Firecracker Cake

Summer will be here before we know it! With that comes Memorial Day, graduation parties, my birthday, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, family trips to the beach, picnics in the park, barbecues in the backyard ... you notice how many activities revolve around family, friends and food?!? 

This Firecracker Cake is the perfect summer dessert. It looks fancy (like it took a lot of work), but it really couldn't be easier! People will "ooh and aah" and ask who brought/made this cake ... then want a copy of the recipe! 

Firecracker Cake

Slightly adapted from Betty Crocker

Printable recipe

Yields 12 servings

1 box white cake mix 

Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix

Red food coloring ***(see note)

Blue food coloring ***(see note)

1 container (12 oz.) white frosting

Red, white and blue sprinkles, optional

*** I personally prefer to use 1 oz. Wilton Icing Colors which may be picked up at your local big box craft store. I think the colors are more vibrant, however, you may use the regular ol' food coloring if you have it on hand. I get the "Red - No Taste". Add just enough coloring to get desired shade of red and blue.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter as directed on box, using water, oil and egg whites. Pour 1 cup of the batter into a small bowl; stir in red food coloring until well mixed. Pour another cup of the batter into a separate bowl; stir in blue food color until well mixed.

Pour red cake batter into bottom of pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over red batter in pan. Carefully pour blue batter over white batter. (The blue batter does not need to cover the white batter completely, it looks better if it just forms a ring in the center of the white batter.) When you add the batter to the pan, do not mix with a spoon. Just pour it in so the colors don't mix but rather, just rest on top of each other in the pan. 

Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place cooling rack over cookie sheet. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack. Cool cake completely, about 30  minutes.

When cake is cool, divide the frosting evenly into 3 microwavable bowls. Microwave 1 bowl of frosting uncovered on HIGH a few seconds until smooth enough to drizzle over cake. With spoon, drizzle all of the 1st bowl of microwaved frosting all over the cake, back and forth around the cake in a striping pattern. Repeat microwaving second bowl of frosting until smooth. Stir in a few drops of the blue food coloring until well blended. Drizzle over cake, scattering back and forth. Repeat with remaining frosting and red food coloring, making sure red, white and blue can be seen on the cake. Sprinkle with red, white and blue sprinkles, if desired. Let cake stand at room temperature until frosting is set before serving.

Store loosely covered at room temperature.

The great thing about this cake, you can adjust the colors to fit whatever holiday or occasion - for Easter, use 3 pastel colors ... For Christmas, use white, green and red ... Halloween, white, orange and black or candy corn colors - orange, yellow and white! You could use varying shade of blue or pink for an ombre effect for a baby shower or birthday ... the possibilities are endless!

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Hope you have a great day! Come back tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday!

This recipe is featured at Nap-Time Creations, The Frugal Foodie Mama 

and My Crowded Kitchen

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

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