Red white and blue cupcakes are the perfect patriotic cupcakes for Memorial Day, 4th of July, or during the summer.
These cupcakes are light and moist and decorated and ready for a party! Topping these cupcakes is a vanilla buttercream frosting that is very easy to make and only takes four ingredients to make.
Patriotic Cupcakes
These red white and blue cupcakes are perfect for the holidays and they are the perfect addition to any summer potluck, BBQ, or party. Especially perfect for Memorial Day and the 4th of July!
The base for these cupcakes is a classic white cake that has been divided into three equal parts. Two of the bowls of batter are then dyed blue and red, while the 3rd batter remains undyed.
Ingredients in Red White and Blue Cupcakes
Very common ingredients are used in this recipe and the ingredients come together quickly and easily especially when using room temperature ingredients when directed.
- Cake Flour – cake flour makes the most fluffy and springy cakes. If all you have on hand is all-purpose flour – adjust the recipe by spooning and leveling the all-purpose flour and then removing three tablespoons of the all purpose flour and adding in three tablespoons of cornstarch for this recipe.
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Milk – room temperature
- Egg whites – using an egg separator makes this easy and mess free.
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter – room temperature
- Granulated sugar
- Red and Blue food coloring
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Ingredients in Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Only 4 ingredients are needed to make this classic vanilla buttercream frosting. The consistency can be controlled by the amount of milk that is added at the end.
- Confectioner’s sugar – also known as powdered sugar
- Unsalted butter – room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons of milk (add a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached
How to Make Red White and Blue Cupcakes
These cupcakes are simple to make and they don’t take a long time to put together. The first step to making these patriotic cupcakes is to cream together the room temperature butter and the granulated sugar until it is creamy.
TIP: Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to blend the cake batter easily and quickly.
The egg whites and vanilla extract are added and beat until the batter becomes frothy from the eggs.
In a separate bowl, the cake flour, salt, and baking powder are sifted together. If all-purpose flour is used instead of cake flour, spoon and level the flour and take out three tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Scoop three level tablespoons of cornstarch and add it back into the all-purpose flour mixture and then add in the baking powder and salt.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients into the white ingredients and slowly alternate with the room temperature milk.
Once the ingredients are well incorporated and the batter is smooth, scoop one cup of batter into a separate bowl to color blue and scoop another cup of batter into a different bowl to color red.
Add the desired amount of food coloring to reach the color you want for the red white and blue cupcakes.
Like a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners and divide the red cake batter equally into 12 cupcake liners. This should work out to be about 1 tablespoon of cake batter for each liner.
Repeat the process with the white and again with the blue.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick entered into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Allow these red white and blue cupcakes to cool completely before frosting with the vanilla buttercream frosting.
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How to Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
To make the vanilla buttercream frosting for these cupcakes, start with room temperature ingredients.
Start with the room temperature butter and beat until the butter is smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla extract and slowly start beating in the confectioner’s sugar.
Once the ingredients are all added and beaten together add the milk one tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached. For a creamier frosting add more milk and for a pipeable frosting, use just enough milk for the frosting to easily glide through a frosting tip.
To pipe the cupcakes, use a decorating bag fitted with a piping tip.
Red White and Blue Cupcakes
Red white and blue cupcakes are the perfect patriotic cupcakes for Memorial Day, 4th of July, or during the summer.
Ingredients
Red White and Blue Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour *see substitution in notes
- 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
- Red food coloring
- Blue food coloring
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 tbsp milk, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
- Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the granulated sugar and beat until smooth.
- Add the egg whites and the vanilla extract and mix until frothy.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour*, baking powder, and salt.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Alternate the dry ingredients with the milk.
- Beat until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Divide the batter into 3 separate cups of batter.
- Add red food coloring to one cup of batter, blue batter to the second cup of batter, and leave the third cup of batter uncolored.
- Equally divide the red batter into the 12 cupcake liners, approx. 1 tablespoon into each liner.
- Repeat the process with the white batter and top off with the same process for the blue batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 14-16 minutes. Once the center of the cupcakes come out clean by sticking a toothpick into the center of them, they are done and ready to be removed from the oven to cool.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Beat the unsalted butter until the butter is smooth and creamy.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time.
- Beat in the milk one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached for spreading or piping.
- Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
Notes
*To substitute the cake flour for all-purpose flour, spoon and level the 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and remove three tablespoons. Add in the 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and proceed with the recipe as directed.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 455Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 326mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 0gSugar: 44gProtein: 3g
Nutrition calculation is a rough estimate and can vary depending on the cooking technique and the exact ingredients used. For informational purposes only.