Red, White and Blue Cupcakes

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Say, “Happy Fourth!” with these Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes. These are moist, sweet cupcakes topped with a tangy, creamy frosting. If you’re looking for a festive cake option to decorate your dessert table, you must try my Flag Cake.

Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes | With Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy 4th of July! 

You guys, these Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes are the bomb dot com. My go-to vanilla cupcake recipe is pimped out with food coloring, killer cream cheese frosting, and sprinkles! Nothing says summer holiday quite like sugar on sugar on sugar. Basically, every kids’ dreams come true.

I brought these to a BBQ a few nights ago and people ended up fighting over them. Like mother against daughter “give me a bite of your cupcake!!” I think they were surprised that a plain old vanilla cupcake could taste that awesome.  Moist, sweet, and tender cake with a tangy, perfectly sweet, and cream cheese frosting. Simplicity at its best. AND, you probably have all the ingredients on hand 🙂 Cha-ching! Money in the bank. Just be sure to NOT over-bake the cupcakes and to use Philly cream cheese.

Main Ingredients Needed

You’ll likely have everything you need in your pantry already. Here is what you’ll need for these Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes:

• Egg Whites + Baking Powder – our leavening agents in this recipe. Leavening agents help with structure.
• Butter – softened, used for moisture and flavor. I like to use salted but feel free to use unsalted.
• Granulated Sugar – to sweeten and keep things light.
• Vanilla – for flavoring.
• All Purpose Flour – to fill out and give volume to the cupcakes
• Salt – helps to balance out and enhance all the flavors.
• Milk – helps with moisture and brings the dry ingredients together.
• Food Coloring – red and blue, used to color the batter. I like using gel food colorant because a little goes a long way but liquid food coloring will work too!

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Philadelphia Cream Cheese – at room temperature. Tangy, creamy deliciousness!
• Butter – softened, for smooth texture.
• Powdered Sugar – to sweeten without gritty texture.
• Vanilla – to flavor.
• Sprinkles – optional but super fun for kids! Use what you have or order special sprinkles for an event.

Can I Use Different Colors?

The beauty of this recipe is that you don’t *have* to use red and blue food coloring! All my Canadian friends could do red and white for Canada Day too! OR, you could pick out some favorite colors and turn these into birthday cupcakes. Consider this a tie-dye type of recipe (kinda like these Mini Tie Dye Cheesecakes)! The possibilities are seriously endless!

How To Make Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes

Here you’ll find the step-by-step directions for making the cupcakes and frosting. For full complete details and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step 1: Preheat + Prep

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set it aside.

Step 2: Make Cake Batter

In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, for 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. With the mixer on low, alternate adding in the dry ingredients with the milk until none remain. Scrape sides to ensure even mixing. Fold in whipped egg whites.

Step 3: Divide + Color Batter

Divide batter between 3 different bowls. Stir red food coloring into one and blue into another one. I tried to find a balance between bright-colored cupcakes vs tastes like gross food coloring cupcakes.

Step 4: Bake + Cool

Alternating between the white, red, and blue cake batters, spoon into prepared cupcake pans, alternating colors. Once muffin tins are filled 3/4 of the way, bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted. Set aside to cool completely.

Step 5: Make Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat cream cheese and butter together to combine. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Scrape sides and beat for 3 minutes until the frosting lightens in color and thickens slightly. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles.

After you pull the paper liners off, kids go NUTS for these!

Storing Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes

Because the frosting has cream cheese in it, I would recommend storing these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days!

More Fourth of July Desserts!

• 4th of July Cupcakes
• Flag Cake
• Old-Fashioned Mini Cherry Pie
• Double Berry Galette

ANYWAYS, enjoy your day! Hopefully, these will be in your near future!

The printable recipe card is down below 🙂

Print Pin It

Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes

Say, "Happy Fourth!" with these Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes. These are moist, sweet cupcakes topped with a tangy, creamy frosting.

servings 18 cupcakes

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Ingredients

for the cupcakes-

• ▢ 4 large egg whites
• ▢ 1/2 cup butter softened
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup milk
• ▢ food coloring red and blue

for the frosting-

• ▢ 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature (Philadelphia brand is preferred)
• ▢ 1/2 cup salted butter softened
• ▢ 2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ sprinkles optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  
• In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla.
  
• In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Alternate stirring in the dry ingredients with the milk until none remain. Scrape sides to ensure even mixing.
  
• Fold in whipped egg whites.
  
• Divide batter between 3 different bowls. Stir red food coloring into one and blue into another one.
  
• Alternating between the white, red, and blue cake batters, spoon into prepared cupcake pans, alternating colors. Once muffin tins are filled 3/4 of the way, bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted. Set aside to cool.
  
• For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter together to combine. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Scrape sides and beat for 3 minutes until the frosting lightens in color and thickens slightly.
  
• Frost cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 214mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 506IU | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: red white and blue cupcakes