How to make red, white, and blue American Flag mini cupcakes!

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One of my favorite parts about celebrating the 4th of July is all the yummy food I get to make and enjoy! I just love chowing down on smoky grilled meats, perfectly paired sides, and of course, something spectacularly sweet to finish the night off right!

One of the cutest, most charming, and most delectable 4th of July treat recipes out there is this one for my unbeatable American Flag Mini Cupcakes!

These fancy cupcakes start with simple vanilla mini cupcakes, topped with red, white, and blue buttercream frostings, and are finished off with some white chocolate stars! Best part of all? Everything is made totally from scratch (just like grandma used to make)!

Your 4th of July celebrations just won’t be complete without a big batch of these charming snacks! I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up being even more anticipated than the fireworks! Here’s how to make my stunning American Flag Mini Cupcakes.

Mini Cupcake Equipment

Let me start by going over my homemade mini cupcake equipment. This is a bit of an intricate recipe, and since there are several stages and layers involved I do use several tools. But don’t worry, most of this recipe equipment is typical baking tools and utensils. Here’s what I use to make American flag mini cupcakes:

• Measuring Cup
• Measuring spoons
• KitchenAid mixer
• Mixing bowls
• Blending whisk
• Batter scoop 1 tbsp
• Piping bags
• Piping bag ties
• Jumbo piping tips
• Cake Spatula
• Star Silicone Mold
• 2 Mini Muffin Pans
• 45 Mini foil liners– silver
• 1 White plastic serving tray 15×10

Patriotic Cupcake Ingredients

Now let me break down my scrumptious red, white, and blue ingredients for these patriotic mini cupcakes! There’s not a ton to expect here, just typical ingredients for homemade cupcakes and frosting. Here are my ingredients for American flag mini cupcakes:

Vanilla Cupcakes:

• 3 Eggs
• ¾ Cup Milk
• 1 ½ Tsp Yogurt
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 ¼ Cups All-purpose flour
• 1 ½ Tsp Baking Powder
• ½ Tsp Salt
• ¾ Cup Butter– Room Temperature
• 1 ⅛ Cup Sugar
• Cooking spray oil

Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 ½ Cup Butter– Room Temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp Milk
• 4 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
• Food Coloring: red and blue

Chocolate Stars:

• ½ cup Bright white Wilton Candy Melts
• ½ tsp coconut oil

How to Make American Flag Mini Cupcakes

Now let’s show those fireworks a thing or two about dazzling up the 4th of July night! These spectacular star-spangled cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate the U.S.A.’s Independence Day! Here’s how to make American flag mini cupcakes:

Making the Cupcakes:

1. First, use the measuring cup and spoons to measure out all of the cupcake ingredients and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Then, crack the eggs into a large glass mixing bowl.
3. Add in the milk, yogurt, and vanilla extract.
4. Blend the ingredients together completely with a blending whisk.
5. Next, in a separate large mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. Combine the ingredients with a clean blending whisk.
7. Then, add the room temp butter and sugar into the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
8. Beat the ingredients together until completely mixed.
9. Next, pour the egg mixture into the butter mixture.
10. Beat the ingredients together again until completely combined.
11. Then, add ½ of the flour mixture into the cupcake batter bowl.
12. Beat the batter again on a low speed.
13. Add in the remaining ½ of the flour mixture. 
14. Then, beat the ingredients together one more time to mix everything together.
15. Next, line a mini cupcake pan with the foil cupcake liners and, if desired, spray them very lightly with cooking oil spray.
16. Using a small dough scoop, distribute the cupcake batter evenly among the lined cupcake pan.
17. Repeat steps 15 & 16 for another mini cupcake pan and bake the cupcakes one batch at a time for 12-15 minutes.
    1. Check the cupcakes after 10 minutes. Since these cupcakes are small, they will bake very fast.
18. After baking, let the cupcakes cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.

Making Buttercream Frosting:

1. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream frosting. Start by measuring out all of the frosting ingredients.
2. Then, prepare the stand mixer with a dough hook.
3. Next, add the room temp butter to a clean stand mixer bowl.
4. Beat the butter by itself for about 5 minutes, until it is light and has doubled in volume.
   1. If you don’t have a stand mixer a hand mixer will do just fine. 
5. Then, pour in the vanilla extract and milk and mix the ingredients until combined.
6. Next, add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing well between each addition.
7. Continue this process until all the powdered sugar has been mixed in. 
8. Beat the frosting mixture again, on high, for another 8-10 minutes.
9. Next, scoop ¼ of the frosting into a medium size bowl.
10. Add in a few drops of the blue coloring.
11. Mix the color into the frosting with a spatula until completely blended.
12. Then, prepare a piping bag with an 807 metal piping tip.
13. With the spatula or a large serving spoon, scoop the blue buttercream into the prepared piping bag and close off the bag with a bag tie.
14. Next, scoop ½ of the remaining white frosting into a clean mixing bowl.
15. Add in a few drops of the red coloring.
16. Blend the color into the frosting until they are completely mixed.
17. Then, prepare another piping bag with the 4B metal piping tip.
18. Scoop the red buttercream into the large piping bag and close it off with a bag tie.
19. Next, prepare one more piping bag with the 1G metal piping tip. 
20. Spoon the remaining white buttercream into the piping bag and close off the bag with a bag tie.
21. Set all the prepared frosting bags aside while making the chocolate stars.

Making White Chocolate Stars:

1. First, prepare and measure the chocolate star ingredients.
2. Then, pour the white candy melts and coconut oil into the candy melting pot.
3. Melt the ingredients together while stirring with a clean silicone spatula.
4. Next, set the star molds on a flat baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon the melted chocolate into the molds.
   1. I personally like to use 3 molds at the same time to speed up the process.
5. Tap the tray on the surface to remove any air bubbles, then scrape away any excess chocolate from the molds with a cake spatula. Freeze the molds flat for 10 minutes.
6. Then, cover your hands with gloves and set out another baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Gently separate and remove the chocolate stars from their molds.

Decorating the Cupcakes:

1. First, set out the cooled mini cupcakes and all of the colored buttercream frostings.
2. Then, pipe the white frosting onto 19 mini cupcakes.
3. Next, pipe the blue frosting onto 12 mini cupcakes.
4. After piping the blue frosting, stick the homemade chocolate stars on the blue frosted cupcakes.
5. Then, pipe the red frosting on 15 mini cupcakes.
6. Next, set out a serving tray and start assembling your American flag cupcakes. First, lay out the top horizontal row to see how the cupcakes will fit.
   1. My first line featured 4 blue cupcakes then 5 white cupcakes.
7. Finish setting the blue cupcakes on the serving tray to make the blue starry square of the American flag.
   1. This should be 3 rows of 4 blue cupcakes grouped together.
8. Then, alternate between adding lines of the white and red cupcakes to make the stripes of the flag.
9. Repeat this process until the cupcake flag is complete! Finally, decorate the remaining mini cupcakes however you desire!

Important Cupcake Tip: Do not leave the cupcakes in the sun when serving otherwise the chocolate stars will melt! Always keep them in an air-controlled environment.

Storing Mini Cupcakes

To store mini cupcakes: transfer them to an airtight container and store for 4-5 days at room temperature. Or cover and store them in the fridge for up to 1 week. Always label the date on the outside of the container to keep up with freshness.

July 4th Theme

More Spectacular Recipes

Loved this charming and patriotic mini cupcake recipe? Then you are absolutely going to love some of my other 4th of July sweet treat recipes, or some more fancy and creative cupcake recipes:

More 4th of July Recipes:

• Red, White, and Blue Chocolate Covered Pretzels
• 4th of July 3 Layer Cake
• July 4th Vertical Charcuterie Board
• 4th of July Bundt Cake
• Patriotic Cinnamon Twists
• Pinwheel Cookies for the 4th of July
• 4th of July Charcuterie Board
• 3 Layer Vanilla Cake in 3 Hours
• 4th of July Patio Decoration Ideas

More Cupcake Recipes:

• Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache Frosting
• Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes
• S’mores Cupcakes
• Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
• Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
• Gingerbread Cupcakes
• Peppermint Cupcakes
• Unicorn Rainbow Cupcakes
• Mardi Gras Cupcakes
• Easter Bunny Cupcakes