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4th of July Cupcakes

These 4th of July cupcakes are a delicious way to celebrate Independence Day and Memorial Day. These light and fluffy cupcakes are decorated with red white and blue buttercream swirls and edible flowers.

For more patriotic treats, try our red, white and blue chocolate chip cookies, American flag fruit pizza, and 4th of July cheesecake.

4th of July cupcakes with red, white, and blue frosting on a round marble plate.

Red white and blue cupcakes

These red white and blue cupcakes are our favorite for Memorial Day and the 4th of July! They consist of moist vanilla cupcakes that are colored red, white, and blue and taste absolutely delicious.

The patriotic theme continues to the festive topping with red, white, and blue buttercream swirls and gorgeous summer flowers.

And despite looking fancy, the recipe is quite simple and uses pantry-staple ingredients. If you need a stunning treat for a July 4th party or Memorial Day gathering, this is it!

4th of July cupcake ingredients.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour – It’s important to measure the flour correctly. Weigh the flour with a digital kitchen scale for the most accurate results. Alternatively, use the spoon and level method to measure your flour.
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder – creates the fluffy, soft texture.
  • 1 stick salted butter – Let the butter soften on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar – makes the cupcakes moist and sweet.
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract – gives the cupcakes a rich, sweet flavor. Please select pure vanilla extract for the best taste, not the imitation stuff.
  • 2 large eggs – Like the butter, set the eggs out on the counter to reach room temperature. Room temperature ingredients are essential to ensure everything mixes well.
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk – makes the cupcakes extra tender and perfectly moist. If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own by mixing 1/2 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
  • red and blue gel food coloring – To get bold colors, I recommend gel food coloring rather than liquid food coloring. I used Royal Blue and Super Red from Ann Clark. They are some of the best food colors I have ever used and allow you to achieve a deep blue and rich red that reflect the colors of the flag.
buttercream ingredients.

Frosting

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter – For the best results, soften the butter to room temperature before mixing the batter. Cold butter will not combine well with the other ingredients, and you’ll be left with a lumpy frosting.
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar – Sift the powdered sugar to remove lumps and create a smooth texture.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – gives the frosting great flavor.
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream – Adding cream makes the frosting extra smooth and allows you to cut back on the powdered sugar. Make sure your cream is at room temperature – otherwise, the texture will be off.
  • red and blue gel food coloring – same as for the cupcakes.
three red white and blue cupcakes on a marble platter.

Edible flowers

I decorated my 4th of July cupcakes with edible flowers because I love those little botanical touches. Of course, you can also garnish your cupcakes with berries (strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries), a patriotic sprinkle mix, or leave them as is – they will look gorgeous either way.

  • Red flowers: Red carnations, begonias, pansies, gerbera daisies, geranium, roses – you have lots of red edible flowers to choose from. Be sure only to buy flours that have been organically grown and aren’t treated with chemicals. And if you’re foraging in the wild, make sure they don’t grow near roadways.
  • White flowers: White daisies look beautiful on these cupcakes. Other edible white flowers include pansies, roses, carnations, or chamomile.
  • Blue flowers: I opted for cornflowers because they are blue and bloom in July. You may have cornflowers growing in your garden, and you can sometimes find them at farmers’ markets and florists. Borage flowers would look lovely, too.

Instructions

1. Prep work

Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4. Prepare a regular-size cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners.

step 2 combine dry ingredients.

2. Combine dry ingredients

Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

step 3 cream butter and sugar.

3. Mix butter and sugar

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar until fluffy and light in color, about 2 minutes.

step 4 incorporate wet ingredients.

4. Incorporate wet ingredients

Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Add them one at a time and mix well after each addition to ensure they incorporate well and create a smooth batter.

step 5 add dry ingredients.

5. Add dry ingredients

Add the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. You want the batter to be smooth, but be careful not to overmix it, or you could end up with dense cupcakes.

step 6 color the cupcake batter.

6. Color the batter

Equally divide the batter into three bowls. Leave one batter as is. Color the second batter red, then tint the third portion blue.

step 7 fill the liners.

7. Fill the liners

First, divide the red cupcake batter evenly between the liners. Then add the white batter and finish with the blue batter.

You need about 4 to 5 tablespoons of batter for each cupcake, which is about 1.5 tablespoons of each color for each cupcake.

step 8 bake cupcakes.

8. Bake the cupcakes

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Cool

Take the cupcakes out of the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.

step 10 mix the buttercream.

10. Mix the buttercream

Add the butter, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at the lowest speed until everything is combined.

Then, turn the speed up to medium-high and mix for 10 minutes. Scraped down the bowl halfway through.

Mix on the lowest speed for 1 minute to remove any air bubbles from the frosting.

Remove air bubbles: If you notice a lot of air bubbles in your frosting, mix the buttercream with the paddle attachment on the lowest speed for a couple of minutes.

step 11 tint the buttercream.

11. Tint buttercream

Divide the buttercream between 3 bowls. Leave one white, tint the second red, and the third blue.

White buttercream: Buttercream is already pretty light because of the heavy cream. If you want your buttercream even brighter, stir in some white gel food coloring.

step 12 prepare the piping bag,

12. Prepare piping bag

Add each color of buttercream to a piping bag and twist the ends to close the piping bag. Snip off the tip of each pastry bag.

Then, place all 3 piping bags in another piping bag fitted with a star piping tip. Twist the tops of all piping bags together.

step 13 frost the cupcakes.

13. Frost cupcakes

Pipe a generous swirl of buttercream onto each cupcake. If desired, decorate the cupcakes with edible flowers. Enjoy!

Storage

  • Store: Place the cupcakes into an airtight box or cupcake carrier and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature before eating.
  • Freeze: The unfrosted cupcakes freeze well. Let the cupcakes cool completely, then wrap each in plastic foil and place in a freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months. To defrost, let the cupcakes thaw at room temperature and then frost before serving.
4th of July cupcakes.

4th of July Cupcake Recipe

Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes

These 4th of July cupcakes are a delicious way to celebrate Independence Day and Memorial Day. These light and fluffy cupcakes are decorated with red white and blue buttercream swirls and edible flowers.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1 1/4 cups / 165 g / 5.8 oz all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup / 115 g / 4 oz salted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup / 150 g / 5.3 oz sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup / 160 ml / 5.4 fl oz buttermilk
  • red gel food coloring
  • blue gel food coloring

Frosting

  • 3/4 cup / 170 g / 6 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups / 300 g / 10.5 oz (confectioners’/icing) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup / 170 ml / 6 fl oz heavy cream, at room temperature
  • red gel food coloring
  • blue gel food coloring

Garnish

  • edible flowers (see Notes below)

Instructions

  1. Prep work. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4. Prepare a regular-size cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners.
  2. Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
  3. Mix butter and sugar. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar until fluffy and light in color, about 2 minutes.
  4. Incorporate wet ingredients. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Add them one at a time and mix well after each addition to ensure they incorporate well and create a smooth batter.
  5. Add dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. You want the batter to be smooth, but be careful not to overmix it, or you could end up with dense cupcakes.
  6. Color the batter. Equally divide the batter into three bowls. Leave one batter as is. Color the second batter red, then tint the third portion blue.
  7. Fill the liners. First, divide the red cupcake batter evenly between the liners. Then add the white batter and finish with the blue batter. You need about 4 to 5 tablespoons of batter for each cupcake, which is about 1.5 tablespoons of each color for each cupcake.
  8. Bake the cupcakes. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool. Take the cupcakes out of the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Mix the buttercream. Add the butter, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at the lowest speed until everything is combined. Then, turn the speed up to medium-high and mix for 10 minutes. Scraped down the bowl halfway through. Mix on the lowest speed for 1 minute to remove any air bubbles from the frosting.
  11. Tint buttercream. Divide the buttercream between 3 bowls. Leave one white, tint the second red, and the third blue.
  12. Prepare piping bag. Add each color of buttercream to a piping bag and twist the ends to close the piping bag. Snip off the tip of each pastry bag. Then, place all 3 piping bags in another piping bag fitted with a star piping tip. Twist the tops of all piping bags together.
  13. Frost cupcakes. Pipe a generous swirl of buttercream onto each cupcake. If desired, decorate the cupcakes with edible flowers. Enjoy!

Notes

I decorated my 4th of July cupcakes with edible flowers because I love those little botanical touches. Of course, you can also garnish your cupcakes with berries (strawberries, raspber-ries, and blueberries), a patriotic sprinkle mix, or leave them as is – they will look gorgeous ei-ther way.

Red flowers: Red carnations, begonias, pansies, gerbera daisies, geranium, roses – you have lots of red edible flowers to choose from. Be sure only to buy flours that have been organically grown and aren’t treated with chemicals. And if you’re foraging in the wild, make sure they don’t grow near roadways.


White flowers: White daisies look beautiful on these cupcakes. Other edible white flowers include pansies, roses, carnations, or chamomile.


Blue flowers: I opted for cornflowers because they are blue and bloom in July. You may have cornflowers growing in your garden, and you can sometimes find them at farmers’ markets and florists. Borage flowers would look lovely, too.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 353Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 156mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 0gSugar: 17gProtein: 4g

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