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Red White and Blue Cupcakes

Red white and blue cupcakes with fluffy vanilla batter and a soft vanilla buttercream swirl are a classic handheld 4th of July dessert. You’ll layer red and blue tint into the liners, bake until just set, then pipe a billowy frosting on top.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vanilla cupcake batter
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 cup milk
  • 1 red and blue gel food coloring
Vanilla buttercream frosting
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 4 cup powdered sugar for frosting
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 patriotic sprinkles for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.
  3. Cream the unsalted butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
  4. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, mixing just until combined.
  5. Divide the batter into two bowls and tint one red and one blue (leave a small portion plain if desired).
  6. Spoon alternating dollops of red, white, and blue batter into the liners and swirl gently with a toothpick.
  7. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool completely before frosting.
Make frosting and finish
  1. Beat the frosting unsalted butter until fluffy.
  2. Gradually add the powdered sugar and heavy cream, mixing until smooth.
  3. Pipe the vanilla buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and top with patriotic sprinkles.

Notes

For clean swirls, keep the batter thick and avoid overmixing once you add the milk. Store cupcakes covered at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days; bring to room temp before serving. Freezing is yes—freeze unfrosted cupcakes up to 2 months, thaw and frost after. For a lighter option, replace heavy cream in the frosting with an equal amount of evaporated milk for a softer texture.