Name: Firecracker Cake Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 4 large egg whites; 0.5 cup light oil (I used olive oil); 1.25 cups super fine sugar (granulated will work too); 2 teaspoons lemon extract; 0.5 cup peach schnapps; 0.5 cup raspberry vodka; 2 tablespoons lime juice; 2.5 cups all-purpose flour; 3.5 ounce package instant white chocolate pudding mix; 0.25 cup non-fat dry milk powder; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup powdered sugar; 1 tablespoon peach schnapps; 1 tablespoon raspberry vodka; 0.5 tablespoon lime juice (use more as needed to reach desired consistency)

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Nothing kicks off a party quite like a firecracker cake. This bold bundt cake has become a favorite at 4th of July celebrations for its red, white, and blue layers that pop with every slice.

The colorful swirls and glossy glaze make it perfect for anyone wanting a dessert that helps draw a crowd whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue or heading to a potluck.

Red, white and blue bundt cake with star sprinkles cut into slices on a cake plate.

But there’s more to firecracker cake than just looks. Peach schnapps and raspberry vodka add a boozy twist, giving it the flavor of gummy bears without overpowering the overall taste.

This vibrant bundt cake stands out at 4th of July, Memorial Day, or even Veterans Day gatherings, earning its spot as a crowd-pleasing, patriotic dessert.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Features spiraled or layered batters colored with red and blue gel food coloring alongside a bright white base
Is baked in a bundt pan, which helps create dramatic, festive swirls as you slice
Split and tint the batter before swirling it in the pan, creating random, flame-like patterns that make each cake unique

You’ll Also Love: Limoncello Bundt Cake

White glazed bundt cake topped with red stars and blue sprinkles on a cake plate.

Ingredients

These showstopper cakes lean on both classic and playful ingredients to deliver that perfect mix of soft crumb, eye-catching swirls, and a citrusy-tropical zing.

Use all-purpose flour or cake flour for a light, fluffy crumb.
Mix in white chocolate instant pudding for extra moisture and stability – similar to a pound cake.
Egg whites instead of whole eggs will keep the cake white and allow the food coloring to pop. Using them at room temperature means they blend more smoothly with the batter, boosting rise and texture – unless your oven stops working correctly and your cake does not rise as it should.
Light olive oil delivers a super-moist, tender cake and weaves in a hint of richness.
The combination of lemon extract and lime juice gives it the flavors of lemon-lime soda, without adding additional sugar.
Raspberry vodka and peach schnapps combine to give it a light, fruity flavor that is subtle and keeps your guests guessing.
Super-fine sugar dissolves quickly while mixing, but granulated sugar will work if needed.
Powdered sugar mixed with additional schnapps, vodka, and touch of lime juice adds additional flavor and creates a light glaze that finishes off this cake perfectly.
Patriotic sprinkles of your choice are the final touch to this fun dessert.

Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.

Room-temperature ingredients matter: Using eggs at room temperature makes a huge difference in cake texture. The ingredients mix together better, trap more air, and help your cake rise for that signature tender crumb. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to split or look curdled; warm ingredients blend into a smooth, even mixture for consistent results every time.

How to Make 4th of July Bundt Cake

Cake:

Preheat oven 350°F (180°C). Use a good non-stick spray or brush melted shortening into every crevice of a bundt pan, then dust with a bit of flour. This is the best insurance for a clean release. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites, oil, and super fine sugar together in a large bowl. Add the schnapps, vodka, lime juice, and lemon extract and mix to combine.

Egg whites, oil, and alcohol beaten in mixing bowl.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, non-fat dry milk, and pudding mix in a separate bowl.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the liquid mixture and mix together.

Flour, pudding mix, and egg white mixture in a mixing bowl.

Continue mixing on medium speed until smooth and all ingredients are well incorporated.

Divide the batter into three bowls. Use high-quality gel food coloring in red and blue, leaving the third bowl plain for the white. Gel color is a must because it won’t thin out the batter like liquid coloring does.

Red batter in one bowl and blue coloring in white batter in second bowl.

Fold in colors with a rubber spatula until just combined. Over-mixing after adding color can dull the hue and make the cake tough.

Once colored, gently tap each bowl on the counter. This helps burst big air bubbles that can throw off the swirl pattern.

Pour red batter into bottom of prepared bundt pan. Carefully pour the white batter over the red batter, then carefully pour the blue batter over the white layer.

Blue batter layered on top of white layer, that is layered on top of the red batter in bundt pan.

Do not mix the layers together, they will move and swirl as the cake bakes.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Glaze:

Whisk together glaze ingredients in a small bowl.

Flip cake out onto a round cooling rack and place on top of a large plate.

Using a large spoon, drizzle glaze over the cake.

Glaze poured over bundt cake on wire cooling rack.

Move cake and rack to a second plate and continue pouring glaze over the top until all of the glaze has been used – 5 to 7 times depending on how thick your make your glaze.

White glaze poured over bundt cake on a round cooling rack.

Top with sprinkles and set aside to cool completely – like 12 hours minimum.

Slice and serve.

Firecracker cake with red, white, and blue layers topped with white glaze and sprinkles on a small plate.

You’ll Also Love: Chocolate Huckleberry Rum Cake – you can substitute raspberry or blueberry.

Tips

Gel food coloring keeps colors sharp instead of turning the batter pastel or thinning it out.
Add glaze while the cake is just barely warm for the smoothest dripping effect and best shine.
Start with all your ingredients at room temperature for a smoother batter and more even bake.
Too much mixing after adding color dulls both the crumb and the vibrancy.
For a more dramatic color pattern, use a small or medium cookie scoop to create an alternating colored pattern with the batter in the bundt pan.
To make without alcohol: Substitute water or lemon-lime soda for the peach schnapps and raspberry vodka.

More Delicious Bundt Cake Recipes

More Red, White and Blue Recipes

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Enjoy!!