Red white and blue cupcakes are the perfect patriotic addition to any 4th of July or Memorial Day party! They are soft and moist and always a big hit!
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Why we love these cupcakes
These cupcakes are absolutely stunning! With beautifully piped frosting, festive sprinkles, colorful liners, and a maraschino cherry on top, they look like a bakery masterpiece—but they’re surprisingly easy to make!
- Simple & Quick – Made with a box cake mix and a foolproof buttercream frosting, these cupcakes come together effortlessly.
- Perfect for Any Occasion – Ideal for Memorial Day or Fourth of July, but you can swap out the colors to match any holiday or celebration!
- Irresistibly Delicious – Soft, moist cake topped with sweet, creamy buttercream—what’s not to love?
What you’ll need
Find the full, printable recipe with exact measurements at the bottom of this post. Read on for more details and tips!
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- White cake mix
- Red and Blue food coloring
- Muffing tin
- Cupcake liners– I love a patriotic theme
- Scooper– 1 table spoon or 1/2 tablespoon works, or just use a regular spoon
- Frosting piping bags
- Salted butter, room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- Stand mixer
- Powered sugar
- Heavy whipping cream
- Red white and blue sprinkles and maraschino cherries (optional)
- Fun serving platter or cupcake stand
How to make Red White and Blue Cupcakes
Mix the cupcake batter: Prepare the cake mix according to the package instructions, typically combining the dry mix with eggs, water, and oil.
Divide the batter evenly into three bowls (about 1 ½ cups per bowl). Tint two of the bowls with red and blue food coloring, mixing until fully incorporated.
Prepare the muffin tin: Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. For 18 cupcakes, fill the liners ¾ full; for 24 cupcakes, fill them ½ full. Using a small cookie scoop, drop a little batter from each bowl into the liners—don’t worry if the colors blend slightly!
Bake according to package directions, typically at 350°F (175°C) for about 18 minutes.
Make the frosting: While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting. In a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar, mixing on medium-high speed until smooth and airy, scraping down the sides as needed.
If the frosting is too thick, mix in 1–2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream until you reach the desired consistency.
Decorate: Once the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe the frosting as desired. Using a large star tip, you can pipe three small stars on each cupcake for a decorative touch. Finish with sprinkles and arrange on a platter to serve. Enjoy!
Aren’t those just gorgeous!
Tips & Tricks:
- Using whole eggs will tint the white cake batter slightly yellow. For a true white cake, substitute 4 egg whites for the 3 whole eggs.
- Bake 1–2 minutes less than the package suggests to prevent overbaking. If the package directs 19–22 minutes, start checking at 18 minutes—mine were perfect at that time!
- If you love extra frosting, double the batch to ensure you have plenty. Otherwise, frost lightly to make sure it stretches across all the cupcakes.
- Scrape the mixing bowl frequently when making the frosting to ensure the butter and powdered sugar are fully incorporated.
- If using unsalted butter, add just a pinch of salt (about ¼ tsp). Trust me—do not use a full teaspoon. Don’t ask how I know. 😉
- For a brighter white batter, try adding a few drops of white food coloring.
- No piping bags? No problem! Fill a Ziplock bag with frosting, snip off a corner, and pipe as usual.
- These cupcakes can be made ahead of time. Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge, then let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Try These Next
- American Flag S’mores Dip
- Berry Angel Food Cake
- Flag Fruit Tarts
- Broccoli Pasta Salad
- Dill Pickle Potato Salad
- Lemonies Lemon Bars
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Red White and Blue Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix + ingredients to prepare the cake mix
- Red food coloring
- Blue food coloring
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Mix together the cake batter according to package directions. Evenly divide the batter into 3 bowls (it’s about 1 1/2 cups each bowl)
- Add red food coloring to 1 bowl and mix
- Add blue food coloring to 1 bowl and mix
- Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon add each color batter to the cupcake liner. Fill a little more than halfway
- Bake according to package directions, about 18 minutes.
- Meanwhile prepare the frosting.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, mix the butter a couple of minutes until soft and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and the sifted powdered sugar and beat together for a couple of minutes on medium to medium high speed. add in the heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time and continue mixing until smooth and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick add 1 more tablespoon of heavy cream.
- Add the frosting to a piping bag.
- Let the cupcakes cool and pipe on the icing. Decorate with maraschino cherries and red, white and blue sprinkles.
