Easy Firecracker Cupcakes For Your 4th Of July Party Spread

These Firecracker Cupcakes are the kind of patriotic dessert that’ll have guests oohing and aahing before they even take a bite.

Planning a Fourth of July party and want something fun, colorful, and super easy to make?

I love making these every summer—especially because they’re simple to bake and the frosting design totally pops.

Perfect for a 4th of July party, BBQ, picnic, or school celebration. Kids and adults both go crazy for the bold red, white, and blue combo.
You can even let little ones help decorate if you want to turn it into a family-friendly holiday activity.

Let’s do it.

Firecracker Cupcakes Recipe

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 40 minutes
Bake time: 14-16 minutes
Servings: 24-30

Firecracker Cupcakes Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 2 cups sugar

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup sour cream

• ½ cup milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 ½ cups flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

For the frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 4 cups powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2–3 tablespoons milk

• Royal Blue gel food coloring

• Super Red gel food coloring

• Silver star sprinkles

RELATED: These 4th of July Desserts Make Perfect Patriotic Summer Party Treats

How To Make Firecracker Cupcakes

1- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a couple of standard muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.

2- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar until smooth.

3- Add in the eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla. Mix well, scraping down the sides as needed.

4- Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until everything is combined. Scrape down the sides and beat for about a minute on medium speed.

5- Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling each about ½ to ⅔ full.

6- Bake for 14–16 minutes, or until centers are set. Cool completely before frosting.

7- For the frosting: In a stand mixer, beat the butter, half the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt on low.

8- Add in the remaining powdered sugar and milk. Mix on low until combined, then bump the speed up to medium for 2–3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.

9- Divide frosting into three bowls. Tint one red, one blue, and leave one white. Use enough gel coloring to get close to your final color—it’ll darken as it sits.

10- Scoop each color into a separate piping bag fitted with a grass tip (I used Wilton 233).

11- Once cupcakes are cool, pipe a circle of blue frosting around the edge. Add a second layer of white slightly overlapping the blue, then finish with red in the center. (Or switch up the order!)

12- Top each cupcake with silver star sprinkles.

Firecracker Cupcakes Storage Tips

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• They’re still super soft and full of flavor even after being chilled.

Whether you call them Firecracker Cupcakes, Patriotic Cupcakes, or just the cutest Fourth of July desserts ever, you’re going to want to make these every year.
They’re just that good.

These also pair great with hot dogs, sliders, and all your favorite 4th of July appetizer ideas.

Oh, and by the way… if you’re planning a full party, don’t miss the all new 4th of July game bundle right here. It’s packed with fun activities everyone will love!

Firecracker Cupcakes

Yield: 24-30

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 1 c unsalted butter, softened
• 2 c sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 c sour cream
• ½ c milk
• 1 t vanilla
• 3 ½ c flour
• 2 t baking powder
• ½ t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 1 c unsalted butter, softened
• 4 c powdered sugar
• 1 t vanilla
• ½ t salt
• 2-3 T milk
• Royal Blue gel food coloring
• Super Red gel food coloring
• Silver star sprinkles

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a couple standard muffin tins with cupcake liners, set aside. 
2. For the cupcakes - In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and sugar.  Cream until
   smooth. 
3. Add in the eggs, milk, sour cream and vanilla.  Mix well, scraping the sides often. 
4. Add in the remaining dry ingredients:  flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Mix until
   combined.  Scrape down the sides and then mix again on medium speed for
   about a minute. 
5. Using a measuring cup or a small ice cream scoop, divide the batter between each of the cupcake liners, filling
   about ½-⅔ full. 
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 14-16 minutes or until the centers are set.  Allow to cool completely
   before decorating. 
7. For the frosting - in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter, about half of the powdered sugar,
   vanilla and salt.  
8. Mix on low until combined.  
9. Add in the remaining powdered sugar and the milk.  Mix on low until combined.  Scrape the sides
   often and bump up the speed to medium for an additional 2-3 minutes or until
   the frosting is smooth and fluffy.  
10. Divide the frosting between three bowls.  Tint one bowl red, one blue and leave the remaining bowl
    white.  ***Keep in mind that the color will develop the longer it sits so
    add enough gel food coloring to get within a couple shades of the color you’re
    looking to achieve, knowing that it will darken as it sits.  Also, we
    highly recommend using gel or powder food coloring that are more concentrated,
    not liquid.  
11. Transfer each of the frostings to piping bags fitted with a grass tip - we used Wilton 233.  
12. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, they can be decorated.  Holding the blue piping bag at a 45 degree
    angle to the cupcake, pipe short stripes of frosting just around the outside
    edge - rotating the cupcake as you go.  Add another round of white
    frosting in the same manner, starting a little bit closer to the center of the
    cupcake and only overlapping a little bit over the blue.  Finally, follow
    up with the red frosting at the center of the cupcake and overlapping with the
    white.  *** Alternatively, you can also change the color sequence and
    begin with red, then white, then blue. 
13. Sprinkle the silver star accents over the top. 

Notes

Storage: Cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container
in the fridge for up to 3 days.