When it comes to 4th of July, I’m always really excited to see everyone’s creative ways to sweeten up their patriotic menu! And this year, I was committed to making a DIY Patriotic Layer Cake for our “All-American County Fair” 4th of July Party. I’m really excited about how it turned out, but even happier to tell you that it wasn’t hard at all!

With literally zero experience making this kind of cake, I was definitely a little nervous – especially since it was going to be part of our shoot! Armed with a couple boxes of cake mix, lots of frosting & sparkly embellishments, I’m proud to say I made my first layered cake! Read below for my 5 Amateur Tips For An Impressive Layered Cake, so you can wow your 4th of July guests too! :)

5 AMATEUR TIPS FOR AN IMPRESSIVE LAYERED CAKE:

1. Use a baking spray with flour: Sonny swears by it, and I have to say it worked like a charm. (And spray it right before you pour the batter into the pan.)

2. Use a leveling tool: Before you frost, level your cakes to be the same height and be flat across the top. This helps your layers sit straight and even, creates an amazing looking cake and really does make it easier to frost! (We used this one.)

3. Frost a crumb layer: I followed this youtube video. Doing this keeps the outside frosting pretty and clean.

4. Don’t be afraid of too much frosting: When in doubt, use more frosting… if you want your cake to look as glamorous as those you see on Pinterest. ;)

BONUS: Once frosted, dip your spatula in warm water and spread all over for a smooth and even looking cake + use a raised spatula like this one, it makes frosting SO much easier!

5. Decorate: We added a glitter ribbon around the base, a “most delicious” prize ribbon to the stand and a mini pom pom bunting + sparkly farm animal topper! You can add fruit, candy, a printable sign or anything else to make a plain white cake feel extra festive.

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Any other tips to add? I’d LOVE to hear your advice!