Summer is the perfect time to celebrate with friends and family, and let’s face it, most of the time it is all about the food. I love red, white and blue, and these festive cupcakes are just perfect for a good old fashioned backyard barbecue.
I didn’t think I was much of a cake person, that is until I made these strawberry shortcake cupcakes. We loved them so much, I couldn’t wait to try another cupcake recipe. With a family barbecue planned for memorial day weekend, It was the perfect excuse to try something fun. And what is more fun than red, white, and blue cupcakes for memorial day.
The end of the school year is always a busy time for us, so for these cupcake I used a box of white cake mix, but feel free to make your cupcakes from scratch. I went for easy as well as pretty. To make the red layer I used raspberry pie filling, and blueberry pie filling (with a little help from gel food coloring) was used for the blue layer. Because I prefer my frosting less sweet, I simply used stabilized whipped cream, but gain, use what you prefer. Any vanilla or cream cheese frosting would be delicious.
- 1 box of white cake mix
- 4 egg whites
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup raspberry pie filling
- ⅔ cup blueberry pie filling
- red and blue gel paste food coloring (optional)
- for the frosting
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 4 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp clear piping gel
- 1 tsp vanilla
- heat oven to 350 degrees
- line cupcake pan with paper liners
- blend box of cake mix with the the 4 egg whites (batter will be VERY thick, but should be smooth)
- divide the batter into three even portions
- for the white layer combine the cake batter with ½ cup water and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- for the red layer thoroughly blend the cake batter with ⅔ cup raspberry pie filling (add red gel paste is you prefer a deeper color)
- for the blue layer combine the cake batter with ⅔ cup blueberry pie filling (again with blue gel paste if using)
- in each cupcake liner add a scant 1 Tbsp of the blue batter, followed by a scant 1 Tbsp of white cake batter, finishing with 1 scant Tbsp of the red cake batter
- bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for 18 - 20 minutes
- allow to cool completely before frosting
- to make the whipped cream frosting-
- whisk cream to soft peaks
- whisk in the powdered sugar, piping gel, and vanilla
- whisk until you have stiff peaks
- gently spoon frosting into a piping bag, and frost cupcakes
I don’t do much cake decorating, but found some adorable flag ribbon candy at cost plus; it wasn’t easy to break apart, but it looked so cute. Red, white, and blue sprinkles or even little paper flag would make a festive fourth of July dessert display.
These red, white, and blueberry cupcakes were a huge hit, and will be my go-to summer bbq or potluck dessert.
enjoy!
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These look so delicious and festive!! I’m starting to get so excited for the 4th of July!
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us Heather!
For more recipes from her, head on over to Heather’s French Press.
And for more patriotic recipes, check out these posts from here on the blog:
Fourth of July Rice Krispies Treats
For all 4th of July recipes and creations, go HERE.
For all holiday ideas, go HERE.
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ENJOY!
Heather Kinnaird
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I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your blog and all the recipes you post. The pictures are phenomenal too. Thank you for all your hard work.
Thank you Karen and thanks for checking it out!! I love sharing recipes and ideas:) Hope you come back soon!!