4th of July Firework Cupcakes
This is a 4th of July red, white, and blue cupcake recipe made with 3 colorful layers. The vanilla cake base, topped with simple but smooth frosting and fireworks decorations, makes for an excellent patriotic dessert.
Equipment
Ingredients
4th of July Cupcakes
- ½ cup Butter room temperature
- 2 cups Granulated White Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 ¼ cup Milk
- 2 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 ounces Red Gelatin Powder (Cherry or Strawberry)
- 3 ounces Blue Gelatin Powder (Berry)
- Red and Blue Icing Gel or Food Coloring
4th of July Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup Butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 5 cups Confectioners' Sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons Milk
- Red and Blue Icing Gel or Food Coloring
Instructions
4th of July Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
- In an electric mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs, blend well. Sift or whisk together dry ingredients to break up any lumps. Begin alternating as you add dry ingredients and milk to the mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Separate batter equally into 3 bowls. Mix red icing gel/food color and 3 tablespoons of red gelatin powder in one bowl of cupcake batter, blue icing gel and 3 tablespoons of blue gelatin powder in another bowl, and leave one bowl of batter plain.
- Add 1 tablespoon of blue batter to the bottom of each cupcake liner. Spread to fill the bottom of the liner. Add 1 tablespoon of plain cupcake batter and spread to cover the blue on the bottom. Then add 1 tablespoon of red batter on top, spreading to cover the plain batter.
- Bake for approximately 17-21 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
4th of July Buttercream Frosting
- To make the frosting, add butter and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Slowly add confectioners' sugar. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk until reaching desired consistency.
- Separate icing into 3 bowls and add red icing gel and 1 tablespoon of red gelatin powder to one bowl, blue icing gel and 1 tablespoon of blue gelatin powder to another, and leave one plain for white frosting. Mix well and frost cooled cupcakes. See above for tips on decorating.
- Add red, white, and blue sprinkles, and cupcake toppers.
Nutrition
Calories: 358kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 288mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 1gSugar: 48gVitamin A: 399IUCalcium: 48mgIron: 1mg