Patriotic Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
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Patriotic Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting are perfect for a 4th of July Celebration. Surprise your family with this fun recipe to make with your kids.
(Post modified with new photos on 6/30/23.)
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 a 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. This 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.
More Patriotic Recipes to Try
Ingredients for Patriotic Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- white cake mix, with pudding
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- salt
- water
- sour cream
- vegetable oil
- pure vanilla extract
- egg whites (four of them)
- 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 Making This Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Place cupcake liners in cupcake tins. You will need two regular-sized muffin pans to hold 24 cupcakes.
Prepare the Batter
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake mix, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt until combined.
Add water, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well with an electric mixer.
Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Add egg whites one at a time and beat until combined (2-3 minutes total).
You might use the egg yolks to make an Omelette, custard, or Creme Brulee.
Assemble the Cupcake Layers
Divide the cake batter into three equal portions, so that you have bowls with red, white, and blue batter.
Mix in the red and blue food coloring to suite your preference.
I found that a whisk works well to incorporate the color into the batter.
Layer the batter by adding 1 tablespoon of each color to each tin, beginning with red at the bottom.
A small scoop works well for this step. I used a Vollrath Purple 3/4 oz Scoop, Size 40, and cleaned it between each use of colors.
The cupcake liners will be nearly full when finished. The batter may fit better without the use of cupcake liners, but I like to use liners when serving guests.
Bake both pans on the same rack in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until the cakes are golden brown and spring back when touched.
Cool on wire racks. Then decorate with frosting.
Make the Frosting
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the powdered sugar and softened butter on low speed. Mix until well blended. Continue beating at medium speed for another 3 minutes.
Add vanilla extract, Fiori Di Sicilia, and half and half cream. Beat for an additional minute.
If desired, spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitting with a star tip (or tip of your choice.) Decorate the cupcakes. Sprinkle tops with sweetened coconut. The coconut adds a bit more white to the buttercream frosting, which I like.
Piped frosting is so pretty on cupcakes. I’m no cake decorator, but I try. If you’d prefer to simply spread the frosting onto the cupcakes, that works, too! And the sweetened coconut on top covers it anyway.
This recipe will make 24 cupcakes.
Dividing and coloring the batter is time consuming, but the effect is quite lovely. Kids 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. Browse all Cake Recipes Here.
Patriotic Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix with pudding inside
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups cold 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
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
- Place cupcake liners in cupcake tins. You will need two regular-sized muffin pans to hold 24 cupcakes.
Prepare the Cake Batter
- In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt until mixed well.
- Add water, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Add egg whites one at a time and beat until combined (2-3 minutes total).
Assemble the Cupcake Layers
- Divide the cake batter into three equal portions, so that you have bowls with red, white, and blue batter. Mix desired amount of coloring into each, using a whisk to blend.
- Layer batter by adding heaping tablespoon of each color to each tin, with red at the bottom. Liners will be nearly full when finished.
- Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and spring back when touched.
- Cool on wire racks. Then decorate with frosting.
Make the Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the powdered sugar and softened butter on low speed. Mix until well blended. Continue beating at medium speed for another 3 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract, Fiori Di Sicilia, and half and half cream. Beat for an additional minute.
- If desired, spoon frosting into a piping bag to decorate cupcakes, or spread frosting over tops of cupcakes with a butter knife. To garnish, sprinkle tops with shredded coconut. Makes 24 cupcakes.
Notes
Nutrition