Looking for the perfect fun and festive Independence day dessert? Look no further than these Fourth of July cupcakes with delicious swirled red, white, and blue frosting!
ARe you looking for the PERFECT soft adn fluffy white cupcake?
How about one that is perfect for American holidays? Well, look no further than these Fourth of July cupcakes!
Not only is this white cake recipe THE BEST white cake I have ever had it pairs perfectly with the swirled red, white, and blue buttercream frosting.
These cupcakes aren’t just great for July 4th, but they are a great option for Memorial Day and Labor Day as well!
And, if you’re looking for other fun ideas make sure to read the whole post as I give some fun ideas on how to utizlie this recipe for almost any holiday or gathering!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for fourth of July cupcakes
For cupcakes:
- Cake flour – This is a fine consistency flour with a lower protein count than traditional all-purpose flour. It creates a soft fine crumb that is perfect for these white cupcakes. If you don’t want cake flour on hand you can make your own cake flour at home!
- Granulated sugar – Our sweeteners of choice for this cupcake recipe.
- Milk – Brings moisture and flavor to our batter.
- Egg whites – This keeps the cake light and fluffy. It also keeps your white cake very white.
- Flavorings – I used a mix of vanilla and almond extract to create a delicious soft flavor. You can opt to use all vanilla, use more or less almond, or add whatever flavor you desire!
- Kosher salt – All baked goods should contain a little kosher salt to elevate flavors.
- Unsalted butter – I like to used unsalted butter so I can control the salt level of the recipe.
For frosting:
- Unsalted butter – This the base of the buttercream frosting.
- Powdered sugar – Adds sweetness and body to the frosting.
- Kosher salt – This helps highlight flavors and bring a cut to the straight sweetness of buttercream frosting.
- Flavorings – I used a mix of vanilla and almond extract. You can use whatever extracts you like.
- Heavy cream – This helps thin out the frosting to make it a more spreadable or pipeable texture.
- Food coloring – I used red and blue gel food coloring but you can use whatever colors fit your needs.
How to make swirled frosting
Step one:
In the bowl of an electric mixer add butter.
Beat on medium-high speed for 5-7 minutes or until the butter is light yellow in color and fluffy in texture. Move the mixture to low speed and slowly incorporate the powdered sugar.
When all the powdered sugar has been incorporated add in the kosher salt and mix for 30 seconds to make sure it’s well mixed.
Add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Turn the speed of the mixer up to medium-high and beat for another 5-7 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy.
If you find the frosting too thick simply add a bit more heavy cream until you have reached your desired consistency.
Step two:
Evenly distribute your frosting into 3 bowls. If you want to be precise use a kitchen scale to be sure.
Add the red food coloring to one bowl, the blue food coloring to another bowl, and leave the third bowl white.
Stir to evenly color the frosting and add as much food coloring as needed to reach your desired color.
Step three:
Transfer each color into a piping bag.
Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it on your counter.
Then take the blue color piping bag and spread a line over the plastic wrap. The line should measure approximately the length of your piping bag. It should fit into the bag and fill it almost completely in length.
Repeat once again on top so you have a line that is double the thickness.
Continue doing the same thing for the red color, then the white, and repeat each color once more until there are two blue lines, two white, and two red.
Roll one edge in until it touches the last color which should be white. In the end, the blue touches the white color. This will give you the shape of a cylinder.
Step four:
Tie up the edges.
Cut one of the edges and place that part into the bottom of another piping bag sleeve with your decorating tip placed.
This way your dollop of icing will be three colors and the colors won’t smudge together.
Add a large dollop onto each cupcake, from the outside inwards, and serve.
Make sure your cupcakes are completely cooled before adding the icing. If not the frosting can melt.
Tools needed for making frosting
Make a fun swirled frosting isn’t hard but having the right equipment on hand can be helpful!
- Piping bags – This makes it easy to pipe out the frosting to create more “professional” looking cupcakes.
- Open star pastry tip – This tip gives the frosting the same “design” as you see in the photos. This is a called a “star tip” so that is what you’re looking for.
- Red gel food coloring – I really like gel food coloring and this color red is a great red to use for this cupcake.
- Blue gel food coloring – Another gel food coloring.
- Plastic wrap – This is what you use to pipe out all the lines or the frosting.
Substitutions and adaptations
These cupcakes can be jazzed up in a lot of different ways so here are a few fun and festive ways:
- Color the cupcakes – Divide the batter into 3 bowls, dye the batter your desired colors, add a spoonful of each of the color into the cupcake tray, and bake! It will create a fun swirled cupcake.
- Color the frosting different colors for different holidays – red, white and green could be fun for Christmas, soft muted pastel colors would be great for Easter, or use a swirl of yellow and green for St. Patrick’s Day.
- Make it even easier – short on time? Use a box white cake mix!
Storage and leftovers
If you’re left with some uneaten cupcakes you can store them in an airtight container. This will help keep the cake moist and the frosting soft.
You’ll want to eat your leftover cupcakes within 3 days for optimal flavor and freshness.
Freezing cupcakes
You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months.
Simply wrap your cupcakes in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or freezer safe ziptop bag.
More dessert recipes
- Craving a sweet and festive cake? Try my Fourth of July Bundt Cake.
- Love a good tart? Try my Red White and Blueberry Sour Cream Tart.
- Need a fun cookie? Try my Fourth of July Sugar Cookies.
- Want something that is easy to make? Try my No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake.
Fourth of July Cupcakes
Ingredients
For cake:
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk at room temperature
- 6 large egg whites at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-1/4 cup cake flour
- 1-1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter softened but still cool
For frosting:
- 12 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Red food coloring
- Blue food coloring
Instructions
For cake:
- Set the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 12-count cupcake baking tray with liners. This recipe will make 24 cupcakes so you will do this in 2 batches or use 2 cupcake trays if you own several.
- Pour milk, egg whites, almond extract, and vanilla extract into a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, add cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and mix at medium speed until the mixture resembles moist crumbs with no powdery streaks remaining.
- Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to the flour mixture crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using a handheld mixer) for 1-1/2 minutes.
- Add remaining 1/2 cup of the milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more.
- Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer.
- Divide batter evenly among the cupcake trays and bake for about 15 minutes per batch or until the tops of the cupcake spring back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean when tested in the center.
For frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer add butter.
- Beat on medium-high speed for 5-7 minutes or until the butter is light yellow in color and fluffy in texture.
- Move the mixture to low speed and slowly incorporate the powdered sugar.
- When all the powdered sugar has been incorporated add in the kosher salt and mix for 30 seconds to make sure it's well mixed.
- Add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Turn the speed of the mixer up to medium-high and beat for another 5-7 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- If you find the frosting too thick simply add a bit more heavy cream until you have reached your desired consistency.
- Evenly distribute your frosting into 3 bowls. If you want to be precise use a kitchen scale to be sure.
- Add the red food coloring to one bowl, the blue food coloring to another bowl, and leave the third bowl white. Stir to evenly color the frosting and add as much food coloring as needed to reach your desired color.
- Transfer each color into a piping bag. Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it on your counter. Then take the blue color piping bag and spread a line over the plastic wrap. The line should measure approximately the length of your piping bag. It should fit into the bag and fill it almost completely in length. Repeat once again on top so you have a line that is double the thickness.
- Continue doing the same thing for the red color, then the white, and repeat each color once more until there are two blue lines, two white, and two red.
- Roll one edge in until it touches the last color which should be white. In the end, the blue touches the white color. This will give you the shape of a cylinder.
- Tie up the edges. Cut one of the edges and place that part into the bottom of another piping bag sleeve with your decorating tip placed. This way your dollop of icing will be three colors and the colors won't smudge together.
- Add a large dollop onto each cupcake, from the outside inwards, and serve.
- Make sure your cupcakes are completely cooled before adding the icing. If not the frosting can melt.