These cupcakes are a perfect 4th of July dessert idea! The cake is a moist and tender vanilla cake that’s filled with red, white, and blue sprinkles. It is topped with a vanilla buttercream frosting that has just a twinge of cream cheese to create a deep flavor.
These Cupcakes are Perfect for 4th of July
The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays because I use to spend every summer of it baking with my friends. We’d make berry trifles, fruit tarts, and red white and blue cupcakes. The holiday, to me, comes with fond memories of driving to my friends houses, eating dessert, watching fireworks, and wearing outrageous Uncle Sam hats. It’s only fitting then, that I share one of my absolute favorite July 4th cupcake recipes. These are a great 4th of July dessert to share with a crowd!
The recipe starts with a super moist and tender vanilla cake, which is then loaded with festive sprinkles and topped with fluffy frosting. This vanilla frosting is one of my favorites because it has just a touch of cream cheese in it. Because of this, it isn’t as cloyingly sweet as most frostings and has a much more nuanced, deep flavor.
Here Is What You Will Need
Equipment
This recipe yields 15 festive 4th of July cupcakes. You’ll need 1-2 cupcake pans as well as liners.
You’ll also need an electric to make the cupcake batter as well as the frosting.
VANILLA CUPCAKE BATTER
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Granulated sugar
- A neutral oil, such a vegetable, avocado, or grapeseed
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature: to quickly bring the eggs to room temp, soak them in a bowl of very warm water for 10 minutes.
- Buttermilk
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Cornstarch: this helps add tenderness to the cake
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Red, white, and blue sprinkles.
FROSTING
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Plain cream cheese, softened
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy whipping cream or whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- Kosher salt
Tips for Making Cupcakes
To ensure that you make the best ever cupcakes this 4th of July, here are some tips from me to you based on trial and error:
- Don’t Skimp the Creaming Process: you’ll notice that the beginning of the recipe, there are multiple levels of creaming. Start with the butter and sugar, then add eggs, then add oil. This process is crucial for building out the texture of the cupcakes and adding air, which will make them so light and fluffy.
- Don’t over-mix the flour: in case you can’t tell already, it’s all about texture. To ensure that your cupcakes and light, do not over-mix the flour. What happens if you do is that you’ll end up with tough and gummy cupcakes due to too much gluten developing in the batter. Make sure to mix the flour in until it is just combined. I also recommend using a flexible spatula to finish folding in the flour by hand, as this gives you more control than a mixer.
- Use room temperature ingredients: this is a hill I will die on. The butter, eggs, and buttermilk should all be at room temperature. If you’re one of those people who stores your flour in the fridge, make sure you let it come to room temperature. Cold ingredients do not mix well into the batter and can cause your fats to curdle. During the creaming process, we are also creating an emulsion, and something like cold eggs will cause that emulsion to split. At the end of the day, this all means that your cake won’t be as evenly textured and tender. I think I give this advice in almost all of my cake/cupcake recipes because it’s so important!
Recipe Q&A
Can I Make These Cupcakes Ahead of Time?
You sure can! You can prepare the cupcakes a day in advance and store them in an airtight container. When you’re ready to serve, simply whip up the frosting and pipe it on. If you’re really trying to get a head of holiday cooking, then you can also tightly wrap and freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 1 month.
What If I Want Even More Colorful Cupcakes?
Add a few drops of red or blue food coloring into your cake batter before baking. It may be harder to see the sprinkles if you do this, but it’ll overall give you a more colorful cupcake.
How Should I Store Leftovers?
If there are any leftovers, store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. They are best enjoyed, however, within the first day or two. So get eating and share with your friends!
Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a rating and/or comment to spread the love and help others find this recipe.
Also feel free take a picture and share it with me on Instagram @toppedwithhoney. Looking forward to seeing your festive 4th of July Cupcakes!
If you’re not ready to cook yet, no problem! Simply hover over any image in this post (pick your favorite), or tap if you’re on mobile, and click the pin icon in the corner to save for later.
4th of July Funfetti Cupcakes
4th of July Funfetti Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg white, at room temperature
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup red, white, and blue sprinkles, plus more for decorating
Vanilla Frosting
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3 oz plain cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream, or whole milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line 1-2 cupcake pans. This recipe makes 15 cupcakes total.
- Prepare the buttermilk by quickly heating it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to bring it to room temperature, and then stir in the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together. Set this aside for now.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy (2-3 minutes). Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg, then the egg white, beating for
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and one at a time, add the egg, then the egg white. Continue beating for another minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, and add the oil, one tablespoon at a time. Beat for another 2-3 minutes on medium-high, or until the mixture is thick and creamy.
- Reduce your mixer speed and add ¼ of the flour mixture, followed by all of the buttermilk, and then the remaining flour. Mix until the flour is just combined. Then, turn off the mixer and fold ¼ cup of sprinkles in using a flexible rubber spatula.
- Spoon batter into the cupcake pans, filling to no more than ¾ full. Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until cupcakes are set. Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, start by beating the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Starting on low speed, begin bringing the ingredients together, slowing increasing the speed up to medium-high once you're confident that powdered sugar won't go flying everywhere.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, and then. continue beating at medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Spread or pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Top with more sprinkles and enjoy!
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