DESSERT

Skip the store-bought, pre-made treats this year and make your own Fourth of July Cupcakes! These red, white, and blue desserts are perfect for celebrating America’s birthday.

What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than with some patriotic cupcakes? These Fourth of July Cupcakes are the perfect treat for any holiday gathering.

Made with red, white, and blue batter, they’re sure to be a hit with family and friends alike. So fire up the grill, break out the fireworks and enjoy some Fourth of July cupcakes!

What I love about these cupcakes is that we made them with a cake mix base – but added different ingredients than the box calls for. However, you can make these using your favorite homemade cupcake recipe if you like or try ours.

I guarantee everyone will swoon over these super-cute holiday cupcakes. They are always a hit at our patriotic celebrations!

holiday cupcakes

Here are some commonly asked questions

How should I store the cupcakes?

You can store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Once they are frosted, I recommend refrigeration because of the butter and dairy in the frosting.

Keep in mind that if you are using sanding sugar or nonpareils for your sprinkles – the colors will bleed when stored in a moist place like the fridge. The jimmies and star sprinkles should hold up fine to refrigeration.

Why does this recipe call for sour cream?

Though it seems kind of weird to put sour cream in a cake recipe, there are a couple of benefits that make it completely worth it! One reason one would want to use sour cream in their cake recipe is that the fat and whey content encourages moisture retention in the batter during the baking process. This leaves you with that moist cake that everyone strives for when making good cupcakes.

An additional reason is that the sour cream reacts well with the baking soda in the batter. This allows the batter to rise faster, giving you a lighter, fluffier final product.

What is the point of adding egg whites rather than the whole egg?

Adding egg whites rather than the whole egg is key to getting a white cake instead of a yellow cake. Though the yolk would add a richer flavor to your cake, the whites are the part that contains the fats and emulsifiers that allow for evenly blending ingredients in the batter and a softer final product.

Is food coloring unhealthy?

Not necessarily. Food coloring itself is not unhealthy. Some people have medical conditions and allergies that are agitated by food coloring. Additionally, some studies suggest that certain food dyes can lead to hyperactivity in children but the correlation between the two is somewhat murky.

Some people would rather not consume too much food coloring to reduce the number of dyes they ingest. There are many plant-based alternatives to artificial food dyes available for sale on the web. For example, some companies will use beet juice as a natural alternative to red dyes. Be sure to do your homework to find a product that best suits your interest. There are so many out there!

What are substitutions that I can make?

To save some time, just use store-bought frosting. You can use 3 whole eggs rather than the 4 egg whites, but the cake won’t be as white.

Ingredients for Fourth of July Cupcakes

Cupcakes

• white cake mix 
• sour cream
• vegetable oil
• water
• egg whites
• clear vanilla extract – optional
• red and blue liquid food coloring OR gel

Frosting

• butter – softened
• confectioner’s sugar
• salt
• clear vanilla extract
• heavy cream or milk

Decorating

• red and blue sanding sugar for decorating

What is another variation I can make?

This is great for the Fourth of July, but you can try it with other colors for parties and holidays.

How do I store buttercream frosting?

Buttercream frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Simply let it come to room temperature before using it.

Can I freeze buttercream frosting?

Yes, you can freeze buttercream frosting. Simply place it in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before using it.

How to Make Fourth of July Cupcakes

Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place 12 cupcake liners into cupcake tins. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand or hand mixer, combine the cake mix, sour cream, oil, water, egg whites, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then scrape the edges of the bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes longer, scraping the edges when necessary, until well combined.
4. Divide the batter into 3 medium bowls (about 1 cup each).
5. Add red food coloring to one bowl, mixing well after each drop or two, until the batter is your desired shade of red (we did about 8-9 drops total). Repeat with another bowl and the blue coloring (we did about 6 drops total). Do not put any food coloring into the third bowl of batter.
6. If you want cupcakes with blue on top, start by spooning 1 tablespoon of red batter into the bottom of the cupcake liners; spread evenly. Next, spoon 1 tablespoon of white batter on top of the red; spread evenly so that no red batter can be seen underneath. Lastly, spoon 1 tablespoon of blue batter; spread evenly so no white batter can be seen. The cupcake liners should be about ⅔ full. Do the opposite of this process if you want cupcakes with red on top.
7. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Before adding frosting, make sure that the cupcakes are completely cooled.

Frosting

1. Whip the butter using an electric mixer until it is lighter in color and the consistency is slightly fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar and salt. Beat for 1 minute until well combined and scrape the sides of the bowl halfway through mixing.
3. Add the vanilla and 3 tablespoons of the cream and beat for 1 minute. Slowly add more cream, if needed, to achieve the desired consistency. Whip for another minute or so until light and fluffy.

Decorating

1. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle tops with the sanding sugar and serve.

I do not have a mixer. Can I still make this frosting?

You can! Just know that this will take considerably more time and effort to get it to the right consistency.

To make this frosting by hand, a large bowl and wooden spoon will do the trick. Be sure that your butter is extra soft to cut back on the amount of work you must put into adequately blending your ingredients.

What do you mean by soft butter?

You will need to take your butter out of the fridge about an hour before you would like to make the recipe for the butter to soften but not get too soft.

Should I use liquid or powdered food coloring in this recipe?

For this recipe, the type of food coloring you decide to use is interchangeable. Typically, liquid food coloring contains a bit of water and can make your batter runnier if used in excess. In situations where your recipe is moisture sensitive, powdered food coloring will be best.

You can also use gel food coloring – adjusting the amount to your desired shade. For this recipe, feel free to use what you are comfortable with.

Can I use imitation vanilla for this recipe?

You can use imitation vanilla instead of real vanilla extract in this recipe. Vanilla is in high demand and short supply as of late. This means that the price is going to go up, making imitation vanilla a more economical option.

To save on the cost of real vanilla extract, I make my own vanilla at home. To do this, soak three to five vanilla beans in vodka in a mason jar and store the jar in a cool, dry, and dark place. Once the alcohol turns a rich dark brown color, it has extracted much of the vanillin from the beans, adopting its flavor. Use it as you would use ordinary vanilla extract. It does not go bad but should remain in a cool, dry place for the duration of its lifetime.

How to soften the butter to room temperature?

First

There are a couple of ways to do this. The first being that you can take the butter (& any other ingredients that need to be at room temperature) out, leave it on the counter for about 30 minutes while you prep for baking.

I usually start with all my chilled ingredients and pull everything I need out onto the counter before getting started – so I know for sure I have everything before I’m mid-way through I realize I’m out of something.

But sometimes it’s winter and that isn’t enough time to get the ingredients warmed up – OR – I’m just not that organized to plan ahead. It happens. So I have another couple of tricks.

Second

I place the butter in the microwave – wrapped in the paper. (don’t do this if it is wrapped in foil) Then I microwave for 2 seconds – flip – go another 2 seconds – flip again – and continue for 2 seconds on each side.

This is usually enough to get it perfect – sometimes stopping before if it feels soft enough. Take care when doing this method – overly softened butter from the microwave WILL ALTER the end result of the recipe. Don’t over-do it.

Third

My third method is to place the wrapped butter sticks in a zip-top bag and place it in a bowl of warm water. I do this with the eggs too. If the water isn’t too hot it can be THE PERFECT way to get “room-temperature” ingredients.

Will using milk instead of heavy cream change the way that the frosting turns out?

Being that heavy cream has a much higher fat content than milk, you will notice that your frosting is less creamy and thick when making this substitution. However, the difference can be subtle. You should avoid trying to balance the difference in fat content by adding more butter since you will also be adding more oils to the mix, potentially making your frosting runny.

My frosting is runny. How do I fix it?

Runny frosting can be a frustrating development when you are trying to complete your cake recipe. If you find that your frosting is runny, simply try adding more confectioner’s sugar to the mix. This will allow for the absorption of more oils and moisture throughout the mix, giving it a thicker consistency.

Why do the ingredients need to be at room temperature?

Room temperature ingredients help to ensure that everything blends together perfectly. You don’t want any pockets of unblended butter. You want everything evenly disbursed for the perfect texture.

When your dairy products are at room temperature, they can create an emulsion. It’s essential to have an emulsion because air gets trapped, so the baked goods expand and get fluffy as it bakes.

Can I make these cupcakes without cake mix?

You bet! I have a great homemade vanilla cupcake recipe that you can use as the base for these cupcakes. Once you have the batter mixed – then follow the steps below for separating and tinting to make the colors before baking. You can also try the multi-colored frosting method included in that recipe post.

What’s The Secret To Moist Cupcakes?

The key to moist, fluffy cupcakes is to create air bubbles in the batter that expand during baking. You’ll wind up with dense, heavy cupcakes if you overmix your batter. Always use a low speed when mixing and stop just before all of the components are combined.

Products I love when making Fourth of July Cupcakes…

This cupcake recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me this time of year, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand OR maybe you have never made homemade cupcakes before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love them. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this cupcake recipe.

• clear vanilla extract **see notes
• cupcake wrappers
• mixer

Decorations, optional

• plastic decorator bag
• #1M decorator tip or your favorite

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If you love this easy Patriotic cupcake recipe, you’re going to love these other holiday treats too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

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