Our 4th of July Cupcakes are an easy from scratch recipe for vanilla cupcakes. Topped with a homemade buttercream frosting, decorated with red white and blue stripes and topped with a cherry, they are a perfect fourth of July dessert!

4th of July Cupcakes Recipe

Can’t think of a better way to celebrate our country’s birthday than with red white and blue cupcakes with a cherry on top! With just a few simple ingredients that you’re sure to have on hand in your kitchen, these July 4th Cupcakes will be ready in no time. Simple from-scratch vanilla cupcakes are topped with a creamy homemade frosting that is easily decorated because 4th of July cupcake toppers make all the difference! So go ahead and add those stripes of patriotic colors and put that finishing touch on top, a cherry, of course!

Our 4th of July cake recipe is sure to be a favorite year after year!

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Tips for making homemade cupcakes

When scooping cupcake batter for your 4th of July cupcakes into the liners, be sure to use a #20 ice cream scooper for perfect sized cupcakes every time!

I used cake decorating brushes to paint the red and blue stripes in the pastry bag. Basic water color paintbrushes will work fine too!

Disposable pastry bags make clean up easy every time but you can certainly opt for these reusable featherweight pastry bags too.

I piped the buttercream frosting on our easy homemade vanilla cupcakes with a large Open Star Pastry Tip.

Ingredients you will need to make this recipe

• butter
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• flour
• baking powder
• salt
• milk
• vanilla extract
• confectioners’ sugar
• red gel food color
• blue gel food color
• marachino cherries

4th of July Desserts

No-Bake Sweet Berry Tartlets….the perfect ending to your holiday celebration!  A simple-to-make strawberry filling kissed with a hint of citrus and crowned with fresh blueberries will surely look festive and patriotic on your table.

Red White & Blueberry Trifle is an easy no-bake dessert made of pudding, whipped topping, store bought angel food cake and lots of fresh berries!

Jalapeno Lime Summer Fruit Salad , an easy fruit salad recipe that’s bursting with sweet juicy berries and watermelon, fresh mint, zesty lime and a hint of jalapeno heat, is a refreshing addition to your summer menu!

Watermelon Pizza is a no-bake easy dessert that’s bursting with fresh summer fruits, mint and lime Greek yogurt! Our watermelon dessert recipe is so much fun for kids and it’s colorful and healthy too!

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4th of July Cupcakes

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Simple from-scratch vanilla cupcakes are topped with a homemade creamy frosting decorated with red and blue stripes and topped with a cherry for your patriotic celebration!

Course: Dessert

Keyword: 4th of July Cupcakes

Servings: 16

Author: Gwynn Galvin

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 10 Tbs. butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 Tbs. vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 1 lb. confectioners' sugar, about 4 cups
• 3 Tbs. milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• red gel food color, such as Wilton red red icing color
• blue gel food color, such as Wilton royal blue icing color
• 16 marachino cherries

Instructions

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 16 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

2. With mixer on medium speed beat butter and sugar until blended, light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
4. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until blended.
5. Add milk and vanilla until just combined. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat 1-2 minutes until batter is smooth.
6. Divide batter evenly between cupcake liners and bake 25 minutes or until tops are golden and toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.
7. Cool 5 minutes in pan. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Frosting:

1. Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add confectioners sugar and beat until blended.

2. Add milk and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. As you beat the frosting it will become lighter in color, creamier and fluffier.

3. Attach piping tip and pastry bag. Paint red and blue lines inside pastry bag. Carefully fill pastry bag with frosting and pipe onto tops of cupcakes and top with a cherry.

Recipe Notes

Makes 16 cupcakes.

Tip: For mini cupcakes line 48 mini muffin cups with cupcake liners. Prepare batter and divide evenly between mini liners. Bake 20 minutes or until tops are golden.