Patriotic Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
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Make Patriotic Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting for your 4th of July Celebration.
This is a fun recipe to surprise your family with or to make with your kids. You may substitute other colors for other times of year, or simply omit for a vanilla cupcake. It’s delicious and one of my favorite cakes that uses cake mix. Don’t forget to buy cake mix with pudding inside (like Betty Crocker).
The Buttercream Frosting has a Secret Ingredient!
I love the buttercream frosting and the shredded pieces of sweetened coconut. That combined with a “secret” ingredient puts these little gems over the top. What is the secret? Fiori di Sicilia, a flavoring from King Arthur Flour, which adds hints of floral, citrus, and vanilla. You won’t believe how just a drop of this adds so much deliciousness.
Ingredients for Patriotic Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
- white cake mix, with pudding
- all-purpose flour
- sugar
- salt
- water
- sour cream
- vegetable oil
- pure vanilla extract
- 4 egg whites
- blue and red food coloring
- powdered sugar
- butter, room temperature
- Fiori Di Sicilia (from King Arthur Flour)
- half and half cream
- Sweetened coconut
Instructions for Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake tins. In a large mixing bowl, mix together cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt. Add water, sour cream, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. Add egg whites one at a time until combined (2-3 minutes total).
Divide batter into three equal portions, so that you have bowls with red, white, and blue batter. Mix in the red and white food coloring to suite your preference.
Layer batter by adding 1 heaping tablespoon of each color to each tin, with red at the bottom. Liners will be nearly full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and spring back when touched. Cool on wire racks. Then decorate with frosting.
To Make the Frosting
In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter on low speed. Mix until well blended. Continue beating at medium speed for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla, Fiori Di Sicilia, and half and half. Beat for an additional minute. Scoop into a piping bag and decorate cupcakes. Sprinkle tops with coconut. Makes 24 cupcakes.
Dividing and coloring the batter is time consuming, but the effect is quite lovely. Kiddos and adults alike will be impressed and will love these Patriotic Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting!
See other recipes using Cake Mix Here. See more Desserts Here.
Patriotic Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix with pudding inside
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 whole egg whites
- blue and red food coloring
Buttercream Frosting:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Fiori Di Sicilia from King Arthur Flour
- 1 tablespoon half and half milk
- shredded sweetened coconut optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt. Add water, sour cream, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. Add egg whites one at a time until combined (2-3 minutes total).
- Divide batter into three equal portions, so that you have bowls with red, white, and blue batter. Mix desired amount of coloring into each. Place cupcake liners in cupcake tins. Layer batter by adding heaping tablespoon of each color to each tin, with red at the bottom. Liners will be nearly full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and spring back when touched. Cool on wire racks. Then decorate with frosting.
- To make frosting: In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter on low speed. Mix until well blended. Continue beating at medium speed for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla, Fiori Di Sicilia, and half and half. Beat for an additional minute. Scoop into a piping bag to decorate cupcakes. Sprinkle tops with shredded coconut. Makes 24 cupcakes.
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