This cake is a fun but sophisticated dessert for your 4th of July party. I’ve leveraged cake mix and ready-to-serve frosting in order to let you focus on assembling this stunner.
Note: This is a very tall cake and takes a little time and skill to bake, assemble, and decorate. If you want to make it easier, use 2 boxes cake mix and divide batter into 5 bowls for 5 layers. Tint two layers shades of blue, leave one layer white, and tint the other two shades of red. Follow the remaining directions below and use 3 tubs of frosting to assemble.
Red, White and Blue Ombre Cake
Serves 8-10
3 boxes white cake mix
4 tubs of whipped vanilla frosting
6 egg whites
36 ounces diet Sprite (4 ½ cups)
Special ingredients/equipment
Red food coloring
Blue food coloring
Strawberry (or any red color) Pop Rocks
3 9-inch cake pans
3 medium bowls
For the blue layers: Mix one cake mix with 2 egg whites and 1 ½ cups diet Sprite; divide batter evenly between 3 medium-size bowls. Add a small amount of coloring to one bowl to make the lightest blue layer. Add more coloring to the second bowl and even more to the third bowl to create 3 layers of blue. Place batter in three 9-inch pans which have been greased and floured. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a fork placed in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Allow cake layers to cool. Place the darkest blue layer on a cake plate or large plate; cover with a thin layer of frosting. Repeat with remaining blue layers and then place cake in the refrigerator to chill until the white layers are ready to be assembled.
For the white layers: Mix one cake mix with 2 egg whites and 1 ½ cups diet Sprite; divide batter evenly between 3 medium-size bowls. Add a very small amount of blue food coloring to one bowl so that the batter is only slightly tinted blue. Repeat the same procedure with another bowl of batter but add a very small amount of red food coloring. Do not tint the last layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a fork placed in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Allow cake layers to cool. Place the slightly blue layer on top of the last blue layer assembled. Cover with a thin layer of frosting. Repeat with remaining white layer and then slightly red layer. Place cake in the refrigerator to chill until the red layers are ready to be assembled.
For the red layers: Repeat the procedure for the blue layers but with red food coloring. Bake and assemble according to previous instructions, beginning with the lightest red layer and ending with darkest.
Coat the outside of the cake with a thin layer of frosting and place in the refrigerator to harden for 15 minutes. This is called with “crumb coat” and seals in all of the crumbs from mixing with the final layer of frosting.
Remove cake from the refrigerator. Use the remaining frosting to generously coat the outside of the cake. Decoratively sprinkle Pop Rocks around the edges. Allow cake to chill for at least one hour before cutting.
very festive!
Oh this is the most amazing cake ever – pinning it now. Gorgeous!
Amazing! I am beyond impressed.
How wonderful! What a great, festive cake!
This is so beautiful!
this is simply beautiful!
Absolutely beautiful – I WILL make this someday!
gorgeous!!! posted an image on my blog with a link to your site. i hope lots of people make this inspiring cake! my fork is ready….
This is awesome. I already pinned it from Brit and saw it again today and still love looking at it. Well done!!
Would like to get permission to feature your work on our site!
Yes, of course!
Thanks for all of the kind words. Glad you all enjoy the cake. Happy 4th!
Just shared this patriotic cake with my tweeps! Can’t wait to make this tonight for my party tomorrow! HAPPY 4th!
I love this kind of layer cake … congratulations, well done !
That is just fantastic!