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This Patriotic Tunnel Cake is a quick and easy dessert for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, or anytime! It’s filled with fresh whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries!
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays; parades, family, friends, fireworks, and food…you can’t forget the food! With the 4th of July a little over 3 weeks away I’ve teamed up with the top food, DIY, and craft bloggers to bring you the #ultimateredwhiteandblue roundup. For the roundup, I’m sharing my easy Patriotic Tunnel Cake that will help make party prep a snap.
My parents know how to throw a mean 4th of July party. Growing up their parties were filled with family, friends, volleyball, croquet, water balloon tosses, watermelon seed spitting contests, and awesome food. I remember my mom always had a game plan where most of her prep work was done the night before so she could enjoy the party. This is a cake I could see her making, it’s semi-homemade, quick & easy, and super delicious.
Cook’s Note – Patriotic Cake:
- The frosting on the cake will start to melt if left out for more than 2 hours, less if in the heat. So keep it in the fridge until just before serving.
- This cake comes together in a snap, see the how-to picture below.
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links.
Cook’s Tools – Patriotic Tunnel Cake:
- serrated knife
- stand mixer
- cake stand
More Patriotic Recipes:
Make your Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day barbecues more patriotic with easy recipes like this Patriotic Tunnel Cake. I also like to whip up this super easy Fruit “Spangled” Cheesecake Dip for the dessert table. It’s always a hit, and folks will be following you around the party asking for the recipe! Grab the kids, because they will LOVE making this Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake with you! Put fresh, in-season berries to use with these Patriotic Chocolate Covered Strawberries.
Patriotic Tunnel Cake
Ingredients
- 1 store-bought or prepared angel food cake about 10-inches
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting
- 2 cups whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Filling & Garnish
- ½ cup chopped strawberries plus more for garnish
- ½ cup blueberries plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Using a serrated knife cut off the top 1 inch of cake crosswise; set aside (see picture above).
- Using a paring knife, cut all around the cake 1 inch from the inner edge. DO NOT cut all the way through the bottom, leaving a 1-inch-thick cake base on the bottom. Repeat and cut 1 inch from the outer edge.
- Remove the cake from the cut cake ring, leaving about a 1-inch base at the bottom.
For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add the whipping cream and vanilla, whip on medium-high until stiff peaks form, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Using the same stand mixer bowl, add the cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix on medium speed until smooth and cream, about 2 minutes. Fold in the whipped cream until combined.
To Fill:
- In a small bowl add 1 cup of the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting. Fold in the berries and fill the cake cavity.
To Finish:
- Add the cake top back on and frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting and garnish with reserved berries.
- Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition
Now that you’ve checked out my wicked easy Patriotic Cake, go check out what other awesome food bloggers, DIY bloggers, and craft bloggers have created for the Red, White, and Blue Roundup.
Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue Roundup
Red, White, and Blue Pinterest Board
Katie says
This looks so good! Does the cake get crumbly when you cut the middle out for the fruit to go inside? I can’t wait to make this tasty cake for my husband. I would love it if you linked this up to my Motivate Me Monday linky party!
Jillian says
Hi Katie,
I’ve made this cake with 2 different store-bought angel food cakes; one got a little crumbly and the other didn’t. If this is something you’re worries about, pop the angel food cake in the freezer for an hour before cutting it. I hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by and I’m headed over to link up now! 🙂
Wendy Hampton says
This worked very well in a purchased loaf size for a group of four. The second time I made it I brushed the inside with melted raspberry jelly just for fun. I liked that also. I will be taking this on my camping trip as an easy dessert to fix in my tiny trailer kitchen. I wonder…maybe it could be made ahead and frozen. Hmmm I might give that a try. Thanks for the recipe. It is really pretty and very tasty!
Jillian says
I am SO glad you liked the cake. I am not sure if you make the entire thing that it will keep when frozen. Maybe if you use cool whip instead of fresh whipped cream it’ll work better. I’d be interested to hear how it turned out if you do freeze the whole cake. Best of luck and enjoy your camping trip! 🙂
divya sharma says
This looks amazing and is right up my alley when it comes to healthy dips, I’m going to make it for a pool party I’m going to next weekend!
Jillian says
I hope you like it!
Marie says
What delicious quick and easy dessert! The cream cheese whipped cream frosting sounds like the perfect topping to add to the cake. Love the fresh berries too.
Milica Vladova says
This recipe deserves to be appreciated regardless of the country you live in! Looks absolutely delicious and decadent!
Annissa says
What a gorgeous looking cake! So fun and festive!
Jen says
I love how easy this is to put together. Such a showstopper for any summer party or get together especially the 4th!
Jacqueline Debono says
I love the idea of this tunnel cake! We don’t celebrate 4th July here in Italy and don’t really have a similar holiday. But this would be great for any occasion!
Taylor says
So simple and fun for 4th of July! Delicious!
Suzy says
Such a delicious recipe! The filling and frosting really round this cake out to be a delicious dessert!
Dayna says
This Patriotic cake is the BEST! My favorite for 4th of July! Everyone loves it!