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4th of July Cupcakes

A fun and festive homemade dessert, these 4th of July Cupcakes are light, fluffy and colorful. Perfect for a patriotic holiday celebration!

A COLORFUL CUPCAKE RECIPE

These 4th of July Cupcakes are truly festive! The cupcakes themselves are super tasty, completely homemade and can be used for any occasion. The fun red, white and blue frosting really sets these off for the holiday season and it has a neat little trick to get that beautiful swirl pattern! The best part is that you can switch up the colors of this frosting for any occasion. If you want something special for your Independence Day party, then you need to make these cupcakes!

Overhead of 4th of July cupcakes on wire rack.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What do beaten egg whites do in baking?

The addition of the egg whites in this recipe gives these a light and fluffy texture.

How many cupcakes does this recipe make?

This makes about 18-20 cupcakes. You can absolutely double this recipe to serve more people.

Can I use another type of frosting?

You can use any kind of frosting that you like. I like to use a nice basic buttercream because it is classic. You can also use a cream cheese frosting.

What kind of piping tip do you use?

I used a large French tip for this recipe. You can use your favorite tip or whatever you have on hand.

How do I store leftovers?

These can be stored in an airtight container where they will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can extend the life to 5 days if placed in the refrigerator. These can also be frozen. Place finished cupcakes in a freezer container and they will keep for up to 3 months. To defrost remove to refrigerator overnight until thawed and then place on countertop to come to room temperature.

Pinterest image close up of 4th of July Cupcakes on parchment over wire rack in rows.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • salted butter
  • granulated sugar
  • white chocolate
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • all-purpose flour
  • milk
  • vanilla extract
  • egg whites
  • powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
  • heavy whipping cream
  • red and blue food coloring
Ingredients needed: butter, granulated sugar, egg whites, baking powder, baking soda, all-purpose flour, vanilla, milk, white chocolate, powdered sugar, whipping cream and food coloring.

HOW TO MAKE 4TH OF JULY CUPCAKES:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place cupcake papers in a cupcake pan. In a stand mixer, cream the 9 Tablespoons softened butter and 3/4 cups sugar until combined and fluffy.

Butter and sugar beaten together in stand mixer.

Place the white chocolate in the microwave for 20 second intervals until completely melted. Make sure not to burn. Add the white chocolate to the butter/sugar mixture. 

White chocolate added to stand mixer.

Start adding the sifted dry ingredients.

Sifted dry ingredients being added to stand mixer.

Alternate adding the flour with the milk. A little flour, a little milk and repeat until it’s all been combined. Finally mix in the vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Be careful to not over-mix.

Milk and vanilla being alternated with dry ingredients in stand mixer.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are light and fluffy. Add in the 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar, little by little.

Egg whites being whisked with remaining sugar.

Once the egg whites form peaks, fold them into the cupcake mixture.

Egg whites added to cupcake batter.

Distribute the batter evenly into the cupcake liners, filling each liner  about ⅔ of the way up. Bake for 19-20 minutes at 350F degrees or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before starting on the frosting.

Cupcake batter being placed in liners in pan.

To make the buttercream, Using a standing mixer or electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the sifted powdered sugar, little by little, alternating with the vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream.

Frosting beaten together in bowl of stand mixer.

Mix until fluffy and transfer into three separate bowls.  Add in the food coloring to each of the bowls and mix until the color is even throughout all the buttercream. Note: one bowl will not be colored as it will be the white portion of the red, white and blue frosting.

Frosting separated into 3 bowls and food coloring added.

Transfer each color into a piping bag.

Frosting added to 3 separate piping bags.

Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it on the counter. Then take the blue color piping bag and spread a line over the plastic wrap. The line should measure approximately the length of your piping bag. It should fit into the bag and fill it almost completely in length. Repeat once again on top so you have a line that is double the thickness. Continue doing the same thing for the red color, then the white, and repeat each color once more until there are two blue lines, two white, and two red.

Colors of frosting being piped onto plastic wrap.

Roll one edge in until it touches the last color which should be white. At the end, the blue touches the white color. This will give you the shape of a cylinder. Tie up the edges. Cut one of the edges and place that part into the bottom of another piping bag sleeve with your decorating tip placed. This way your dollop of icing will be three colors and the colors won’t smudge together. 

Frosting being added to top of cupcakes.

Add a large swirl onto each cupcake, from the outside inwards. Then serve! Happy 4th of July!

Finished 4th of July Cupcakes on parchment paper on wire rack lined up in rows.

WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES?

Close up square image of 4th of July Cupcakes decorated on wire rack.

4th of July Cupcakes

A fun and festive homemade dessert, these 4th of July Cupcakes are light, fluffy and colorful. Perfect for a patriotic holiday celebration!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 18

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

  • 9 Tablespoons salted butter softened to room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (+ 1 ½ Tablespoons extra for the egg whites)
  • ¼ cup white chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 cup (+ 1 Tablespoon) milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 egg whites

Buttercream:

  • 5 ½ cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) sifted
  • 2 cups salted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • red and blue food coloring

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F degrees F. Place cupcake papers in a cupcake pan.
  • In a stand mixer, cream the 9 Tablespoons softened butter and 3/4 cups sugar until combined fluffy.
  • Place the white chocolate in the microwave for 20 second intervals until completely melted. Make sure not to burn. Add the white chocolate to the sugar /butter mixture.
  • Start adding the dry ingredients (baking powder, baking soda and all-purpose flour).
  • You will alternate the dry ingredients with the milk. A little flour then a little milk and continue until its all been incorporated.
  • Finally mix in the vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Be careful to not over-mix.
  • In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are light and fluffy. Add in the leftover 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar, little by little.
  • Once the egg whites form peaks, fold them into the cupcake mixture.
  • Distribute the batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling each liner about ⅔ of the way up.
  • Bake for 19-20 minutes at 350F degrees or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before starting on the frosting.
  • To make the buttercream, using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy.
  • Add in the sifted powdered sugar, little by little, alternating with the vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream.
  • Mix until fluffy and transfer into three separate bowls.
  • Add in the food coloring to each of the bowls and mix until the color is even throughout all the buttercream (note: one bowl will not have added color. It will be the white part of the frosting swirl).
  • Transfer each color into its own a piping bag.
  • Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it on then counter. Then take the blue color piping bag and spread a line over the plastic wrap. The line should measure approximately the length of your piping bag. It should fit into the bag and fill it almost completely in length. Repeat once again on top so you have a line that is double the thickness.
  • Continue doing the same thing for the red color, then the white, and repeat each color once more until there are two blue lines, two white, and two red.
  • Roll one edge in until it touches the last color which should be white. At the end, the blue touches the white color. This will give you the shape of a cylinder. Tie up the edges.
  • Cut one of the edges and place that part into the bottom of another piping bag sleeve with your decorating tip placed. This way your dollop of icing will be three colors and the colors won't smudge together.
  • Add a large swirl onto each cupcake, from the outside inwards. Then serve!

Notes

  • Gel food coloring (instead of liquid) is best.
  • You can do a cream cheese frosting if you’d like.
  • These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
  • Switch up the colors for other occasions.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 28g | Sodium: 239mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 46g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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