Red White and Blue Cupcakes (4th of July Cupcake Recipe)

These red white and blue cupcakes are perfect for celebrating the 4th of July! Made from a boxed cake mix, they’re as easy as they are patriotic.

Who knew patriotism could be so sweet? These red white and blue cupcakes are definitely one of the most patriotic cupcakes you can bake for your star-spangled celebration.

Festive from the bottom to the top, you’ll be delighted with how easy it is to make these colorful French vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting.

But the best part? These 4th of July cupcakes taste as good as they look!

What are Red White and Blue Cupcakes?

This recipe for red white and blue cupcakes put a patriotic spin on the humble vanilla cupcake, giving it a tri-color makeover using three colors for the batter.

But wait…The festivity doesn’t stop there. 

Not only are the moist French vanilla cupcakes topped with patriotic sprinkles.

They’re also frosted with a red white and blue silky smooth buttercream that’s actually surprisingly easy to make.

You’ll only need one piping bag to pull off this impressive cupcake decoration! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Made From a Boxed Cake Mix: Using a boxed cake mix means these patriotic cupcakes are more foolproof than making the batter yourself from scratch! 
• Fun and Festive: Celebrate the 4th of July in style with these colorful cupcakes. Use this recipe as a guide, and decorate your red white and blue swirl cupcakes however you want.
• Great For Parties: These 4th of July cupcakes are party-ready, not just because of their patriotic theme. Cupcakes are literally pre-portioned desserts that don’t require utensils to serve for effortless hosting. 

What Do Patriotic Cupcakes Taste Like?

Using a French vanilla cake mix means these 4th of July cupcakes taste more decadent than your usual vanilla cupcakes. 

They’re moist and pair deliciously with the creamy dollop of buttercream on top. The sprinkles also add a nice texture contrast. 

You’ll appreciate that despite their vibrant colors, these red white and blue cupcakes don’t taste artificial! 

Using the more concentrated gel food coloring means you don’t need to use much to tint the frosting. No more bitter colored frosting!

Ingredients For 4th of July Cupcakes

French vanilla cupcake ingredients:

• French vanilla cake mix – Feel free to use your favorite boxed cake mix.
• Eggs – For binding the batter ingredients together.
• Unsalted butter – Lends richness to the French vanilla cupcakes.
• Whole milk – For perfectly moist cupcakes.
• Pure vanilla bean paste – Gives a more intense vanilla flavor to our 4th of July cupcakes.
• Red gel food coloring – For tinting the cupcakes red.
• Sky blue gel food coloring – For tinting the cupcakes blue.

Buttercream frosting ingredients:

• Unsalted butter – Avoid curdled buttercream and use room temperature butter!
• Powdered sugar – To sweeten the frosting without making it grainy. 
• Heavy whipping cream -The secret to fluffy buttercream frosting? Swap milk with heavy cream!
• Pure vanilla extract – We’ll also give our luscious frosting an extra oomph with vanilla extract.
• Red gel food coloring – You can’t make patriotic cupcakes without the colors of the flag. We’ll use gel food coloring both on the cupcakes and frosting. 
• Sky blue gel food coloring – Note that you don’t need to go overboard with your gel food coloring to achieve a vibrant color.
• Patriotic sprinkles – Make your red white and blue cupcakes extra festive with themed candy sprinkles. 

Tools Needed To Prepare Red White and Blue Cupcakes

• Cupcake liners for the cupcake pan
• Cupcake pans for baking the cupcakes
• Mixing bowls for combining the ingredients
• Piping bags for the frosting
• 1M piping tip for piping the red white and blue buttercream
• Ice cream scooper for portioning the cupcake batter
• Cooling rack for cooling the 4th of July cupcakes
• Stand mixer for the buttercream frosting
• Star cupcake toppers for decorating the frosted cupcakes

Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Red White and Blue Swirl Cupcakes

Lemon flavor

Fourth of July is also the best time to indulge in summertime lemon desserts.

Try these patriotic cupcakes with lemon extract instead of vanilla, and add lemon zest to your frosting!

Raspberry filling

Turn these red white and blue cupcakes into raspberry surprise cupcakes! Just fill them with raspberry jam.

How to Make Red White and Blue Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the French vanilla cupcakes:

• 1 box French vanilla cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla bean paste
• Red gel food coloring
• Sky blue gel food coloring

For the buttercream frosting:

• 3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 3 to 5 tsp heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Red gel food coloring
• Sky blue gel food coloring
• 3 cups patriotic sprinkles

Tools you need:

• Cupcake liners
• Cupcake pans
• Mixing bowls
• Piping bags
• 1M piping tip
• Ice cream scooper
• Cooling rack
• Stand mixer
• Star cupcake toppers

Instructions:

French vanilla cupcakes:

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line your cupcake pan.

STEP 2: Add the cake mix, butter, milk, and vanilla bean paste to a bowl. Mix until combined, then divide the batter into 3 bowls.

STEP 3: Tint one bowl with a few drops of red food coloring and the other with blue. Leave the remaining bowl plain for the “white” batter.

STEP 4: Scoop a tablespoon of each colored batter into the lined cavities of the cupcake pan until they’re 3/4 full.

STEP 5: Bake the patriotic cupcakes for about 21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

STEP 6: Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Buttercream frosting:

STEP 1: Beat butter on medium speed until smooth.

STEP 2: Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the sugar. Once it’s incorporated, gradually add the heavy whipping cream and vanilla. Mix on medium for 1 minute or until smooth and creamy.

STEP 3: Divide the frosting into three bowls and tint them with red and blue food coloring. Leave the remaining frosting plain.

STEP 4: Place the star tip into the piping bag, but don’t cut the bag’s tip yet.

STEP 5: Put the bag inside a glass and fold its top over the edge to stabilize it.

STEP 6: Scoop 1/3 of the red frosting into the piping bag off-center. Repeat with the blue and white frosting. Do not overfill. Leave some space at the top.

STEP 7: Twist the top of the bag. Set aside.

STEP 8: Take some frosting and spread it evenly on the top of each cupcake.

STEP 9: Dip the frosted cupcakes into the sprinkles.

STEP 10: Snip off the tip of the piping bag. Pipe a small dollop of the red, white, and blue frosting on each cupcake.

STEP 11: Insert a star cupcake topper in the center of the frosting swirl. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

What To Serve With 4th of July Cupcakes

These red white and blue cupcakes are essentially French vanilla cupcakes with classic buttercream frosting, so you can’t go wrong serving them with coffee or tea. 

My suggestion? Earl Grey tea and thank me later. 

You can also have these rich treats with fresh strawberries or passion fruit on the side. 

Don’t have a menu for your Fourth of July Bash yet? I got you!

Impress everyone with a 4th of July charcuterie board and deviled eggs with relish!

Tips About Making Red White and Blue Cupcakes

• If the center of the cupcake is still raw after you did the toothpick test, place the pan back in the oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes more, then test again.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating them, or the frosting will melt.
• Don’t be intimidated by the multicolored frosting! All you’ll need is one 12—or 16-inch piping bag and a 1M large star tip for ALL three colors.

How To Store Patriotic Cupcakes

• Fridge: For leftovers and make-ahead, store your 4th of July cupcakes in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 4 days. 
• Freezer: You can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months. Wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap and arrange them in a freezer-safe container. Thaw before decorating.

FAQ About Fourth of July Cupcakes

What food coloring is the best for red white and blue swirl cupcakes?

Gel food coloring is the best choice for your red, white, and blue frosting. It doesn’t add liquid to the frosting, and you won’t need to use much of it to achieve a vibrant color.

How do you make a multi-color frosting for patriotic cupcakes?

You can use an open star decorating tip like what we did in this recipe. Wilton also has a coupler for tri-color swirls. 

Why is my buttercream frosting grainy?

The buttercream frosting can get grainy if the powdered sugar is not sifted beforehand. 

Why do my vanilla cupcakes come out dry?

Overbaking and incorrect dry ingredient quantities can lead to dry vanilla cupcakes. These tips to prevent cupcakes from drying out might be helpful.

What should I decorate my 4th of July cupcakes with?

You can decorate your red white and blue cupcakes with star sprinkles, red, white, and blue candies, or flag cupcake toppers.

Conclusion

Have a sweet Independence Day with these red white and blue cupcakes!

They’re moist, rich, French vanilla cupcakes with patriotic red white and blue sprinkles and a generous amount of colorful buttercream frosting on top.

They taste as delicious as they look, but don’t let their festive tri-color frosting and cake fool you. These fluffy cupcakes are actually super easy to make using a boxed cake mix.

And the red white and blue frosting on top?

They’re done using a piping bag fitted with a star tip!

Love these red white and blue cupcakes? Check out these festive cupcake recipes or bake our favorites:

• Peach Cupcakes
• Lemon Lime Soda Cupcakes
• Maple Bacon Cupcakes
• Halloween Bat Cupcakes
• Strawberry Filled Cupcakes