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These red white and blue cupcakes are perfect for Memorial Day, 4th of July, or anytime your party needs a patriotic treat. Just grab a cake mix and go!
This recipe is the richest and sweetest way to show your patriotic side.
Red, white, and blue all over, these French vanilla cake mix cupcakes are the best dessert for your Memorial Day weekend and 4th of July picnic.
They taste as good as they look, and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to achieve their showstopping tri-color design.
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Serve these red white and blue frosted cupcakes with this equally festive and patriotic 4th of July charcuterie board! And if you want to make them less indulgent, this vegan buttercream frosting is a must-try!
Why You’ll Love This Red White Blue Cupcakes Recipe
- These red white and blue swirl cupcakes are easy to make with a boxed cake mix! No need to stress about measuring the dry ingredients.
- These festive and delicious July 4th cupcakes are guaranteed to impress at the party!
- These patriotic cupcakes are perfect for your gatherings this Memorial Day and Fourth of July. They’re easy to grab and great for crowds!
Ingredients And Substitutions
French vanilla cupcake ingredients:
French vanilla cake mix – You can use any flavor of boxed cake mix, but classic French vanilla is just a guaranteed crowd-pleaser with vanilla buttercream.
Eggs – For binding the ingredients together.
Unsalted butter and whole milk – For deliciously rich and moist red white and blue themed cupcakes.
Pure vanilla bean paste – For a more pronounced vanilla flavor.
Red gel food coloring and sky blue gel food coloring – For tinting the patriotic red white blue cupcakes.
Buttercream frosting ingredients:
Unsalted butter – Make sure to use room-temperature butter to avoid a curdled buttercream.
Powdered sugar – To sweeten and thicken the vanilla frosting.
Heavy whipping cream – Makes the buttercream for the red white and blue frosted cupcakes nice and fluffy.
Pure vanilla extract – You can also use almond extract for your buttercream frosting.
Red gel food coloring and sky blue gel food coloring – No need to go overboard with your gel food coloring when tinting the frosting!
Patriotic sprinkles – For festive 4th of July themed cupcakes.
Tips For Making This Recipe
Make Cupcakes From Scratch
Need a cake mix substitute? Use 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 cups of granulated sugar, 10 ounces of softened salted butter, 1 and 1/4 cups of whole milk, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, and 4 egg whites.
Use Gel Food Coloring
Using gel food coloring is non-negotiable! It won’t add extra liquid to your batter and frosting, and it’s easier to control for getting the perfect shade.
Add a Raspberry Filling
Add a sweet surprise! Before baking, swirl 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of raspberry jam into each cup of batter in the pan.
4th of July Themed Cupcakes Recipe FAQs
What is the secret to moist cupcakes?
We used milk and butter instead of water and vegetable oil to make these super moist cake mix red white blue cupcakes. You can also read these tips to prevent homemade cupcakes from drying out.
What is the best way to frost 4th of July themed cupcakes?
The best way to frost these July 4th cupcakes is with tools. However, you can also improvise and just put the frosting into a Ziploc bag, push it to one corner, twist the top of the bag, and cut off the frosting corner’s tip. Start with a small cut, so you can control the swirl size!
How do you fix undercooked patriotic cupcakes?
If the center of your Fourth of July cupcakes is still undercooked, return the cupcake pan to the oven and bake the cupcakes for 3 to 5 minutes more.
Why is my buttercream frosting grainy?
To avoid a grainy frosting for these red white and blue swirl cupcakes, sift your powdered sugar beforehand. You can also fix your grainy homemade frosting by adding a teaspoon of room-temperature milk and mixing on low for 1 minute to help dissolve the sugar.
How do I store leftover 4th of July cupcakes?
You can store your red white and blue cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If unfrosted, you can also wrap each cupcake with plastic wrap and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost the unfrosted cupcakes before decorating!
More Delicious Cupcake Recipes
- Lemon Lime Soda Cupcakes
- Peach Cupcakes
- Maple Bacon Cupcakes
- Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
- Cookie Monster Cupcakes
I found this recipe for Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas that I HAVE to try!
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