Nothing says "Happy 4th of July!" like homemade red, white and blue cupcakes! This 4th of July Cupcake Recipe is perfect for any Independence Day celebration. Whether you're having a picnic, attending a parade or just spending time with family and friends.
Delicious as well as beautiful, they're so easy to make, even the kids can help out. So get in the spirit of America's birthday with some festive baking - your taste buds will thank you!
Make sure you check out all the other 4th of July Foods available here on the site. There's nothing like celebrating a holiday with delicious food!
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy a light and airy dessert, and cupcakes fit the bill perfectly. Made with a cake mix, cupcakes are quick and easy to prepare, and they can be decorated to suit any party theme.
And if you need to make a lot of desserts, cupcakes are the way to go - you can easily make three or four dozen at a time. Whether you decorate them with frosting and sprinkles or keep them simple, cupcakes are sure to be a hit at your next summer gathering.
Best of all, this easy 4th of July Cupcake Recipe is portable! Which means they're easy to pack up and take them with you to someone's house for a party.
Table of Contents
Looking for more Patriotic Recipes? Try my 4th of July Appetizers, July 4th Side Dishes or my Red Velvet 4th of July Cake.
4th of July Themed Cupcakes
Independence Day is a time to celebrate our nation's birthday with family and friends. And what better way to show your patriotic spirit than with some red, white, and blue cupcakes?
These patriotic treats are perfect for any 4th of July party or barbecue. Plus, they're super easy to make! Just start with a cake mix and add some food coloring to the batter. Then simply bake the cupcakes according to the package directions.
Once they're cooled, you can decorate them with frosting, sprinkles, and flags. So get festive and show your American pride with these inventive 4th of July cupcakes!
What happens if you add mayonnaise to cake mix?
Like most of the baked goods on my site, these cupcakes start out with a boxed cake mix. Only I'm using another one of my cake mix hacks to make sure they're delicious!
Cake mix cupcakes are a quick and easy way to make a delicious treat. However, they can sometimes be a little dry. One way to add extra moisture is to add mayonnaise to the cake mix.
This may seem strange, but the mayonnaise actually helps to keep the cupcakes moist and prevents them from drying out. As a result, cake mix cupcakes that are made with mayonnaise are often more moist and flavorful than those made without it.
So if you're looking for a way to make this 4th of July cupcake recipe taste better, add a little mayonnaise to the mix. You'll be surprised at the difference it makes.
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Main Ingredients Needed
This is an overview of the ingredients and instructions. Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact quantities, detailed instructions and special notes.
- White Cake Mix
- Water
- Vegetable Oil
- Mayonnaise
- Egg Whites
- Blue Raspberry Jello
- Blue Raspberry Flavoring
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar
- Heavy Cream
- Lemonade Flavoring
- Blue and Red Gel Food Coloring
- Patriotic Sprinkles
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 | Prepare the Cake Mix
- Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, add the cake mix to a bowl with the water, egg whites, oil and mayonnaise. Beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly between three separate bowls.
- Add the red food coloring to one bowl.
- Then add the blue food coloring to another bowl.
- Keep one bowl white.
Baking Tip: For this recipe I used gel-paste food coloring. The color is concentrated so you don't need to use a lot of drops to achieve the pretty red and blue colors. Liquid food coloring will only water down the batter and not give you the vibrant colors you see below.
Step 2 | How to Fill the Cupcake Pan
- Add a layer of blue batter to the muffin tin.
- Then add the white batter and finally the red batter.
- Each muffin tin should be about ⅔ way full.
Step 3 | Baking Instructions
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool slightly before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely before adding the homemade frosting.
Step 4 | Prepare the Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter for about 2 minutes or until it's light and fluffy.
- Add in the vanilla extract and the lemonade flavoring.
- Slowly mix in the powdered sugar and the half and half.
- Continue to mix until stiff peaks form.
- Divide the frosting into 3 bowls. Add the blue food coloring to one bowl and the red to another; again being careful to only add one drop at a time as the gel food coloring is strong.
Step 5 | How to Create the Multi Colored Frosting
- Insert a large piping bag into a large glass.
- Fold the end of a large piping bag over a large glass's edge. Apply a stripe of red frosting to one side and another across from it with a frosting spreader. Continue with the blue icing.
- Place the piping bag in a large glass.
- Fold the end of the piping bag over the edge of the glass.
- Using a small spatula, spread a stripe of red frosting on one side and then another stripe across from it. Do the same with the blue frosting. This will create the stripe effect that makes these cupcakes so special.
- Finally fill the bag with the white frosting.
Step 6 | Decorating Tips
- Before you use the frosting, squeeze a little out to test it and make sure all three colors come out of the piping bag.
- Proceed to frost the cupcakes in a swirl motion.
- Finally add the patriotic sprinkles on top.
⭐Before You Begin! If you make this recipe, please leave a review and star rating. This helps my business thrive and continue providing FREE recipes.
Check out my other recipe for Patriotic Cupcakes that uses a homemade red velvet cake recipe!
Recipe Variations
- If you can't find blue raspberry Jello, any blue colored Jello will work.
- Also, you could substitute the homemade frosting with a canned frosting. Or even a homemade cream cheese frosting would work.
Storage Tips
- Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature. If it's summer or very warm in your house, you should store them in the refrigerator.
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4th of July Cupcake Recipe
This 4th of July Cupcake Recipe is made with a cake mix, food coloring and homemade frosting tinted with red & blue frosting.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 - 15.25 ounce white cake mix
- 1 ¾ cups water
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 4 egg whites
- 1 - 2 teaspoons of Blue Raspberry Jello
- 1 - 2 teaspoons of Blue Raspberry Flavoring
For the Frosting
- 1 ½ sticks butter; softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 - 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 - 2 teaspoons Lemonade Flavoring
- Blue and Red Gel Food Coloring
- Patriotic Sprinkles
Instructions
Prepare the Cake Mix
- Preheat oven to 350°F,
- Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, add the cake mix to a bowl with the water, egg whites, oil and mayonnaise. Beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly between three separate bowls.
- Add the red food coloring to one bowl.
- Then add the blue food coloring to another bowl.
- Keep one bowl white.
- Add a layer of blue batter to the muffin tin.
- Then add the white batter and finally the red batter.
- Each muffin tin should be about ⅔ way full.
- Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool slightly before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely before adding the homemade frosting.
Prepare the Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter for about 2 minutes or until it's light and fluffy.
- Add in the vanilla extract and the lemonade flavoring.
- Slowly mix in the powdered sugar and the half and half.
- Continue to mix until stiff peaks form.
- Divide the frosting into 3 bowls.
- Add the blue food coloring to one bowl and the red to another; again being careful to only add one drop at a time as the gel food coloring is strong.
Decorate the Cupcakes
- Insert a large piping bag into a large glass.
- Fold the end of a large piping bag over a large glass's edge. Apply a stripe of red frosting to one side and another across from it with a frosting spreader. Continue with the blue icing.
- Place the piping bag in a large glass.
- Fold the end of the piping bag over the edge of the glass.
- Using a small spatula, spread a stripe of red frosting on one side and then another stripe across from it. Do the same with the blue frosting. This will create the stripe effect that makes these cupcakes so special.
- Finally fill the bag with the white frosting.
- Before you use the frosting, squeeze a little out to test it and make sure all three colors come out of the piping bag.
- Proceed to frost the cupcakes in a swirl motion.
- Finally add the patriotic sprinkles on top.
Notes
When adding the Lemonade Flavoring and the Blue Raspberry Flavoring, start with just 1-2 drops and increase gradually, as this flavoring is strong.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 0gSugar: 60gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information is calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you, please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator.
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