4th of July Dessert: Checkerboard Cake
There’s no better way to celebrate the 4th of July than with a dessert that’s as bold and colorful as the fireworks overhead—and this red, white, and blue checkerboard cake absolutely delivers. It’s the kind of showstopper that makes guests do a double take and ask, “How did you make that?” The best part? With the right tools and a little planning, it’s easier than it looks. Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, a pool party, or just looking for a fun family baking project, this cake is the perfect centerpiece for your celebration.
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Ingredients:
- Red cake mix (We used Pillsbury Funfetti Radiant Red)
- Blue cake mix (We used Pillsbury Funfetti Aqua Blue)
- White cake mix
- White frosting
- Red frosting – you can add red coloring to white frosting.
- Blue frosting
What makes this recipe easy is the use of a Wilton Checkerboard pan set. It is pretty cheap. Once you buy one of these, you’ll be making checkerboard cakes for every holiday!
Steps to Prepare:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour the pans and sides of three 9-inch round pans of a checkerboard cake set.
- Prepare the three cake mixes according to package directions.
- Use a checkerboard cake pan set to prepare the cakes for baking, following guidelines in next three bullets. You can use a spoon to get the right color of cake batter into the right sections. Some people prefer to use cake decorating bags to avoid spilling the wrong color into a section.
- Prepare bottom cake – Place the checkerboard ring insert into the pan. Blue batter around the outside, red cake batter in the center of the cake, and white cake batter in between them. Once all sections are full of the batter, carefully pull out the checkerboard ring insert. Pull it straight up so that the colors don’t get mixed up.
- Prepare middle cake – Clean off the checkerboard ring insert with hot water and dry it. Place red cake batter around the outside, white cake batter in the center of the cake, and blue cake batter in between them. Once all sections are full, carefully pull out the checkboard insert ring. Pull it straight up so that colors don’t get mixed up.
- Prepare top cake – Clean off the checkerboard ring insert with hot water and dry it. Place white cake batter around the outside, blue cake batter in the center of the cake, and red cake batter in between them. REMOVE the checkerboard ring insert.
- Bake the cakes 18 to 26 minutes. Use a toothpick to check on it (if it comes out clean, it is done).
- Run a knife around all of the edges before turning it upside down on a cooling rack. Let cool for 45 minutes to an hour.
- After cooling, flip the cakes right-side up and level the tops using a knife or a Wilton cake leveler.
- Place the cake with the blue outer rim (top side down) on the plate. Place a thin layer of blue frosting on top and a more generous amount of blue frosting on the sides of the bottom cake.
- Place the cake with the red outer rim (top side down) on top of the first cake and place a thin layer of red frosting on top and a more generous amount of red frosting on the sides of the middle cake.
- Place the third cake on top of the 2nd cake (top side down). Generously frost the top and sides of the top cake with white frosting.
- Use a star cookie cutter to press star shapes from the red sugar sheet. Place the stars on the cake.
That’s an impressive 4th of July dessert!
See links below for items we used to make this 4th of July dessert. The red and blue cakes and frosting sell out every year, so shop early.
- Wilton checkerboard pan set
- Red Wilton sugar sheet
- Pillsbury Funfetti Radiant Red Vanilla frosting
- Pillsbury Funfetti Aqua Blue Vanilla frosting
- Pillsbury Funfetti Radiant Red cake mix
- Pillsbury blue cake mix
Planning a gathering for Fourth of July (or other patriotic event)? See links to my other patriotic posts below:
