Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes

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These patriotic 4th of July Cupcakes are made with all the flavors of the classic rocket pop popsicle! With blue raspberry, lemon, and cherry frosting, this red, white, and blue dessert is fun to bring to your summer parties and barbecues!

Gluten free? Make Gluten Free 4th of July Cupcakes!

4th of july cupcakes with red white and blue frosting on a table and a glass cake stand

Red, White and Blue 4th of July Cupcakes

Serene from House of Yumm is bringing you some cupcake love again!

Do you remember those popsicles with the red, white, and blue?! They scream of happy childhoods. Those tri-flavored popsicles were a staple at any patriotic event growing up. So when I think of Memorial Day or 4th of July BBQs, I always think of a Rocket Pop popsicle.

Combine that with my love of cupcakes..and…BAM! Rocket Pop Cupcakes!

I love turning childhood treats into something a little different. And this patriotic cupcake recipe highlight the flavors of the classic popsicle with a hint of lemon in the cupcake, and the flavors of cherry, lemon, and blue raspberry in the red, white, and blue buttercream frosting.

These cupcakes are as much fun to make as they are to eat. The three different flavors of frosting on top were a huge hit with everyone who tried them! I These are perfect dessert for any Memorial Day BBQ or 4th of July party!

hand holding a rocket pop popsicle

Ingredients

This recipe starts with a cake mix, but with some lemon extract to give the cakes a refreshing lemon flavor. Of course, you could make cupcakes from scratch, perhaps using Serene’s Perfect Vanilla Cupcake recipe.

Have fun decorating them too! Try different tips out when frosting. Have fun with it! That’s always my favorite part of making cupcakes!

For the Cupcakes

  • White cake mix: Use your favorite brand, though you might have to adjust the amounts of other ingredients based on what your box mix says.
  • Egg whites: Most call for four egg whites. Liquid egg whites from a carton work just fine.
  • Oil: Use a neutral-tasting oil like vegetable or canola.
  • Water: Make sure to use the amount called for in your mix.
  • Lemon extract: This gives the basic white cake that bright, citrusy flavor.

For the Frosting

  • Unsalted butter: Make sure it is at room temperature.
  • Powdered sugar: This makes your frosting sweet.
  • Heavy cream: So you have creamy and smooth frosting.
  • Salt: Just a little balances out the sweetness.
  • Cherry extract and red gel food coloring: For the cherry red frosting.
  • Lemon extract: For the white lemon frosting.
  • Blue Raspberry Jello gelatin powder and blue gel food coloring: for the blue raspberry frosting.
Lemon cupcake with layers of red, white, and blue frosting and a blue and white striped liner

How to Make 4th of July Cupcakes

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin, set aside.
  2. Mix the cake mix with the other cupcake ingredients until smooth.
  3. Pour about 1/4 a cup of batter into each cupcake liner, filling the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
  4. Bake for approximately 16 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to continue cooling on a wire rack.

Making the Frosting

  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer, then beat in powdered sugar, cream, and salt until smooth and creamy. Add additional cream or powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency.
  2. Divide the frosting into three bowls. Add cherry extract and red food due to one, lemon extract to another, and the Blue Raspberry Jello mix and blue food coloring to the third. Stir each until the color and flavor is evenly distributed.
  3. Immediately frost cooled cakes and cupcakes, or store in an airtight container for later use.

Recipe Pro Tips

Frosting the cupcakes

I used a Wilton 2A tip for the red and white frostings, and a Wilton 1M tip for the blue frosting to give them that firecracker look. But you can get creative.

Storing the frosting and cupcakes

If you aren’t frosting the cupcakes right away, you can store the frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days. Bring it to room temperature before piping.

You can store cupcakes covered at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.

several cupcakes decorated with red, white, and blue frosting

You Might Need

Brianne Recommends
  • Wilton Icing Colors give the vibrant red and blue you need for these Memorial Day or 4th of July cupcakes.
  • Cherry extract, lemon extract, and blue Jello provide the bomb pop popsicle flavors.
  • A simple, inexpensive cake decorating kit with different icing tips give them patriotic flair
several cupcakes decorated for fourth of july with red, white, and blue frosting
5 from 1 vote

4th of July Cupcakes

These lemon cupcakes are topped with blue raspberry, white lemon, and cherry flavored frosting making them taste just like the original Rocket Pops we all loved as kids!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons lemon extract

Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
  • 8-10 cups powdered sugar
  • 4-6 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cherry extract
  • Red Food Coloring – recommend Wilton Red No Taste Gel Icing Color
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 2 Tablespoons Blue Raspberry Jello gelatin powder
  • Blue Food Coloring – recommend Wilton Royal Blue Gel Icing Color

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin, set aside.
  • In large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the cupcakes and stir until fully mixed, with no lumps in the batter.
  • Pour about 1/4 a cup of batter into each cupcake liner, filling the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
  • Bake for approximately 16 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to continue cooling on a wire rack.

Frosting

  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes.
  • Add 8 cups of the powdered sugar, cream (starting with 4 tablespoons), and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add additional cream or powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency.
  • Divide the frosting into three bowls.
  • In one bowl, add the cherry extract and red food coloring. Stir to combine.
  • In another bowl, add the lemon extract, stir to combine.
  • In the last bowl, add the blue raspberry Jello and blue food coloring. Stir to combine.
  • Add the frosting to piping bags. I used a Wilton 2A tip for the red and white frostings, and a Wilton 1M tip for the blue frosting. Pipe the red frosting on first, folowed by the white, and blue, or as you prefer to decorate them.
  • Store cupcakes at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition Facts
4th of July Cupcakes
Amount Per Serving (1 cupcake)
Calories 392 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 6g30%
Cholesterol 30mg10%
Sodium 201mg8%
Potassium 32mg1%
Carbohydrates 68g23%
Sugar 58g64%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 335IU7%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 58mg6%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.

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Originally published May 21, 2015

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14 Comments
  1. Aren’t this amazing! I got a total flashback of my childhood when I saw these amazing cupcakes! The colors look stunning and the flavor combination are great. I couldn’t ask anything better than blue raspberry, white lemon, and cherry flavors in one cupcake! It’s really amazing!

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