America! Celebrate with this easy red, white, and blue dessert recipe – a vanilla bundt cake topped with buttercream frosting & fresh berries.

Easy 4th of July Dessert

I’m putting a patriotic twist on my favorite bundt cake recipe today by adding fresh berries! Summer means berries are in peak season, which is even more reason to put them on a cake.

Read on for this fun 4th of July cake or Jump to the Recipe…

Why Make a Bundt Cake?

This isn’t your grandmother’s bundt cake from the ’50s! The texture, crumb, and taste of this vanilla bundt cake are the best I’ve ever had! It’s slightly denser than a traditional layer cake without being dry or boring. It’s also super easy. This cake comes together in one bowl and only needs one pan.

Red, White, and Blue Cake – 4th of July Cake Recipe

I contemplated dying the batter red and blue to make a literal red, white and blue cake, but in the end, I decided to take a classier approach by using fresh berries to add some color. You have to agree the result is absolutely stunning and worthy of any party table – even if it isn’t Memorial Day, Labor Day, or 4th of July. I love this decorating approach because it’s super easy and you don’t have to spend a lot of energy making the frosting look nice.

Bundt Cake Pan Recommendation

Looking for a great Bundt cake pan? I use this pan from Nordic Ware again and again. You just can’t beat the classic shape, great price, easy non-stick finish, and it’s made in the USA! It bakes up evenly and my cakes turn out perfectly formed again and again.

Bundt Cake Topped with Buttercream Frosting

Bundt cakes are traditionally topped with some sort of icing or glaze, but I’m here to tell you – buttercream is where it’s at! Buttercream frosting takes the bundt cake from average to exceptional. It makes it appropriate for any party or special occasion! For this cake I used a batch of my famous lemon buttercream frosting, but may I also recommend this lovely rose buttercream frosting as well?

Constellation d’Or Collection by Vista Alegre

These photos are from a photography project I did for Vista Alegre featuring their Constellation d’Or collection. We first connected when I visited the Vista Alegre factory in Portugal earlier this year (in a blissful pre-COVID time). These exquisite dishes have dots of blue with hand-painted golden dots to create a mesmerizing pattern that I could look at for hours.

Here are is my photo from this project up on the front page of their website:

Why this is the BEST Bundt Cake Recipe!

It’s easy to make with just one mixing bowl and one pan.
The recipe is dense and flavorful but still super moist with just the right amount of crumb.
It’s so much easier to make and to decorate a Bundt cake than a layer cake.
Fresh berries make this cake a work of art! Fruit means it’s basically a health food, right?

Thanks so much for reading! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube, or subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts and musings from me.

Red, White, & Blue Dessert for Labor Day & July 4th

America! Celebrate with this easy red, white, and blue dessert recipe – a vanilla bundt cake topped with buttercream frosting & fresh berries.

Author: Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet
Prep Time: 60
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 10 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Scale

Ingredients

Vanilla Bundt Cake Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Lemon Buttercream or Rose Buttercream (or Buttercream Recipe of Your Choice)

Red, White & Blue Cake Toppings

1 pint strawberries
1/2 pint blueberries
1/2 pint raspberries
8 sprigs mint

Special Equipment

Bundt Cake Pan (10-15 cup capacity)
Cooking Thermometer

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
Grease Bundt pan with butter and flour, tapping out any excess.
Combine sugar, butter, and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth. Decrease speed to low and add milk and vanilla. Increase speed to medium and mix. The batter may look “curdled” at this point, but don’t worry! It will come together when you add the dry ingredients.
Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix on low speed until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Loosen cake from pan by shaking gently and turn out onto wire rack. Cool completely before frosting with the buttercream recipe of your choice. I suggest my Lemon Buttercream Recipe or Rose Buttercream Recipe.
Spread the buttercream in an even layer on top of the Bundt cake. Press the fresh berries onto the frosting along with the sprigs of mint. Slice and serve.

Equipment

Bundt Cake Pan

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Notes

Optional: If the cake domes up while baking, you can use a serrated knife to level it off.

An unfrosted cake will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for 2-3 days. The frosted cake will keep overnight in a sealed container in the fridge. Just remove from the fridge 10-20 minutes before you plan to eat it.

Keywords: 4th July Dessert, Red White Blue Cake, Easy Bundt Cake Recipe, Memorial Day Dessert, Labor Day Dessert

Planning a 4th of July Party? Pin this red, white, and blue cake recipe for later!