Patriotic Cupcakes
What makes these cupcakes extra special is how easy they are to customize. Whether you’re baking from scratch or starting with a boxed mix, you can create bakery-worthy results right in your own kitchen.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
- Cupcake pan
- Cupcake liners
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatula
- Toothpicks or skewer
- Piping bags and tips
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- Red and blue gel food coloring
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 –4 cups powdered sugar adjust to your preferred sweetness
- 2 –3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Red and blue gel food coloring
- Patriotic sprinkles optional, but fun!
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat and Prep Your Pan
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Set aside while you make the batter.
- Pro Tip: If you want more cupcakes, double the recipe or bake in batches!
Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt.
- Set aside—this will help your batter stay light and fluffy when combined.
Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugar
- In a large bowl, add ½ cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup sugar.
- Use an electric mixer to beat them together until the mixture is light, pale, and fluffy—about 2–3 minutes.
- Pro Tip: Don’t rush this step! Creaming well adds air to the batter, which makes your cupcakes rise nicely.
Step 4: Add Eggs and Vanilla
- Crack in 2 large eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract until combined.
Step 5: Alternate Adding Milk and Dry Mix
- With the mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and ½ cup milk.
- Begin and end with the dry ingredients (⅓ dry → ½ milk → ⅓ dry → remaining milk → final dry).
- Mix until just combined—don’t overmix!
- Pro Tip: Overmixing can make your cupcakes dense. Stop as soon as the flour disappears.
Step 6: Divide and Color the Batter
- Separate the batter evenly into three small bowls.
- Leave one bowl as-is (white), and tint the other two with red and blue gel food coloring. Stir each one gently until fully blended.
- Pro Tip: Use gel food coloring for bold color without thinning the batter.
Step 7: Layer the Batter in the Liners
- Add a spoonful of red batter into the bottom of each liner.
- Gently spread to cover the bottom.
- Repeat with the white batter, then the blue on top.
- Don’t worry about perfect layers—they bake up beautifully!
Step 8: Bake
- Place the muffin tin in the center of your preheated oven.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Step 9: Make the Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter until creamy—about 1 minute.
- Gradually add 3–4 cups powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time.
- Add 2–3 tbsp heavy cream, 1 ½ tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
- Beat on medium-high until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Pro Tip: If it’s too thick, add a splash of cream. Too thin? Add a bit more powdered sugar.
Step 10: Color and Pipe the Frosting
- Divide frosting into three bowls. Tint one red, one blue, and leave one white.
- For a swirled effect, spoon each color side-by-side into a large piping bag fitted with a star tip.
- Pipe onto fully cooled cupcakes in a high swirl.
- Pro Tip: Chill the frosting for 10 minutes if it’s too soft to pipe cleanly.
Step 11: Decorate and Serve
- Finish with patriotic sprinkles or edible stars for that festive pop.
- Serve fresh, or store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days (or refrigerate for longer freshness).
Notes
Nutritional Value Per Serving:
- Calories: ~320 kcal
- Fat: ~18g
- Carbohydrates: ~38g
- Sugar: ~30g
- Protein: ~2g