40 Fourth of July cakes that'll steal the show

There are so many reasons to celebrate the Fourth of July. Most obviously, it’s the day when we gained independence as a country, but history aside, it’s also the perfect opportunity to gather our nearest and dearest for a summer celebration. This long weekend ushers in the feeling of a never-ending summer, when days are long, barbecues are plentiful and bellies are full. Of course, no celebration is complete without dessert. While we welcome any sweet treats, cake feels particularly celebratory for such a momentous occasion.

Here, we’ve rounded up 40 of our favorite Fourth of July cakes just in time for the weekend. If you’re looking to pull out all the stops, we’ve got plenty of showstoppers from two-tiered cakes, towering cakes with red velvet and buttercream and patriotic players. When it’s too hot to turn on the oven, turn to some of our favorite no-bake recipes for cheesecake and icebox cakes covering every flavor preference from fruity and fresh to rich and chocolatey.

There’s plenty of kid-friendly sweet treats too, like simple berries and cream desserts to easy cakes made with ice cream sandwiches. If you’re having an adults-only gathering, consider booze-infused cakes like bourbon pound cake or a light limoncello cake. And of course, if you’re looking for some patriotic flair, we’ve got many options that play homage to the flag with red, white and blue.

Classic Sour Cream Pound Cake by Kayla Hoang

This pound cake is the epitome of low-lift, high-reward baking. The addition of sour cream does double duty to ensure a tight crumb while keeping the cake moist. It also adds a pleasant tanginess, which helps balance the sweetness of the cake.

Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake by Jessie Sheehan

This one-bowl bake is perfect for when you want to deliver an impressive dessert but feel short on time. Here, lemon is used three different ways: zest, juice and extract ensure the lemon flavor shines brightly in every bite. Meanwhile, ricotta cheese adds a richness and creaminess, while enhancing the lemon flavor.

Citrus Poke Cake by Morgan Baker

When it comes to simple, delicious and crowd-pleasing desserts, a sheet cake has so much to offer. Unlike complicated layer cakes, this approachable recipe calls for baking a sheet cake, then poking holes across the top for the pudding. Pour a duo of citrus juice and lemon pudding into every nook and cranny of the cake, which adds moisture and flavor to the cake.

No-Bake Pimm's Cheesecake by Emily Connor

This vibrant no-bake cheesecake is the ideal make-ahead dessert for warm-weather gatherings. It takes inspiration from a Pimm’s Cup, a popular British cocktail made with gin, fizzy lemonade, strawberries and mint. Just like the cocktail, this cheesecake is full of lemony flavor along with Pimm’s-macerated strawberries.

No-Bake Pimm's Cheesecake by Emily Connor

This plush pound cake is all about bourbon. Kentucky’s favorite beverage is included in both the batter and glaze of this cake, imparting notes of caramel, vanilla and oakiness into every bite. The macerated peaches on top add a welcome fruitiness to cut down on the rich cake.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake by Jessie Sheehan

For a retro-inspired dessert, look no further than this pineapple upside down cake. Made with oil and buttermilk, the nostalgic cake is moist and tender. To get that classic topping, melt sugar and butter directly into the pan to create a quick caramel sauce, which encases the pineapple slices and cherries.

Independence Ice Cream Cake by Anna Helm Baxter

The easiest-ever ice cream cake starts by layering ice cream sandwiches in a loaf pan. Between each layer, sweetened whipped cream infused with raspberry syrup adds extra creaminess. Top the cake off with more whipped cream and fresh fruit to serve.

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake by Carrie Parente

Everyone needs a foolproof no-bake cheesecake recipe in their back pocket for those days when you can’t turn on the oven. Enter: this easy recipe that starts with a press-in graham cracker crust. The filling eschews eggs for sweetened condensed milk, adding sweetness and stability without the need for baking.

Pound Cake with Ricotta Cream, Fresh Berries and Almonds by Lauren Salkeld

Store-bought pound cake gets gussied up with a dollop of ricotta and mascarpone whipped cream and a showering of fresh berries. This Fourth of July dessert comes together in minutes, but you’ll fool your friends into thinking you spent the day in the kitchen.

No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake by Kayla Hoang

This summer-ready cheesecake is spiked with tart lemon to create a punchy and bright cheesecake that is much simpler to make than you might think. A graham cracker crust is filled with a cream cheese mixture featuring the zest and juice of two lemons, resulting in a showstopping, lofty cheesecake.

Classic Angel Food Cake by Kayla Hoang

While it's readily available at practically any grocery store, a classic angel food cake is that much better when homemade. Using just seven ingredients and some thoughtful techniques, this cake comes together without much fuss. Serve it with whipped cream and fresh fruit for a patriotic spin.

Lemon-Pistachio Crinkle Cake by Melissa Knific

For a shortcut to baklava, we love this crinkle cake that can feed a crowd.

Instead of buttering each layer, two sheets of phyllo dough are gathered at time like an accordion and casually lined up in a baking dish. Pour melted butter over the crinkled sheets to create flaky layers, along with a custard that sets up in the oven. Once baked, drizzle the cake with lemon syrup and sprinkle with pistachios.

No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake by Carrie Parente

Oreo cookie lovers, this no-bake cheesecake is for you. A crumbled chocolate cookie crust creates the base for a creamy filling made with just five ingredients: heavy cream, cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream, and, you guessed it, more Oreo cookies. After letting the cake set, decorate the top with whipped cream and more cookies to serve.

Sunny's Easy Patriotic Poke Cake by Sunny Anderson

Store-bought pound cake gets a few upgrades in this recipe, transforming it into a patriotic showstopper. First, homemade blueberry sauce and raspberry sauce get drizzled into holes poked in the cake, ensuring more fruity flavor in every bite. Then, top it with sweetened sour cream and fresh berries to mimic the colors on the American flag.

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake by Laura Vitale

Ice cream cake is always the answer for feeding a crowd on a hot summer day. This recipe calls for both strawberry and vanilla ice cream, although it’s totally customizable to suit your preferences. For example, swapping vanilla cookies for chocolate and strawberry ice cream for coffee gives you a mocha-flavored cake.

No-Bake Blueberry and Banana Icebox Cake by Brandi Milloy

Instant pudding, Oreo cookies, coconut whipped cream and fresh fruit come together to make this kid-friendly cake. After layering them all together in a springform pan, let the cake set in the refrigerator overnight. To make it more patriotic for the Fourth, swap out bananas for strawberries.

Lemon and Blackcurrant Stripe Cake by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh

This summery cake is an absolutely showstopper. What makes it so special is once you slice into it, the cake reveals vertical stripes of black currant buttercream, ensuring a more balanced ratio of frosting to cake in every bite.

Strawberry and Vanilla Ice Cream Cookie Cake by Samantha Seneviratne

Thanks to store-bought cookies and ice cream, this festive cake couldn’t be easier to assemble. Cookies are layered with vanilla and strawberry ice cream in a loaf pan and frozen. Serve the cake with whipped cream, strawberries and crumbled cookies. It’s the perfect recipe for feeding a crowd during the dog days of summer.

5-Ingredient No-Bake Chocolate Coffee Icebox Cheesecake by Grace Parisi

While decadent in taste, this icebox cake is actually lighter than a traditional no-bake cheesecake. Here, cream cheese is whipped with hot fudge sauce and melted coffee ice cream, then layered with chocolate wafer cookies. As the cake sits overnight, the cookies absorb some of the moisture, softening to a cake-like consistency.

No-Bake Cheesecake with Sour Cream by Carrie Parente

It takes just six ingredients to make this no-bake cheesecake. The secret to the cheesecake’s success here is the inclusion of sour cream, which adds a gentle tanginess and keeps the flavors balanced. To cut down on time, opt for a store-bought graham cracker crust.

Martha Stewart's Brownie Sundae Ice Cream Cake by Martha Stewart

All the flavors of a classic ice cream sundae come together in this easy-to-assemble ice cream cake. Horizontal slices of rich brownie cake make dramatic stripes along with two types of ice cream, crunchy peanut butter and raspberries. Everything is layered in a loaf pan before freezing, slicing and serving with whipped cream, sugared peanuts and cherries on top.

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake by Trisha Yearwood

A towering two-tiered strawberry shortcake is a welcome addition to any summer barbecue. The cake layers here take a cue from biscuits with a not-too-sweet flavor that holds up nicely to the whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

All-American Crispy Cake by Anna Helm Baxter

This is, hands down, the most patriotic cake on our list! Instead of the usual squares, marshmallowy rice cereal is formed into a giant star shape and studded with sprinkles along with blue and red-colored icing. Not only is it a dessert the whole family will love, but it also adds some easy festive decor to your Fourth of July celebration.

Lemon-Lime Soda Cake by Jocelyn Delk Adams

While soda might seem like an unusual ingredient, it’s actually a classic way that add flavor while keeping the cake moist. Other than soda, it only takes a handful of pantry staples to bring this cake together. Don’t be alarmed at the lack of a leavening agent — a significantly longer than usual creaming process adds more air to the batter, giving the cake the lift it needs.

The Pioneer Woman's Blackberry Icebox Cake by Ree Drummond

Icebox cakes are always the answer to summer hosting when it’s too hot to turn on the oven. This version is particularly easy to assemble, thanks to store-bought pound cake, which acts as the base for layers of whipped cream and sweetened blackberries.

Christina Tosi's Corn and Blueberry Sheet Cake by Christina Tosi

The Fourth of July coincides with some of our favorite flavors of summer — in this case, corn and blueberries, which come together to create a uniquely flavored cake. While there are a few components to assembling this dessert, they can be made in advance.

Blondie Ice Cream Cake by Martha Stewart

There are three components to this decadent ice cream cake. The bottom layer is made of homemade blondies which get baked in a 9-by-13-inch pan. A layer of store-bought vanilla ice cream tops the blondies, then gets draped with homemade chocolate sauce.

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake by Jocelyn Delk Adams

Butter cake, a St. Louis classic, is an ideal dessert to make when you’re looking to easily feed a crowd. The bottom of the cake has a chewy blondie texture, while the top has a layer of custardy cream cheese. The key here is removing the cake from the oven while the center is slightly underbaked for the perfect gooey bite.

Red Velvet Layer Cake by Christina Tosi

If you’re looking for a patriotic cake this Fourth, may we recommend this show-stopping red velvet layer cake? Thanks to food coloring, this cocoa-flavored cake appears red. Top it with chocolate or cream cheese frosting and chocolate cookie crumbs to finish.

S'mores Ice Cream Cake by Gesine Bullock-Prado

Campfire’s favorite sweet treat is served in cake form, thanks to this genius ice cream cake recipe. Using the preformed shape of a tub of ice cream, vanilla ice cream, graham crackers, and marshmallow fluff are combined to create the base of the cake. Coat it in a homemade chocolate shell to mimic the flavors of a s’more.

Cookies-and-Cream Icebox Cake by Elena Besser

This six-ingredient, no-bake dessert is perfect for the dog days of summer. Store-bought chocolate sandwich cookies are layered with sweetened whipped sour cream in a cake pan. Freeze for five hours and you’ve got dessert to feed a crowd. It’s that easy!

Classic Butter Pound Cake by Jocelyn Delk Adams

A classic pound cake is a welcome dessert any time of year. Because this cake doesn't have any leavening agent, it requires a longer and faster creaming period (mixing of fat with sugar) so that air truly mixes into the cake and lifts it naturally. To gussy this one up for the Fourth of July, serve it with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Aperol Spritz Bundt Cake by Emily Connor

Take Aperol Spritz season one step further with this cocktail-inspired Bundt cake. Here, Aperol is featured in two ways: in the cake itself to add complexity to the tried-and-true duo of orange and olive oil, and in the eye-catching glaze that drips down its sides.

5-Ingredient Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake by Grace Parisi

Skip the store-bought ice cream cake and make your own with this recipe that calls for only five ingredients. The chocolate cake is layered with ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate syrup to create a desert the whole family can get on board with. Since the cake is served frozen, it’s ideal for getting ahead of party prep.

Lemon Velvet Cake by April Anderson and Shirley Madison

Instead of the usual chocolate flavor, this velvet cake swaps cocoa for lemon. This tender cake is made with buttermilk, which adds a natural tang next to the lemon extract, while also keeping the cake moist. Finish it off with a lemon-flavored cream cheese frosting.

Strawberry-Glazed Lemon Loaf Cake by Jesse Szewczyk

This copycat version of a coffee shop lemon loaf cake relies on both oil and yogurt to lend the cake a lush texture that keeps it moist for days. A combination of both lemon zest and juice gives the cake its signature peppy brightness while a hearty dose of vanilla rounds it out. The real star, however, is the technicolor strawberry glaze, which comes together with freeze-dried strawberries, powdered sugar and milk.

Devil's Food Icebox Cake by Nicole A. Taylor

Minimal baking is required for this celebratory icebox cake. The recipe starts with making your own chocolate wafers, but if that’s too fussy, store-bought is fine. Layer the wafers with chocolate-infused cream cheese and pecans before letting it set together in the freezer until ready to serve.

Orange Blossom Strawberry Spongecake by Clodagh McKenna

The flavors of strawberry shortcake get a boost from a not-so-secret ingredient here — orange blossom water. The orange blossom water infuses the butter cake with floral, citrusy notes that pair perfectly with the strawberries and cream.

Luscious Limoncello Cake by John Alberti and Tony Alberti

Italy’s favorite liqueur is highlighted in this sunny adults-only cake. Limoncello gets added to the batter, along with mascarpone for tenderness and fresh lemon juice. It’s also mixed with powdered sugar to create a simple glaze.

Butter Cake with Roasted Strawberries and Balsamic by Joanna Gaines

Butter cakes are the ultimate low-lift cakes that always deliver big flavors. This version is gussied up with roasted strawberries and a drizzle of balsamic reduction, which makes the cake reminiscent of a rich and savory strawberry shortcake. Pro tip: use room temperature ingredients to ensure the cake rises properly.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com