45 Next-Level 4th of July Cakes To Bring To This Year's Party

Angel food cake is basically just whipped egg whites and sugar, but it tastes like heaven in every bite (pun intended). It's perfection, whether you top it with strawberries for a strawberry shortcake variation or enjoy it all on its own. Ready to hear the angels sing?

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Food that looks like other food is one of our favorite things. For this one, mixing vodka and food coloring is how to get that authentic watermelon sheen.

Get the Watermelon Cake recipe.

Hot dogs, fireworks, and flag cake—if your 4th of July party doesn’t end with a red, white, and blue dessert, then you’re doing it wrong! This cake is about as patriotic as it gets, but is easy enough to allow you maximum time outside the kitchen soaking up the best bits of summer.

Get the Flag Cake recipe.

Bigger is better, especially when we're talking cookies. The key to baking a cookie cake is pressing the dough into a round cake pan rather than freehand it on a baking sheet, which ensures that it'll bake evenly.

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This festive ice cream cake is more impressive than any fireworks display you’ll see this year! Vanilla ice cream dotted with red, white, & blue sprinkles is sandwiched between two layers of vanilla cake, and the whole thing is topped with whipped cream frosting (think the patriotic ice cream sundae of your dreams).

Get the July 4th Ice Cream Cake recipe.

One bite of this Cracker Barrel Coca-Cola cake, and you'll be instantly transported to a rocking chair on a covered front porch playing with that triangle peg board game (IYKYK). Even if you're not familiar with the Southern comfort food stylings of Cracker Barrel, you can trust us that this chocolate cake is real good.

Get the Cracker Barrel Coca-Cola Cake recipe.

When it’s hot outside, a no-bake dessert like this blueberry cheesecake icebox cake is an ace up your sleeve. Layers of blueberry jam, whipped cream cheese, and graham crackers are stacked together for a no-fuss cool and creamy masterpiece that looks like you spent hours crafting it (but all you did was chill it!).

Get the Blueberry Cheesecake Icebox Cake recipe.

It may be retro, but this classic cake is a staple easy dessert for a reason. Sweet pineapple gets an irresistible rich boost from melted butter, brown sugar, and eye-catching maraschino cherries—one slice, and you'll feel transported to the tropical vacay of your dreams.

Get the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe.

Nothing says Fourth of July quite like a patriotic red, white, & blue dessert, especially this eye-popping lemon-berry firecracker cake. For a blast of flavor, our spin on the classic firecracker cake upgrades itself from white cake to a tangy lemon batter with blueberry- and strawberry-flavored swirls.

Get the Lemon-Berry Firecracker Cake recipe.

Looking for a red, white & blue dessert this 4th of July? This red velvet cake is the perfect place to start. With a rich chocolate flavor, a fluffy texture, and a tangy cream cheese frosting, this dessert was made to impress.

Get the Classic Red Velvet Cake recipe.

There are cakes, and then there’s Chantilly cake, an impressive dessert that marries the delicious simplicity of a classic yellow cake with the berries and cream combo that makes shortcakes shine. What’s even sweeter? The all-American dessert has a charming origin story that started in a grocery store bakery.

Get the Chantilly Cake recipe.

Is there any better combo than milk and chocolate chip cookies? We think not. For this particular recipe, you don't even have to bake the cookies yourself! All you need to make this show-stopper no-bake dessert are 4 ingredients—cookies, heavy cream, cream cheese and powdered sugar—and a couple hours.

Get the Milk 'N' Cookies Icebox Cake recipe.

Here we start with a boxed cake mix, infuse it with strawberry flavor, top it with fluffy cream cheese frosting, then finish it off with a strawberry-and-cookie topping. It’s the perfect summer dessert.

Get the Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake recipe.

Elegant in its simplicity, this creamy cool dessert is summer at its best. It's got layers and layers of flaky puff pastry and homemade vanilla pastry cream, covered with more pastry cream and puff pastry crumbs and decorated with fresh fruit. It might take a little more time than your average dessert, but it's SO worth it.

Get the Napoleon Cake recipe.

This creamy, decadent cheesecake is swirled with a raspberry sauce to create a show-stopping dessert that's sure to impress. Our favorite part? Rather than a standard graham cracker crust, this cheesecake base is made from super-buttery shortbread.

Get the Raspberry Cheesecake recipe.

When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade—make this fruity, white chocolate mousse cake instead. It's rich and SO creamy, but thanks to tart lemon and blueberries, it won't weigh your palate down.

Get the Blueberry Mousse Cake recipe.

When it comes to summer celebrations, ice cream cake just might be the ultimate treat. This no-bake dessert is filled with everything: layers of cake, ice cream, homemade whipped cream, and all the toppings you crave.

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Why choose just one dessert for your 4th of July celebration when you can have two classics in one? With the creaminess of cheesecake and the fluffiness of Funfetti birthday cake, this two-in-one treat has it all.

Get the Funfetti Cheesecake recipe.

Our favorite thing about upside-down cakes? They're impossible to mess up because you can place your fruits just so before pouring the batter on. It's always a joy to see how they turn out once you flip them—they always impress. Just look at those raspberries and peaches!!

Get the Raspberry Peach Upside-Down Cake recipe.

Classic yellow cake brings us right back to childhood celebrations. It's basically a vanilla cake made with extra egg yolks, which make the cake perfectly dense with a super-rich flavor that pairs well with a thick, fudgy chocolate frosting.

Get the Yellow Cake recipe.