Patriotic Punch Bowl Cake
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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.
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!
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
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.
It will look something like this.
Cut the cake into cubes. You can just tear it also if you want to.
In a mixing bowl, place your milk.
Add your pudding mix and mix until well blended.
That looks pretty well blended to me.
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 that up until well blended and all prettified.
Place 1/2 of your cake pieces in the bottom of your punch bowl.
Spread 1/3 of your pudding mixture over the top.
Put every blessed blueberry you got on top of that!
Top with the remainder of your cake pieces.
And 1/3 more of your pudding mixture.
Wash your strawberries and slice them.
Okay so you could have done this earlier but we forgot til now so just roll with it.
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.
and cover with the remaining pudding mixture.
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!
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!
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
“The person who seeks all their applause from outside has their happiness in another’s keeping .”
~Dale Carnegie
Christy…love the new site!! Thanks for the yummy punch bowl cake recipe!!
Bountiful Blessings!!
Love the new site. Love being able to print the recipes as soon as I finish reading them. Hope you and your family have a great 4TH.
It’s pulled pork w/slaw and this cake for our dinner on the 4TH.
The new site is pretty but don’t get too commercial on it because down home is what makes the site appealing. I like to the family /neighbor feeling, but I am not thinking you are really going to change on us.
Hey Christy, I Loooooooooooooooooooove the new website design. I am going to make the whole 4th of July recipes that you so graciously gave us and I am especially looking forward to the dessert. Never had pulled pork w/o barbecue sauce but we’re gonna try it. As far as the contest goes I tweeted, posted here, did the FB thang and went to all of the websites that were running it too. I even subscribed to a few, they looked really good. I have your first recipe book ( and cook from it constantly), and went and preordered the new one as soon as you said that it was ready. I’m old enough to be your Mama but I follow you everyday and have gotten all 4 of my kids to sign up also. Sorry didn’t mean to right a book I just wanted to let you know that I Love You and Yours just like you were family cause that’s how you always make us feel.
Love it, and now I’m sure Mama has learned that sometimes those little fingers aren’t too awful bad. I’m making the big cookie for the 4th and many other yummy desserts this may replace the dirt cake though….. Love the site and have ordered my cookbook which has replaced my subscription to “Taste of Home”.
I really like the new look! Still has a “homey” feel to it yet is a little more modern. Hmmm….not sure that is exactly a compliment. hehehe
This sounds like a pretty yummy recipe!! Definitely not something this Yankee would have had growing up so it should be interesting to see how it tastes….though it won’t be for the Fourth…I’ll be camping…and taking along a couple of SP items which I have discovered travel quite well, your bar cookies especially!! 🙂
Thanks again for keeping us a part of the family Christy!!!
Love the new site and this recipe looks great!!