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Festive and very patriotic, Red, White, and Blue Red Velvet Firework Cupcakes make the perfect dessert to feed a crowd for Memorial Day and the 4th of July, and their colors also work well for my UK friends to celebrate. The cream cheese frosting not only matches the flag colors—it’s styled to look like fireworks.

A selection of red white and blue cupcakes on a white stand


As a British expat living in California, I bring together my two flags—the American Stars and Stripes and the UK Union Jack—with these cupcakes. This recipe has been a popular staple here since 2019 and continues to go strong, now with an added video demonstrating the piping technique.

Table of contents

Ingredients

  • Flour
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Cocoa powder
  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Buttermilk
  • Vanilla extract
  • Gel food coloring 
  • Frosting/icing


Tips for making red velvet cupcakes

A red velvet cupcake cut in half on a white plate


Red velvet cake has been around quite a few years now and is still very popular. Because of it’s red hue, I thought it would be perfect for this recipe rather than regular cupcakes.

1. Use buttermilk – Buttermilk is key to red velvet’s signature tangy flavor and helps create a super tender crumb. If you don’t have any, you can make a quick substitute with milk + lemon juice or vinegar.

2. Don’t skip the vinegar – A little white vinegar reacts with baking soda and the cocoa to deepen the red color and give the cake its soft texture. It’s traditional—and it works!

3. Cocoa powder is essential (but just a little) – Red velvet isn’t a full chocolate cupcake. Use unsweetened cocoa powder sparingly (usually 1–2 tablespoons) to add subtle flavor without overpowering the red color.

4. Use gel food coloring for vibrant red – Liquid coloring can water down your batter. Gel food coloring gives you that rich, bold red hue without affecting the consistency.

5. Don’t overmix the batter – Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make your cupcakes dense or tough.

6. Use room temperature ingredients – This helps everything blend more smoothly and gives a more even rise.

7. Top with cream cheese frosting – A tangy cream cheese frosting perfectly complements the rich, slightly chocolatey flavor of red velvet.

8. Bake on the center rack of the oven – The center of the oven provides the most even heat distribution, helping cupcakes rise uniformly and bake consistently.

9. Cool completely before frosting – Frosting warm cupcakes will melt your beautiful piping—patience pays off with picture-perfect results!


How to make red velvet cupcakes

  • Sift the all-purpose flour (plain flour), baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt into a bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, add the butter and sugar. Use an electric mixer to whip until fluffy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until blended. Then mix in the buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla.
  • Sprinkle half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix just until combined.
  • Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients until no visible flour remains.
  • Add red food coloring to achieve your desired shade. Don’t overmix.
  • Use an ice cream scoop to fill cupcake liners ⅔ full.
  • Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before piping.


How to make firework frosting

An overhead view of a red white and blue frosted cupcake


I call this style of frosting the “firework effect.” Use a number 233 piping tip, which is also commonly used to pipe grass (like in my Halloween Brownie Graveyard). You’ll need three tips and three piping bags—one for each frosting color: red, white, and blue.

  • Divide the white frosting evenly between three bowls.
  • Tint one bowl red and another blue, leaving the third white.
  • Fill each piping bag with red, white, or blue frosting.
  • Pipe the outer edge of each cupcake with blue, followed by white, then finish the center with red to create a firework effect.
A cupcake frosted with white and blue


Red White and Blue Food


Patriotic-colored food is a hit at summer get-togethers, especially when grilling is involved. My Red, White, and Blue Cheeseburger makes the perfect main dish before diving into those festive cupcakes.


If you’ve made my Red, White and Blue Red Velvet Cupcakes, please leave a star rating in the recipe card. You can also leave a comment or ask a question below.

Yield: 12

Red White and Blue Red Velvet Firework Cupcakes

A closeup of a cupcake topped with red, white and blue frosting

Red velvet cupcakes adorned with red, white and blue frosting to emulate fireworks.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (150 grams) all-purpose/plain flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda/bicarbonate
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup (118 ml) buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Red food coloring, liquid or gel
  • 32 ounces (907 grams) white frosting/icing *see note
  • Red and blue food coloring, liquid or gel

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C and place a oven rack in the center.  Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners, set aside.
  2. To a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, once at a time until well incorporated. Add the buttermilk and vanilla, whisk just until mixed. Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mix well. Add the other ½ of the flour mix only until the dry is well incorporated into the wet. Add red food coloring until you reach the color you like, mix until well incorporated.
  3. Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ full with the cupcake mix. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top does not look wet (the time will depend on how your oven is calibrated). Gently press the top of a cupcake — if it springs back, they’re done. Also, when a toothpick inserted in the center it should come out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack to completely cool. Remove from the oven and cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack to completely cool.
  4. Divide the frosting between 3 different bowls. Add red food coloring to one and blue food coloring to another, mix well, leaving one white.
  5. Add the piping tip to 3 different piping bags and fill each with the frostings. Starting at the outer edge of the cupcakes, working in a circle using the blue frosting. Then the white and finish in the center with the red. You can see this technique in the video at the bottom of the recipe card.

Notes

This can be bought or pre-made.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 460Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 52mgSodium 288mgCarbohydrates 65gFiber 0gSugar 53gProtein 4g
© Janette
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert