These gorgeous Red White & Blue Swirl Cupcakes are guaranteed to steal the show at your next 4th of July party!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Holiday
Keyword 4th of July, cupcakes, Memorial Day
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 16cupcakes
Calories 279kcal
Author Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Ingredients
1/2cupbuttersoftened to room temperature
2eggs
1 1/2cupflour
1cupgranulated sugar
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
2teaspoonsbaking powder
1/2cupmilk
Red gel food coloring
Blue gel food coloring
Frosting Ingredients
3cupspowdered sugar
1/3cupsbuttersoftened to room temperature
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1-2Tablespoonsmilk
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
Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.