These gorgeous Red White & Blue Swirl Cupcakes are guaranteed to steal the show at your next 4th of July party!
Red White & Blue Swirl Cupcakes
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays — I just love all the bright, patriotic decorations and food. I can’t get enough!
This year is extra special because we are expecting a new addition right around July 4th (her middle name may or may not be America 😉 How much fun would it be to have a celebration with red white and blue everything!
These Red White and Blue Cupcakes are one of my favorite America-themed desserts. Both the cupcakes themselves and the frosting are brightly-swirled with USA’s colors: red, white, and blue.
If you have the right tools, it’s actually really easy to achieve this beautiful swirled frosting effect!
Just in case you don’t have time to head to your cooking supply store, I’ve also included directions to get the same look with simple kitchen supplies (think: plastic wrap and freezer bags).
So let’s get started!
Related: Make it a party with our collection of 20+ Red White and Blue Drink Recipes!
Shopping List:
For your convenience, I’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used to make this recipe. Disclosure policy available here.
- Butter
- Flour
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
- Milk (Regular or non-dairy)
- Powdered sugar
- Red gel food coloring
- Blue gel food coloring
A free printable copy of this recipe with full ingredient amounts and directions is available at the bottom of the post.
Keep reading for photo step-by-step instructions and decorating tips or click here to jump to printable recipe.
Helpful Kitchen Supplies
How to Make Red White & Blue Swirl Cupcakes
Keep reading for detailed step-by-step instructions or keep scrolling to reach the free printable copy at the bottom of the post. Makes approximately 16 cupcakes.
To Make the Red White and Blue Cupcakes:
Preheat oven and prepare a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners. (These patriotic baking cups are super cute!)
Combine cupcake ingredients (minus food coloring) in a stand mixer.
Divide the cupcake batter into 3 separate bowls. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one bowl and a few drops of blue food coloring in another bowl, mixing well until the batter is rich in color.
Scoop about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of each colored batter into the cupcake liners in the following order: red, white and blue. Take care not to overfill the liners.
Bake 18-20 minutes.
TIP: Check at 18 minutes with a toothpick – if it comes out clean you can go ahead and remove from oven.
Allow to cool completely before decorating.
To Make the Frosting:
Use a stand mixer (or hand mixer) to mix frosting ingredients. Divide frosting evenly into 3 small bowls.
Add red gel food coloring one drop at a time to the first bowl of frosting and stir to combine, until frosting is bright red in color. Repeat this step with the blue gel food coloring in the next bowl of icing. Leave the third bowl of frosting white.
To Create a Swirled Effect with Your Frosting:
There are two ways to create swirl frosting for cupcakes. The first is to purchase a tri-color frosting coupler, which makes it super easy! (We used a similar technique to make our Creamsicle Mini Cupcakes)
If you’re in a pinch for time, I’ve also included step-by-step instructions to achieve the same swirled frosting effect without special tools:
- Lay out a long piece of plastic wrap on the counter and a large baking sheet (you can always trim).
- Fill one freezer bag with one color of frosting. Snip the corner using the kitchen scissors and gently squeeze the frosting out in a long line on the plastic wrap.
- Repeat step #10 with the other 2 frosting colors.
- Once all the frosting is lined up, gently roll the plastic wrap as shown in the photo. Place in the fridge a few minutes to firm up.
- Attach the star frosting tip to the disposable piping bag. Remove the frosting from the fridge. Cut in half if needed (mine was really long) and place the open end down into the frosting tip.
- Gently squeeze the frosting out of the bag and onto the cupcake in a circular motion.
- Repeat with all cupcakes.
Here’s an illustration of how to use the plastic wrap method described above:
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Grab a free printable copy of Red White & Blue Swirl Cupcakes
Red White & Blue Swirl Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- Red gel food coloring
- Blue gel food coloring
Frosting Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cups butter softened to room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk
- Red gel food coloring
- Blue gel food coloring
Instructions
To Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-count muffin tin.
- Combine 1/2 cup butter, 2 eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder and milk in a stand mixer — until smooth batter forms.
- Divide the cupcake batter into 3 separate bowls. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one bowl and a few drops of blue food coloring in another bowl, mixing well until the batter is rich in color. Leave one bowl of batter plain.
- Scoop about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of each colored batter into the cupcake liners in the following order: red, white and blue. Take care not to overfill the liners.
- Bake 18-20 minutes at 350°F
- Allow to cool completely before decorating.
To Make the Frosting:
- Using a stand mixer, combine powdered sugar, 1/3 cup softened butter, vanilla extract and milk. Mix until you have achieved a smooth, yet firm frosting consistency. Divide frosting evenly into 3 small bowls.
- Add red gel food coloring one drop at a time to the first bowl of frosting and stir to combine, until frosting is bright red in color. Repeat this step with the blue gel food coloring in the next bowl of icing. Leave the third bowl of frosting white.
To Create a Swirled Effect with Your Frosting:
- Lay out a long piece of plastic wrap on the counter and a large baking sheet.
- Fill one freezer bag with one color of frosting. Snip the corner using the kitchen scissors and gently squeeze the frosting out in a long line on the plastic wrap.
- Repeat step #10 with the other 2 frosting colors.
- Once all the frosting is lined up, gently roll the plastic wrap as shown in the photo. Place in the fridge a few minutes to firm up.
- Attach the star frosting tip to the disposable piping bag. Remove the frosting from the fridge. Cut in half if needed (mine was really long) and place the open end down into the frosting tip.
- Gently squeeze the frosting out of the bag and onto the cupcake in a circular motion.
- Repeat with all cupcakes.
Notes
Nutrition
Be sure to pin this Red White & Blue Cupcakes recipe on Pinterest:
More of our Favorite 4th of July Dessert Recipes:
Red White and Blue Cherry Bomb Brownie Cupcakes
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