Decorating a Store-Bought Cake for the 4th of July
We’re sharing simple tips for decorating a store-bought cake for the 4th of July today!
Raise your hand if it feels like we *just* celebrated Memorial Day?
It feels that way to me too.
After easing into the season and spending extra time at the cabin, which was a huge blessing, I can honestly say taking time to slow down and relish the lazy days of summer is exactly what we needed.
Celebrating the 4th of July as a Military Family…
As some of you may know, I grew up in a military family.
Even though we moved around quite a bit, my Mom made sure all the patriotic holidays were celebrated with lots of fanfare.
Most of the time we were visiting our big farm family on the 4th of July.
But as we got older and my parents moved closer to the coast, they not only started hosting our family but all our friends as well.
A few days before the festivities began, my Mom would tuck a list of activities and a menu for the long weekend inside each welcome basket.
That way, everyone would know what to expect and could plan accordingly.
From treasure hunting adventures to family kickball games, to tie-dying shirts to wear to the fireworks display and picnics on the beach, she thought of everything!
One of the easiest ways we’ve found to save time while feeding a crowd is to have a good mix of homemade signature dishes mixed with local restaurant and grocery store favorites.
Especially, where sweet treats and desserts are concerned.
As with our store-bought Easter cake, decorating this store-bought cake for the 4th of July couldn’t have been easier.
Here’s a look at how to decorate a store-bought cake for the 4th of July…
Decorating a Store-Bought Cake for the 4th of July Supplies:
- Cake of your choice from the bakery (we used vanilla, but you could also use red velvet or coconut)
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Other cake decorations or embellishments, optional
- Cake plate
Decorating a Store-Bought Cake for the 4th of July Steps:
Gather your supplies.
Make sure your cake plate is clean.
Wash and dry berries and set them aside.
Using caution and care, remove the cake from the original box or container.
Place the cake on top of the cake plate.
The bakery at our grocery store keeps ready-made cakes like this one in a refrigerated case.
It’s so nice to be able to grab and go. Especially if you’re short on time!
Add a big strawberry (or another food-safe decorative item) to the center of your store-bought cake.
Then slowly add blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries in any design you like.
Keep in mind, that you might have to press the berries ever so slightly to keep them in place.
Once you have the top of your store-bought cake complete, add additional berries around the bottom of your cake.
You can add as many or as little as you like.
Just a quick tip, if you have a big crowd or lots of littles hovering around when you’re cutting the cake, consider not adding as many berries to the back of the cake as you have in the front.
That way, you’re not having to move lots of extra berries out of the way and it will make cutting the cake faster!
Celebrating Patriotic Holidays…
All in all, decorating this store-bought cake for the 4th of July took 2 containers of strawberries and blueberries and 1 container of raspberries and blackberries.
It’s another one of those projects that took longer to drive to the store than it did to put together yet it looks festive and intentional.
Keep in mind, that you can also use this same idea for other holidays such as Bastille Day or omit the blackberries and blueberries to make it red and white for Canada Day!
We hope these tips for how to decorate a store-bought cake for the 4th of July have helped take the pressure off one of the busiest weekends of the summer a bit.
Now, go make some happy memories!
Let us know how you plan to celebrate! Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Other Patriotic Ideas to Enjoy:
- Quick and Easy Patriotic Party Cones & Blog Hop
- Patriotic Inspired Grain Sack Runner
- 8 Patriotic DIY Ideas
- Last Minute 4th of July Ideas
- 10 Simple Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day
Many blessings,
CoCo
That cake looks amazing, wow I want to make one right now its so yummy. Sounds like your about to have a wonderful celebration for July 4th, enjoy.xxx
Thank you, Janette! I’m so thankful the bakery at our grocery store has simple ready-made cakes like this one available. Especially, during busy seasons like summer. This cake honestly, could not have been easier to put together. Big hugs, CoCo
Love this and so simple. It looks beautiful and we eat with our eyes first.
Great tip about leaving the back of the cake free from berries.
Pinned
Thanks so much, Cindy and you are very welcome for the extra tip about leaving the back of the cake sparse or without berries or decorations. I can’t tell you how many times the littles got tired of me pulling stuff off the cake so they could dive in – lesson learned😆 Big hugs and hope your celebrations are fabulous, CoCo
I didn’t think anything could top your last patriotic post, but this, wow. I’m definitely going to stop at the grocery store and pick up a cake to decorate for July 4th! Thanks again for the inspiration and a Happy 4th of July to you and your family. A big Thank You to your family for their service.
So sweet and kind of you to say, Kim, thank you. I can wholeheartedly attest being in a military family was not easy but it was definitely worth it. We got to see and do more things and meet more people than I could have ever imagined. So glad you’re going to be able to use this idea for your 4th of July celebrations as well. It’s a huge time saver! Hugs, CoCo
I love the idea of embellishing a store-bought cake to make it your own! It’s so simple, but most people would never think of it! The red and blue berries are the perfect complement to the white cake! So festive for the 4th of July! I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend with family and friends! Blessings, Donna
Thank you bunches, Donna! This cake feels super festive but could not be easier to create. Thankfully, Publix has ready-made cakes like this available all the time and usually under $20 too. Hope your 4th of July celebration is filled with lots of fun memories, CoCo
Hey girl! I’ve missed you! At least I’ve been praying for y’all. Life has been so crazy. You know I’m all about the easy and doing this would get me all the ooh’s and ahh’s! Thanks for sharing it. pinned
Thank you so much, Cindy, I really appreciate it! I miss you too. I wasn’t sure if you got my email or not but it sounds like you did. I appreciate you praying for us, I’ve been praying for you guys as well. You could totally rock this cake idea. It’s not only perfect for various holidays during the year but picnics and parties too. Sending you tons of hugs for the big weekend, CoCo
I love this idea! The cake looks delicious and festive. Thank you for the tips. Also, tour photos are gorgeous.
Thank you for the inspiration CoCo!
Thanks so much, Anna, I really appreciate it! We’re always looking for time-saving ways to make things festive. Especially, around busy holiday seasons. I’m happy to pass along anything that works! Hope you and your family had a special time celebrating the 4th of July. Big hugs, CoCo
Tips to simplify our lives are always appreciated, especially when you want to spend time with your friends.