Patriotic Punch Bowl Cake

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

With layers of fluffy cake, vanilla pudding, whipped topping, and fresh blueberries and strawberries, this delicious patriotic punch bowl cake recipe is simultaneously light, creamy, and sweet. The beloved trifle is destined to be a hit at your 4th of July gathering.

Patriotic Punch Bowl Cake

I have a sweet tooth big enough to take over my entire mouth, but I can’t eat sugar (at least not in anything other than small quantities). So I adjust a lot of dessert recipes to make them lighter or sugar-free altogether. This patriotic punch bowl cake is one recipe that works really well and is every bit as decadent and refreshing whether you make a regular or lighter version.

A popular Southern dessert, we serve it a lot at our family get-togethers in the summer and my husband always chooses it as his top pic for his February birthday as well. It would be the perfect addition to your fourth of July or other summer celebration!

Also known as a trifle, this punch bowl cake recipe features multiple delicious layers. You’ve got fluffy angel food cake, creamy vanilla pudding, and refreshing whipped topping. The fresh and tart blueberries and strawberries give the trifle a blue and red patriotic vibe, but you can use whatever fruit you like. For example, I have a plain strawberry punch bowl cake recipe on the blog as well.

Altogether, this punch bowl cake is light, creamy, sweet, and delicious. I just know it’s going to be a hit at your next summer gathering. Enjoy! 

Patriotic Punch Bowl Cake ingredients

Recipe Ingredients

  • Angel food cake (from boxed cake mix)
  • Vanilla pudding mix (you can use sugar-free vanilla pudding mix).
  • Light or regular whipped topping
  • Milk (any kind of milk, like almond milk, whole milk, 2%, or skim milk).
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries

How to Make My Patriotic Punch Bowl Cake

angel food cake cut the brown off

Slice all of the brown outer layer off of your angel food cake.

I was gonna call it “crust” but that kind of implies that it is hard and crusty, which it isn’t of course! In fact, this brown part is the part you are supposed to eat while you make the rest of the cake because it’s so good and you really need to keep your energy up! No sense in wasting it anyhow.

angel food cake without crust

It will look something like this.

cut up the cake into chunks

Cut the cake into cubes. You can just tear it also if you want to.

place milk in bowl

In a mixing bowl, place your milk.

add vanilla pudding and mix

Add your pudding mix and mix until well blended.

well mixed vanilla pudding.

That looks pretty well blended to me.

add in the whipped cream

Dump in your whipped topping.

Of course the recipe says to “fold” it in but y’all know I’m a dumper, not a folder.

mix up the whipped topping and wet mixture

Mix that up until well blended and all prettified.

place chunks of cake at bottom of the bowl

Place 1/2 of your cake pieces in the bottom of your punch bowl.

spread pudding mixture over cake cubes.

Spread 1/3 of your pudding mixture over the top.

place blueberries on top of the first whipped layer

Put every blessed blueberry you got on top of that!

top with the rest of cake chunks

Top with the remainder of your cake pieces.

spread whipped topping over the angel food cake cubes.

And 1/3 more of your pudding mixture.

cut up your strawberries

Wash your strawberries and slice them.

Okay so you could have done this earlier but we forgot til now so just roll with it.

place strawberries on next

Now you’re going to take those strawberries and put them on top of your angel food cake pieces, just like we did the blueberries.

Place strawberries over the second layer of the pudding mixture.

cover punch bowl cake with the last layer of pudding mixture.

and cover with the remaining pudding mixture.

Patriotic punch bowl cake topped with more berries.

If you want, you can decorate the top with more berries.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours or until ready to serve. This is great if made the night before, too!

Bowl of patriotic punch bowl cake.

YUM!

Storage

Store trifle leftovers covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes

  • Substitute the angel food cake for yellow cake mix, white cake mix, or even a homemade pound cake.
  • You can do the same with the pudding: swap it for cheesecake, white chocolate, or lemon pudding.
  • If you’re not going for a red, white, and blue theme, you can use any kind of fresh fruit or canned fruit you like (or thawed frozen fruit in a pinch). This might be crushed pineapple, fresh raspberries, banana slices, fresh blackberries, or even cherry pie filling.
  • Besides a fresh berries garnish, you can also garnish your trifle with toasted coconut flakes or chopped walnuts/chopped pecans for added flavor and texture.
  • For a chocolate punch bowl cake, opt for a chocolate cake mix and fudge pudding. This would taste so delicious with the strawberries!

You may also enjoy these fun 4th of July recipes:

Red, White, and Blue Patriotic Dishes!

Patriotic Jello Jars

Patriotic Cereal Treats

Recipes for the 4th of July

Patriotic Cake Truffles

Patriotic Fortune Cookies

Patriotic Trifle Punch Bowl Cake

Patriotic Punch Bowl Cake

With layers of fluffy cake, fresh fruit, creamy pudding, and whipped cream, enjoy this delicious patriotic punch bowl cake this 4th of July.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 4th of july dessert, patriotic, trifle

Ingredients

  • 1 box angel food cake baked according to package directions
  • 1 packet instant vanilla pudding mix* 3.5-ounce
  • 2 cups milk of your choice
  • 1 carton whipped topping 8-ounce
  • 1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed

Instructions

  • Trim the brown outer layer from the cake and then tear the cake into small pieces.
    1 box angel food cake
  • Prepare pudding as directed and then mix in the Cool Whip.
    1 packet instant vanilla pudding mix*, 2 cups milk of your choice, 1 carton whipped topping
  • Place 1/2 of the cake pieces in a punch bowl. Top with 1/3 of the pudding mixture and all of the blueberries. Top with the remaining cake pieces, 1/3 of the pudding mixture, and all of the strawberries. Finish with the remaining pudding mixture and garnish with additional berries if you like.
    1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and hulled, 2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed
  • Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

Notes

*This is the small box of pudding. If you get regular it will say 3.5 ounces. Sugar-free will be in that same size box but won't say 3.5 ounces. Just a heads up!
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

“The person who seeks all their applause from outside has their happiness in another’s keeping .”

~Dale Carnegie

Submit your quote here!

Similar Posts

170 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    What a fun and easy 4th of July treat! I think the kiddos will love helping with this one!

  2. Love this! I don’t have a trifle bowl so if I can win a gift certificate, I will purchase trifle bowl so I can make this!

  3. Looks so pretty when layered in a truffle bowl or even a glass punch bowl.
    I would have to substitute raspberries in place of the blue berries for my dear hubby. He just is not a fan of blueberries. (He just doesn’t know that they are good for him, well he does, but he just won’t eat them.)
    These would also be cute in individual glass jars, or martini glasses
    Thank you

  4. 5 stars
    My sweet mother in law made these for every family get together. She used what ever fruit was in season. We all loved them.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe or Post Rating