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Easy Cupcakes For The Fourth of July Or Anytime

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Easy To Make Patriotic Cupcakes

Here is a great idea for a desert to take to your 4th of July barbecue. What could be more patriotic than the flag on a cupcake? Your family and friends will be impressed with your talents! You don't have to tell them how easy they were to make! These easy cupcakes can be made with a yellow cake or chocolate cake recipe. Learn how to make cupcakes the easy way. You'll find both recipes below, plus a recipe for a delicious Swiss meringue frosting.

Tiny blue buttercream stars and red-licorice stripes finish off these flag cupcakes to celebrate Independence Day or any patriotic holiday.

Flag design, recipes, and cupcake photos are from Martha Stewart Cupcakes.

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcake Recipe

Makes 36

You will more than likely use this versatile cupcake recipe over and over, with variations of frosting and decorations. Two types of flour contribute to the cupcakes' singular texture. Cake flour makes for a delicate crumb, while the all-purpose flour keeps them from crumbling.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2-1/4 cups sugar
  • 5 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Directions


  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place liners in muffin tin. Sift together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar thoroughly, until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and add the whole eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended. Add the egg yolks and beat thoroughly.
  • Set speed on mixer to low and add 1/3 of the flour mixture, mix until well blended. Add half of the buttermilk, followed by another third of the flours, then the rest of the buttermilk, with the last third of the flour added last. Mix thoroughly between each addition of the dry and wet ingredients. Beat in vanilla.
  • Divide batter evenly into the lined cups, filling each 3/4s full. Bake, turning the pan halfway through, until cupcakes spring back when lightly touche and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
  • Place pans on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn out cupcakes onto the racks and let cool completely.
  • Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature and can be frozen for up to 2 months in airtight containers.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

One Bowl - Makes 18

Ingredients


  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup warm water


Directions


  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper cup liners.
  • With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking poser, and salt. Reduce speed to low.
  • Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, extract, and the water; beat until smooth and combined, scraping down sides as necessary.
  • Fill each lined cup 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. About 20 minutes.
  • Place pans on wire racks to cool about 10 minutes. Turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature or put in airtight containers and frozen for up to 2 months.

The Buttercream Frosting & The Decorations

Swiss Meringue Icing

This is my all time favorite frosting. It has a creamy texture that makes it easy to spread and can be piped into perfect peaks. If you don't have a favorite frosting recipe, I'll bet this one will become your favorite.

Ingredients


  • 5 large egg whites
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Directions


  • Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar is dissolved. (rubbing the mixture between your fingertips should feel smooth, not gritty.)
  • Attach the bowl to the mixer using the whisk attachment. Start out on low and gradually increase speed to medium-high speed. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Continue mixing until fluffy and glossy, about 10 minutes. The bottom of the bowl should also be cool.
  • Lower speed of mixer to medium-low. Add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla after all the butter has been added.
  • Change whisk to paddle attachment and continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue beating until the frosting is completely smooth.
  • Keep buttercream room temperature if using the same day. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Buttercream can be tinted if desired. Always keep a small amount separate to tone down the color, if needed.


The Stars & Stripes


  • Tint 1 cup buttercream a bright blue with gel-paste food color. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip (#4). Frost each cupcake with a smooth layer of untinted buttercream.
  • To finish, cut red licorice laces into seventy-two 1-1/2 inch long pieces and seventy-two 3/4 inch long pieces. Arrange three longer pieces and three shorter pieces to form a flag pattern. With blue frosting, pipe nine dots in each open corner to form "stars".

My Favorite Mixer

A Must Have In My Kitchen

This is the kind of mixer you need to make simple work of the buttercream frosting above. I have this mixer and I LOVE it! I can't say enough good about it. It takes all the guess work out of recipes. The mixer does all the work. I just add the ingredients, choose the beater, turn it on, and it does the rest.
KitchenAid KSM158GBCA 90th Anniversary Limited-Edition 5-Quart Stand Mixer, Candy Apple Red

KitchenAid KSM158GBCA 90th Anniversary Limited-Edition 5-Quart Stand Mixer, Candy Apple Red

Amazon Price: (as of 05/22/2012)Buy Now

No kitchen is complete without a stand mixer. Hand mixers are fine, but if you want speed and power, the stand mixer is what you want. This mixer is on my wish list. The candy apple red is perfect for the fourth of July (also available in cobalt blue or white). Use blue bowls and a white spatula to make your patriotic baking complete.

If you like that, you might also like ...

All this red, white, and blue stuff

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About Cupcakes & The 4th Of July

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The Cupcake Club on SquidooThe Cupcake Club on Squidoo is an ever-growing collection of the best cupcake recipes ever. It's also home for cute and unique decorating ideas, debates about chocolate vs. vanilla frosting, recommendations for the best kitchen gadgets, cupcake sightings at hot bakeries around town, colorful cupcake photography... If you've got a sweet tooth for cupcakes, you're in the right place. You can make pages for your favorite cupcakes (and even earn money from them).



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All of the cupcake recipes and decorating ideas you'll find here are coming to you through the magic of Squidoo.com.Squdioo.com allows its users to create web pages free-of-charge about anything they like. The Cupcake Club will be spotlighting Squidoo pages featuring the best cupcake recipes, super creative cupcake decorating ideas, helpful cupcake baking tips and everything else you'll need to create and enjoy the very best homemade cupcakes possible.
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Will You Make These For The 4th?

Yellow or Chocolate?

I'd love to know!

  • GrowWear Jul 5, 2011 @ 5:56 am | delete
    Love cupcakes, and would choose yellow if making them. :)
  • JoyfulPamela Jul 4, 2011 @ 4:00 pm | delete
    How fun and delicious looking!
  • gypsyman27 Jul 3, 2011 @ 2:28 pm | delete
    I'm writing this on July 3rd 2011, my son is going to 'freak out' when he sees these cupcake, of course I'm making them as we speak. Thank you for sharing this page. See you around the galaxy...
  • Treasures-By-Brenda Aug 29, 2010 @ 4:04 pm | delete
    Added to Culinary Favorites From A to Z, thanks!
  • Susan52 Jul 1, 2010 @ 2:22 pm | delete
    I just might! I love cake recipes with buttermilk and this one sounds excellent. Adore your 4th of July decorations!
  • LoKackl May 12, 2010 @ 8:27 am | delete
    With July Fourth around the corner this darling lens has wonderful recipes. SquidAngel Blessed.
  • Tipi May 2, 2010 @ 10:08 am | delete
    I was just over visiting OhMe's Freedom Feast and saw you in the guest book. Wouldn't these 4th of July cupcakes be great at their feast? Have a great day Beth! x
  • CastleRoy Apr 28, 2010 @ 5:12 pm | delete
    These look really yummy I will have to give them a try wonderful Lens!
  • nyfamily5 Apr 27, 2010 @ 6:37 am | delete
    These look great and easy to make. I'll just have to make for July 4th.
  • sandyspider Apr 26, 2010 @ 7:50 am | delete
    Delicious cupcake lens!
  • Evelyn_Saenz Apr 26, 2010 @ 6:47 am | delete
    Beautiful decoration for Fourth of July.
  • AndyPo Apr 25, 2010 @ 4:05 pm | delete
    These look delicious
  • Treasures-By-Brenda Apr 25, 2010 @ 3:46 pm | delete
    I'll have to find the Canadian version; but these look yummy. Thanks for the opportunity to add my recipes.
  • whitemoss Apr 25, 2010 @ 2:04 am | delete
    This looks fun!
  • Tipi Apr 24, 2010 @ 10:05 pm | delete
    I just got some box mixes for cupcakes. Just might have to decorate some for the 4th.
  • rms Apr 24, 2010 @ 8:43 pm | delete
    Super cute cupcakes! I will definitely be making these for the 4th!
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About Beth Day

Cupcake Lover & Baker

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bethd821

Hello. My name is Beth and am known as bethd821 here at Squidoo and many other places in the blogosphere. I have diversity in interests and will... more »

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