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Bite out of a red, white and blue layered 4th of July Cupcakes with red, white and blue swirled frosting and sprinkles.
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4th of July Cupcakes Recipe

You are going to love these festive 4th of July Cupcakes with red, white & blue swirl frosting! Soft, spongy cake, creamy buttercream, and colorful sprinkles—perfect for any patriotic holiday!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time38 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 4th of July Cupcakes
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Calories: 288kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Equipment

  • 4 piping bags & large star tip (for frosting)
  • 20 Cupcake Liners

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

  • 1 (14.25 ounce) white cake mix (I used the Betty Crocker mix)
  • 1 (3.3 ounce) white chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup melted butter
  • 4 egg whites

For the Buttercream Frosting:

  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 1/4 cup butter (softened)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
  • 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or whole milk)
  • red and blue gel food coloring
  • sprinkles (optional, for decorating)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉.
    Add cupcake liners to pans and set aside. You should need 18-20 liners.
    Cupcake pan with liners.
  • Combine cake mix, pudding mix, buttermilk, butter, and egg whites in a mixing bowl. Mix until combined but be careful not to overmix.
    Glass mixing bowl with cake batter and whisk attachment on the side.
  • Separate batter into 3 bowls. Dye one bowl of batter red, one blue, and keep one white.
    Three bowl with divided cake batter. One bowl with white cake batter, one bowl with blue cake batter and one bowl with red cake batter.
  • Using a cookie scoop, scoop each color of batter into cupcake liners, filling each of them 3/4 of the way full.
    Small cookie scoop with white cake batter on top of blue cake batter in a cupcake pan.
  • Bake for 14-18 minutes in preheated oven. They are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
    Turn the cupcakes out of the pan immediately and cool completely before adding frosting.
    Cooling red, white and blue layered 4th of July Cupcakes on a cooling rack.

For the Frosting:

  • While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting.
    Cream shortening and butter in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment at medium speed.
    Glass mixing bowl with creamed butter and shortening.
  • Add vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar about a cup at a time and mix well. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl often.
    Add milk or cream and beat until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to thicken and milk or cream to thin.
    Glass mixing bowl with white cupcake frosting.

Decorating the Cupcakes:

  • Divide frosting into 3 bowls for coloring. Use the dye to color one batch red and one blue.
    Three bowls of colored frosting with red, blue and white with spoons.
  • To make a swirl pattern pipe lines, one of each color, over a large square of plastic wrap (to see how this is done, make sure " view step photos" is toggled on above).
    Sheet of plastic wrap with a strip of red, white and blue frosting.
  • Roll up the frosting in the plastic wrap and cut off the tip of one side.
    Rolled up red, white and blue frosting in plastic wrap and scissors cutting off the end.
  • Slip the frosting tube into a piping bag with a large star decorating tip. Make sure the cut side is facing down toward the tip.
    Red, white and blue frosting in a piping bag with scissors on the side.
  • Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and decorate with 4th of July sprinkles.
    Red, white and blue layered 4th of July Cupcakes with red, white and blue swirled frosting and sprinkles on a cooling rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 0.001g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 362IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.04mg