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Patriotic Bundt Cake

Patriotic bundt cake with a vanilla cake mix batter swirled in red, white, and blue, then finished with a smooth powdered sugar glaze. Color-tinted layers bake up with a marbled look that’s easy to slice for summer gatherings.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cake
  • 1 box white cake mix (15.25 ounces)
  • 1 cup water
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 0.5 Red gel food coloring Use enough to reach a vibrant red.
  • 0.5 Blue gel food coloring Use enough to reach a vibrant blue.
For the Glaze
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish
  • 1 Fresh strawberries Rinse and pat dry before topping.
  • 1 Fresh blueberries Use for contrast and color.
  • 0.5 cup Red, white, and blue sprinkles Sprinkle over glaze while it’s still set enough to hold.

Equipment

  • 1 bundt pan

Method
 

Bake the red, white, and blue bundt cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Keep the oven fully heated before baking for even color and rise.
  2. Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan thoroughly. Make sure every crevice is coated so the cake releases cleanly.
  3. Prepare the cake batter according to package directions. Mix until smooth and combined.
  4. Divide the batter into three bowls. Aim for evenly portioned batter so the color swirls look balanced.
  5. Leave one bowl white. Keep this portion uncolored for the clean red-white-blue pattern.
  6. Tint one bowl red with red gel food coloring. Stir until the batter is uniformly red.
  7. Tint the remaining bowl blue with blue gel food coloring. Stir until the batter is uniformly blue.
  8. Alternate spoonfuls of each color into the Bundt pan. Distribute them around the pan so swirls spread through the whole cake.
  9. Gently swirl with a knife. Use light, shallow passes to create marbling without fully mixing the colors.
  10. Bake for 40–45 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool and glaze
  1. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Letting it rest first helps prevent sticking when unmolding.
  2. Transfer the cake to a wire rack. Cool until no longer hot before glazing.
  3. Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Mix to a pourable consistency with no visible lumps.
  4. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Add in an even ribbon so it sets with a glossy finish.
  5. Decorate with fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, and red, white, and blue sprinkles. Place the berries and sprinkles after glazing for the best visual contrast.
  6. Slice and serve. Serve at room temperature so the glaze firms up nicely.

Notes

For the cleanest release, cool the cake for the full 15 minutes before unmolding, then let it cool on the rack until the glaze won’t melt. Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezing: yes—freeze slices wrapped well for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight. For a lighter option, use a no-sugar-added powdered sugar substitute in the glaze (follow package instructions for sweetness adjustments).