Firecracker 4th of July Cupcakes
These adorable Fourth of July cupcakes are topped with mini “firecrackers”! A super cute patriotic dessert.
I first tested this patriotic cupcakes recipe last summer. I am not always the craftiest person, but I was pleasantly surprised how cute they turned out! When I re-tested them recently, they turned out just as good, so I thought it was time to share the recipe.
These cupcakes look like you took hours to make them, but they’re really quite easy! I think that even kids could make them, if they like to bake. I used a chocolate cake mix
Recipe Substitutions
The best 4th of July cupcakes are the ones you can make using things you have at home! Here are a few suggestions to customize your cupcakes.
- You can make a cream cheese frosting by substituting cream cheese for the heavy cream. Just make sure it is nice and softened first!
- Consider using a white cake mix and adding blue food coloring for a red, white and blue treat.
- Play with the frosting colors! Red or blue are perfect for the occasion.
- To save time, you can absolutely purchase a can of pre-made frosting.
- I use vanilla in the homemade frosting, but you can substitute it for almond extract for a different flavor.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve these cupcakes for any patriotic party. Memorial Day or 4th of July are perfect occasions.
If you’re looking for more fun patriotic food ideas, I recommend my Patriotic Jell-O Shots, 4th of July Trifles or this Patriotic Puppy Chow!
Storing Cupcakes
Because of the heavy cream in the frosting, it’s best to store these cupcakes in the refrigerator.
I hope that you love these adorable cupcakes! If you make them, I’d love to know how they turned out in the comments below.
Firecracker 4th of July Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 15.25 ounces Duncan Hines Chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
For the buttercream frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the firecracker marshmallow topping:
- 12 jumbo marshmallows
- 12 ounces red candy melts
- 1 Twizzlers pull and peel candy
- patriotic sprinkles, optional
Equipment
- Frosting Bags and Reusable Tips
Instructions
- Make the cupcakes. In a large bowl, add the cake mix, water, oil and eggs. Stir to combine the batter. Add to lined cupcake pan, and bake in oven according to package instructions. Allow to cool on a wire rack before frosting.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting. For the frosting, beat the butter until smooth. Alternate adding the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and small amounts of the heavy cream, until the frosting is well combined and the texture is stiff enough to hold it's shape. I like to do this in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed to save my hands! Frost the cupcakes using a 1M star tip and piping bag. If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a Ziploc bag with the tip cut off!
- Make the firecrackers: Place the red candy melts in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Drop the marshmallows into the candy melts. Stick a tooth pick into the marshmallow, then swirl it around to get it fully coated.
- Use a second toothpick to push the marshmallow off the inserted toothpick and onto a piece of parchment paper. Allow it to rest for a few minutes until the candy shell hardens.
- Cut the Pull and Peel Twizzlers into about 3/4 inch pieces. Pull off one strip of the cut Twizzler segment, and press it into the top of the marshmallow to make the firecracker “fuse.” You can use a bit of extra candy melts to help it stick if needed.
- Assemble: Frost the cooled cupcakes, then gently press a firecracker marshmallow into the center of each cupcake. Sprinkle with sprinkles.
