Lemon-Berry Firecracker Cake

Nothing says Fourth of July quite like a patriotic red, white, and blue dessert, especially this eye-popping lemon-berry firecracker cake. It’s decorated with an explosion of color to match the festivities in the sky

Yields:8 – 12 serving(s)
Prep Time:15 mins

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 (15.25-oz.) box white cake mix
• 1 (3.4-oz.) package instant lemon pudding mix
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup plus 1 tbsp. (or more) lukewarm water
• 1/4 cup raspberry jam
• 7 (or more) drops red gel food coloring, divided
• 1/4 cup blueberry jam
• 7 (or more) drops blue gel food coloring, divided
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup red, white, and blue sprinkles

Directions

• Step 1
  Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly coat a Bundt pan with cooking spray.
• Step 2
  In a large bowl, whisk cake mix and lemon pudding mix to combine. Add eggs, oil, and 1 cup lukewarm water. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Step 3
• Scrape 1 cup lemon batter into a medium bowl. Stir raspberry jam and 5 drops red food coloring into batter until combined. Add more food coloring, a drop at a time, if a deeper red color is desired.
• Step 4
  Scrape another 1 cup lemon batter into another medium bowl. Stir blueberry jam and 5 drops blue food coloring into batter until combined. Add more food coloring, a drop at a time, if a deeper blue color is desired.
• Step 5
• Pour red batter into bottom of prepared pan. Pour remaining lemon batter over red batter. Pour blue batter over lemon batter.
• Step 6
  Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Step 7
  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, adding more water drop by drop if necessary, until thick and smooth and mixture is a lava-like consistency.
• Step 8
  Scoop a heaping 1/4 cup white glaze into a small bowl and stir in 2 drops red food coloring. Scoop another heaping 1/4 cup white glaze into another small bowl and stir in 2 drops blue food coloring.
• Step 9
  Drizzle white, then blue, then red glaze over cake. Scatter sprinkles over top. Let glaze set about 30 minutes before slicing.