coloring
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease a 9x13 cake pan and then set it aside.
- Add the cake mix, water, eggs, and oil to a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer
to mix until combined. - Pour the batter into the cake pan and then bake the cake for 24-30 minutes or
until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. - Cool the cake on a baking rack.
Vanilla frosting Instructions
- Use a stand mixer to beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, heavy whipping cream until combined, smooth and stiff with peaks.
- Scoop ½ cup of frosting each into two bowls. Use the rest of the frosting and
spread over the cooled cake. - Get out the Americolor gel colors and get the two small bowls of frosting. The next step shows how to make dark red frosting.
- Mix in a few drops of the red Americolor gel food coloring into one of the frosting bowls and add the blue gel food coloring into the second bowl of frosting. Use a clean spoon to stir the frosting in each bowl, mixing the food coloring in completely. To make the frosting darker, add additional gel food coloring to the bowl and keep mixing food coloring until you get the color you want.
- Use a divided piping bag (add two disposable piping bags to another piping bag) add the red frosting to one of the piping bags and blue frosting to another piping bags. Add both piping bags to a third piping bag. This will make a nice ombre frosting to add top the red velvet cake.
- Using a star frosting tip, pipe dollops onto the top of the white frosting.
- Sprinkle patriotic sprinkles over the cake to finish your firecracker cake. Top with additional 4th of July cake decorations if desired.
Notes
If you only have one piping bag, you can add the frosting to one bag. Just keep the colors separate. It’s easier to do with two bags inside the one bag.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 394Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 107mgSodium 148mgCarbohydrates 36gFiber 0gSugar 31gProtein 3g
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