4th of July Cake

This Confetti 4th of July Cake is a festive dessert for any Independence Day celebration. Red, white, and blue sprinkles give every slice a fun, colorful surprise. The vanilla buttercream topped with an M&M American flag makes it stand out on any holiday table.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Flag Cake Recipe
• Key Ingredients
• How To Make A 4th of July Cake
• How To Create The M&M Flag Pattern
• BruCrew Tips
• Storing and Freezing
• More Patriotic Desserts
• Recipe

Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays to bake for. There are so many fun ways to add stars and stripes to a dessert. A few of my favorites are firecracker cupcakes and red, white, and blue cheesecake bars.

As a bicentennial baby, I wanted to make a patriotic flag cake to celebrate America's 250th birthday. As soon as I saw the red, white, and blue M&M's in the store, I knew they were perfect for an American flag pattern.

I used my chocolate chip cake for the base, but replaced the chocolate chips with holiday sprinkles, turning it into a funfetti cake. My favorite part, though, was the M&M flag on top! It added such a fun touch.

Key Ingredients

This patriotic confetti cake comes together with simple ingredients, holiday sprinkles, and festive M&M's.

• Unsalted Butter: Set the butter out at least 30 minutes before you start so it has time to soften properly. Butter gives this cake a rich, tender crumb.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the batter and creates that golden color and slightly crispy edges.
• Large Eggs: Help bind everything together and add richness to the cake batter.
• Buttermilk: Adds a subtle tang and keeps the crumb soft for days.
• Vanilla Extract: Gives this cake a warm, sweet flavor.
• All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cake its structure. Make sure to measure it correctly by spooning and leveling, or use a scale.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Together, they help this cake rise while giving it a light, fluffy texture.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness.
• Red, White, and Blue Sprinkles: Use jimmies rather than nonpareils for the best results, as nonpareils will bleed their colors into the batter.
• Vanilla Frosting: This vanilla buttercream recipe is my favorite base for any cake. While homemade is best, you can use canned frosting if you are short on time.
• Red, White, and Blue M&M's: Look for the patriotic bag of candies. I recommend buying 2 bags, so you have enough. Usually, Target and Walmart carry these bags around the 4th of July. I also found a big container at Sam's Club.
• Silver Glitter Stars: Totally optional, but I love the extra touch it added to the cake. You can find them in the cake-decorating aisle at Michaels or Hobby Lobby.

How To Make A 4th of July Cake

Here is a quick look at how I made this patriotic American flag cake. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for more detailed instructions in the recipe card.

1. Make the confetti cake batter. Beat the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla, then beat again until smooth and combined.
2. Add the dry ingredients. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
3. Fold in the sprinkles. Gently fold the holiday jimmies into the batter by hand using a spatula until evenly distributed.
4. Bake and cool. Pour the batter into a greased pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. Cool to room temperature.
5. Decorate with frosting. Spread most of the fluffy frosting evenly over the cooled cake using an offset spatula. Spoon the remaining frosting into a bag fitted with a #22 star tip, then pipe a border around the outside edge of the cake.
6. Make an M&M flag. Add the candies on the day of your party or event to keep them fresh. Sprinkle tiny silver glitter stars along the border and the blue M&M section.

How To Create The M&M Flag Pattern

This is the most fun part of the whole recipe, and honestly, so much easier than it looks.

• Make out the sections first. Use a toothpick to lightly mark out the flag sections in the frosting before placing the M&Ms. Mark off the upper left corner for the blue star section, then draw horizontal lines across the rest of the cake for the stripes.
• Create the blue section. Start by filling the upper-left corner with blue candies, pressing them gently into the frosting to keep them in place. I did a grid of 8 across and 6 down.
• Add the red and white stripes. Start at the top left of the cake, next to the blue section, and alternate rows of red and white M&Ms. Use two rows of each color, continuing the stripes down the sides and ending with red at the bottom.

Storing and Freezing

Store the frosted but undecorated cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Add the M&Ms on the day you serve the cake.

Once the candies have been on the cake for more than a day, the coating will start to soften slightly. The cake will still taste great, but the candies will not be quite as crunchy as they were when you first decorated it.

More Patriotic Desserts

• Berry Pizza
• Red White and Blue Parfaits
• 4th of July Cookie Cake
• Firecracker Marshmallow Pops
• Mini Cheesecakes

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