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This Fourth of July Cake in a Jar is a perfectly portioned, portable package of festive colors and cake crumbles, all layered with frosting and festive sprinkles.
This easy recipe is made using only a box of cake mix, red and blue gelatin, and a tub of white whipped topping and can double both as a delicious dessert and an adorable table decoration.
Cute Fourth of July Cake in a Jar
Our Fourth of July Cake in a Jar is my favorite way to serve delicious individual-sized Independence Day desserts. It’s as simple as using a single boxed cake mix to make 2 separate colors of batter that are baked, crumbled, and layered with frosting to create the cutest patriotic party treats.
The best part of the 4th of July is the food that accompanies the fireworks; that’s why I love making desserts in mason jars because they travel easily and are portable when you need to grab one and go to the festivities.
This colorful cake in a jar is a fun way to celebrate with friends and family and makes any patriotic party perfectly sweet! Perfect for Memorial Day and Labor Day too!
For more easy, make-ahead mason jar recipes, try my S’mores Trifle, Banana Chia Pudding, and Chocolate Chia Pudding.
Why We Love This Fourth of July Cake in a Jar Recipe
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses a few simple ingredients to create deliciously colorful desserts.
- Cute way to celebrate with a festive sweet treat.
- Individually portioned for grab-n-go gatherings.
- Decorated with ribbons or labels for edible gift-giving.
- Perfectly portable make-ahead desserts for birthday parties, baby and wedding showers, picnics in the park, or backyard barbecues.
Ingredients
- White cake mix: Prepare the cake mix according to the box directions.
- Strawberry gelatin
- Blue raspberry gelatin
- Whipped topping
- Patriotic sprinkles, optional garnish
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
Substitutions and Additions
- Swap The Strawberry Gelatin: You can use cherry or raspberry gelatin powder instead of the strawberry, as long as it is a red color. You can also use red food coloring if needed.
- Pick A Blue Powder: You can substitute another blue gelatin powder, like Berry Blue, if you prefer. You can also use blue food coloring if needed.
- Customize Your Cake: You can easily customize your cake in a jar for other holidays and celebrations. For Easter, use pastel gelatin colors for the cake and some Easter sprinkles, for Christmas, use red and green gelatin and sprinkles, for a birthday party, you can use Funfetti cake mix and colorful sprinkles, or adjust the colors and sprinkles to match your favorite team or party theme.
- Colorful Candy: Feel free to top your cake with your favorite red, white, and blue candy. Some ideas include patriotic M&Ms, jelly beans, skittles, and candy stars.
Recommended Tools
- Mixing bowls and tools
- Measuring tools
- 9-inch cake rounds (or Muffin or cupcake tins with cupcake liners)
- Cooking spray
- Piping bag
- Mason Jars (8 ounce)
How to Make Fourth of July Cake in a Jar
Our 4th of July Cake In a Jar is so quick and easy to make using a box of cake mix, colored gelatin, and whipped topping. No need to serve a slice because these festive treats are individually portioned and perfect for giving to guests!
- Bake The Cake: Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box. Divide the cake batter into two bowls. Add strawberry gelatin to one bowl, blue raspberry gelatin to the other bowl, and stir to completely incorporate each. Pour the red batter into one of the cake pans and blue batter into the other. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit according to the time on the box or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
Pro Tip: I mixed 1 cup of water, 3 egg whites, and ½ cup of vegetable oil with my cake mix. - Crumble The Cake: Cool the cakes and crumble into two separate bowls. Set aside.
Pro Tip: You should have two separate bowls, with large red and blue cake crumbs. - Prepare The Piping Bag: Add the whipped topping into a piping bag with a large tip (for example, a 1 M Wilton tip) or without a tip, leaving the bottom open.
- Assemble: Add a layer of blue cake crumbs into the bottom of a mason jar, pipe a layer of whipped topping over the blue cake, and then add a layer of red cake crumbs. Top with another layer of the whipped topping and repeat, alternating between colors and topping until you fill the jar.
Pro Tip: Make sure the last layer is a whipped topping layer. - Serve: Decorate with patriotic sprinkles, serve, and enjoy!
Tips
- If you want a deeper color red, you may add an additional 1 Tablespoon of gelatin powder to the cake batter.
- You can add additional blue raspberry gelatin to your cake batter to reach your desired color but do not add more than ½ of the package or your cake may be very dense.
- You can make this recipe really simple by buying premade cake and frosting and using those instead of a box mix and whipped topping.
- If you have a homemade white cake recipe or frosting recipe that you love, feel free to use that instead.
Storage Tips
- To Store: To store your cake in a jar, cover with a lid, place it in the refrigerator, and eat within 3 days.
- To Freeze: Each jar can be frozen for up to 6 months. Allow them to thaw before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since these are already in mason jars, they are easy to store. All you need to do is to place a lid on them, put them in the refrigerator, and eat them within 3 days.
Be mindful that the whipped topping may lose some of its structure when it is stored. These desserts are best served fresh. They can also be frozen, well covered, but again, the whipped topping may change consistency when thawed.
Yes, you can use a yellow cake mix but the colors won’t come out as vibrant or exact. Prepare the cake mix according to the box directions or using your favorite method.
Yes, you can make your own whipped topping or use a can of whipped cream if you prefer but be mindful that it doesn’t hold its form as well and may dissolve when stored, leaving you with soggy cake.
If you don’t have cake pans, you can use muffin tins instead. Bake as directed on the box. Once the cupcakes have cooled you can crumble them, separately, into mixing bowls.
Other Easy 4th of July Recipes
- Red White and Blue Poke Cake
- 4th of July Red, White and Blue Jello Shots
- Patriotic Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- 4th of July Desserts
- 4th of July Cake Mix Cookies
- Red, White and Blue Fudge
- 4th of July Fruit and Snack Tray
- 4th of July Trifle
Fourth of July Cake in a Jar
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box white cake mix prepared according to box instructions
- 1½ ounce (3 ounce box) strawberry gelatin ~ 3 Tablespoons
- 1½ ounce (3 ounce box) blue raspberry gelatin ~ 3 Tablespoons
- 16 ounce tub whipped topping
- Patriotic sprinkles optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray two 9-inch cake rounds with cooking spray.
- Prepare a white cake mix according to the directions on the box. I used 1 cup of water, 3 egg whites, and ½ cup of vegetable oil for mine.
- Divide the cake batter into two large bowls.
- Add 3 Tablespoons of the strawberry gelatin to one bowl and stir the batter well to completely incorporate the powder. If you want a deeper color red you may add an additional 1 Tablespoon of gelatin powder.
- Add 3 Tablespoons of the blue raspberry gelatin to the other bowl of batter and mix to incorporate. Add additional gelatin until you reach your desired color but do not add more than ½ of the package or your cake may be very dense.
- Pour the red batter into one of the cake pans.
- Fill the second cake pan with the blue batter.
- Bake in the oven for the instructed time on the box or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Once the cakes are fully cooked and cooled, crumble the cake into two medium sized bowls, keeping the colors in separate bowls. You should now have two separate bowls with large cake crumbs in either red and blue. Set these aside for now.
- Prepare your whipped topping by placing it into a piping bag with a large tip (for example, a 1 M Wilton tip) or without a tip, leaving the bottom open.
- To assemble the jars, take a mason jar and pour some of the blue cake crumbs into the bottom of the jar. Pipe a layer of whipped topping on top of the layer of blue cake mix and then add a layer of red cake crumbs. Top with another layer of the whipped topping and repeat, alternating between colors and topping until you fill the jar.
- Make sure the last layer is a whipped topping layer and then top it with patriotic sprinkles.
- Serve and enjoy!
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: To store your cake in a jar, cover with a lid, place it in the refrigerator, and eat within 3 days.
- To Freeze: Each jar can be frozen for up to 6 months. Allow them to thaw before serving.
- If you want a deeper color red, you may add an additional 1 Tablespoon of gelatin powder to the cake batter.
- You can add additional blue raspberry gelatin to your cake batter to reach your desired color but do not add more than ½ of the package or your cake may be very dense.
- You can make this recipe really simple by buying premade cake and frosting and using those instead of a box mix and whipped topping.
- If you have a homemade white cake recipe or frosting recipe that you love, feel free to use that instead.
