4th of July cupcakes

These gorgeous 4th of July cupcakes are tender, moist, and full of cocoa-rich swirls. One simple batter is transformed into white, red velvet and blue velvet batters, and they’re marbled together for swirly color in every bite. These patriotic cupcakes will get more attention than the fireworks! 

Not only are these red, white and blue cupcakes gorgeous to look at and delicious to eat, they’re also easy to make.

Don’t worry-- we’re not making three batters from scratch. I make a really good cupcake batter and pull out about 1 cup. Then I mix in cocoa powder and a splash of buttermilk. Divide it in half, color with red and blue, and voila-- 3 bowls of batter, ready to go.

All that’s left is a simple marbling in the cupcake liners. And of course, I hope you go all in with the rich vanilla buttercream (read on for tips). It takes these Fourth of July cupcakes to the next level of delicious.

what makes these the best 4th of July cupcakes?

Butter: I love the flavor and delicate texture that butter gives to cupcakes. It also helps them stay light and fluffy, thanks to the air incorporated during the creaming stage. Oil-based cupcakes also tend to leave a filmy, coating texture in my mouth which isn’t my favorite. The downside to all-butter cupcakes is dryness, which can get more noticeable the day after baking. But don’t worry! I address that next.

Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream is a great way to add moisture to cupcakes. It’s thick, so it doesn’t make the batter too watery and thin. The acidity adds a delicate tang to the batter, and the fat gives the cupcakes a tender, rich texture. Full-fat Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute-- the batter will be thicker and trickier to marble, but the cupcakes will be a bit fluffier.

Buttermilk: The acidity in buttermilk activates the baking soda in the recipe to give the cupcakes extra lift. It also keeps the crumb tender.

Cocoa powder: The cocoa powder in the red and blue swirls adds a touch of chocolate flavor to these 4th of July cupcakes. It also deepens the colors, so they look more dramatic and eye-catching.

how to make 4th of July cupcakes:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time
4. Beat in sour cream and vanilla
5. Alternate mixing in dry ingredients and buttermilk
6. Pull off 1 cup of batter, mix in cocoa powder and buttermilk
7. Divide cocoa batter in half, color red and blue
8. Spoon white, red and blue batters into cupcake liners until ⅔ full
9. Gently marble with a toothpick
10. Bake about 20 minutes
11. Cool completely
12. Decorate with buttercream and sprinkles!

how to decorate 4th of july cupcakes:

For these 4th of July cupcakes, I kept the decorating elegant and relatively simple (if you’re into buttercream piping, that is). I love the look of mixed rosettes and just a touch of color. There’s plenty going on under the frosting in these red, white and blue cupcakes, so I tried to keep the top a little bit more restrained.

1. Make a stiff buttercream frosting
2. Color about ½ cup red and ½ cup blue (I used Wilton Red-Red and Wilton Royal Blue)
3. Pipe a white rosette on the tops of each cupcake, using a variety of extra large tips (1M and some other random star shapes)
4. Use Wilton tips 199 and 4B to make red and blue “fireworks” on top of the rosette
5. Finish the cupcakes with a tiny sprinkle of silvery sprinkles (I love Fancy Sprinkles).

Of course, if you want to go even more minimal with the decorating, stick to a plain white rosette or even just spread the buttercream and go to town with sprinkles. They'll be delicious and beautiful, no matter what you decide.

more 4th of July desserts you'll love:

triple berry creme fraiche cake

cheesecake parfait with berries and crumbled gingersnaps

white balsamic berry tart

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