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Lemon-Berry Firecracker Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 129 reviews

Celebrate patriotic flavors with this vibrant Lemon-Berry Firecracker Cake. Combining zesty lemon pudding with sweet raspberry and blueberry jams, this visually stunning bundt cake features colorful swirls of red and blue batter. Finished with a tangy lemon glaze and festive red, white, and blue sprinkles, this cake is perfect for the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or any celebration that calls for a burst of flavor and color.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Batter

  • Cooking spray, for greasing pan
  • 1 box white cake mix (15.25 oz)
  • 1 package instant lemon pudding mix (3.4 oz)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup lukewarm water plus 1 tbsp lukewarm water, divided
  • 1/4 cup raspberry jam
  • 7 drops red gel food coloring
  • 1/4 cup blueberry jam
  • 7 drops blue gel food coloring

Glaze and Garnish

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lukewarm water (remaining)
  • 1/4 cup red, white, and blue sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prep Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease a bundt pan with cooking spray to ensure the cake releases easily after baking, then set it aside.
  2. Mix Cake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the white cake mix, instant lemon pudding mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and 1 cup lukewarm water. Beat on medium speed until the batter is smooth and well blended, forming the base for your tri-color cake layers.
  3. Divide Batter: Evenly divide the smooth batter into three separate bowls to prepare for coloring and flavoring each portion differently.
  4. Add Red Layer Ingredients: To the first bowl, stir in raspberry jam and 7 drops of red gel food coloring. Mix thoroughly until the color and jam are fully incorporated, creating the vibrant red batter.
  5. Add Blue Layer Ingredients: To the second bowl, mix in blueberry jam along with 7 drops of blue gel food coloring. Stir until evenly combined for the striking blue batter.
  6. Keep Third Batter Plain: Leave the third bowl of batter as is, which will serve as the plain, uncolored lemon-flavored layer.
  7. Layer and Swirl Batter: Carefully pour the plain batter into the prepared bundt pan, followed by the red batter, then the blue batter on top. Using a knife, gently swirl the batters together to create a marbled, firecracker effect without fully blending the colors.
  8. Bake the Cake: Place the bundt pan in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Prepare Lemon Glaze: While the cake cools, whisk together powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water in a bowl until smooth and pourable.
  10. Glaze and Decorate: Drizzle the lemon glaze evenly over the cooled cake. Before the glaze sets, sprinkle red, white, and blue sprinkles generously over the top for a festive finishing touch.

Notes

  • Make sure the water used in the batter and glaze is lukewarm to help ingredients combine smoothly.
  • Use a light hand when swirling batters to maintain distinct color patterns without overmixing.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting off.
  • For extra flavor, you can fold fresh or frozen berries into the plain batter before layering.
  • This cake pairs wonderfully with fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for serving.

Keywords: Lemon Berry Cake, Patriotic Cake, Firecracker Cake, Fourth of July Dessert, Bundt Cake, Lemon Glaze Cake

Find it online: https://flavorsbymaya.com/lemon-berry-firecracker-cake-recipe/