This cupcake cake features frosted red, white, and blue cupcakes that come together in the shape of the American flag. I’ll show you how to make this 4th of July cupcake cake with this easy step-by-step tutorial. It also makes a perfect dessert for a Memorial Day celebration!
These red, white, and blue frosted cupcakes come together to form one big American flag! This 4th of July cupcake cake is the perfect addition to your barbecue for Memorial Day or the 4th of July. Cupcakes are my preferred dessert to bring to a party, and when you turn them into a themed cake, it’s even better.
I made these with my vanilla cupcakes, but you could use chocolate or yellow cupcakes as well. Don’t worry about making these from scratch if you’re in a hurry, either; using a boxed mix is just as easy. Just make sure you have at least 24 cupcakes to make the full flag. You’ll also need a batch of your favorite vanilla frosting.
Why I Love Cupcake Cakes
- An easy alternative to a cake. For me, cupcakes are easier and faster to decorate than a whole cake.
- Made for sharing. They’re especially great for parties or BBQs because you don’t have to worry about serving and slicing a cake.
- Any shape. I love the idea of the cupcake cake because you can make different shapes for different holidays, from a flag like this tutorial to a Christmas tree!
- More flavor options. It’s also super handy if you wanted to make different flavors of cupcakes. You can make 12 vanilla and 12 chocolate, or any combinations of flavors.
What You’ll Need
I’ve included a recipe card below with the exact quantities and measurements that you’ll need to make this cupcake cake. For now, here are notes and tips to get you started with this tutorial.
- Cupcakes – Use your favorite cupcakes recipe or a box of your preferred cake mix to make 24 cupcakes. You could even dye your vanilla cupcake batter different colors, like the layers in this red, white, and blue cake.
- Frosting – I include my reader-favorite vanilla frosting recipe. My secret for making the very best frosting is to start with cold butter, which allows you to more closely control the consistency of the frosting. It’s perfect for decorating and really holds colors well.
- Sprinkles (Optional) – Patriotic sprinkles to decorate.
Helpful Tools
In addition to the above, the following is helpful to have when preparing your 4th of July cupcake cake:
- Angled spatula to spread the frosting.
- Size 1M piping tip for the large roses.
- Size 21 piping tip for the smaller roses.
- Size 199 piping tip for the small rosettes and details.
- Couplers make it easy to change out piping tips.
- Large and small piping bags to hold the frosting colors.
Coloring the Buttercream Frosting
These are bright and bold colors. I recommend using gel colors, not food coloring. Gel colors are highly concentrated and don’t make the frosting watery once combined.
The frosting recipe I use for this flag cupcake cake makes approximately 4 ½-5 cups. First, dye the blue frosting, and then divide the remaining frosting in half to color it red, and leave the final portion uncolored for the white cupcakes. If you need more tips on coloring frosting, follow my separate tutorial.
Frosting Amounts for Each Color
Ameri color, Chef Master or Wilton sell individual colors. Wilton, however, only carries generic colors, whereas the other brands have a wider variety of shades. They can be purchased on Amazon or in craft stores such as Michales or JoAnns. You will need:
- 1-1 ¼ cups of Royal Blue: If you have only a light blue, try adding a tiny drop of black to make the color darker.
- 1 ½ cups of Super Red: If the red is too bright for you, you can also add a tiny drop of black to darken it. I recommend using a toothpick to add it.
- 1 ½ cups of white: Undyed frosting.
Filling the Piping Bags
When decorating cupcakes with multiple piping tips, I use a double-bag method. I have one bag filled with the frosting, and another bag for the piping tip and coupler. This allows to easily switch between piping tips without refilling bags.
For the 1M tip, you won’t need a coupler, so you can drop straight into a piping bag and cut off the tip. For the smaller tips, use a piping bag fitted with a coupler. If you need more help filling and using piping bags, see my guide on how to use piping bags that covers every step.
Step-by-Step: How to Make a 4th of July Cupcake Cake
Bake your cupcakes until a toothpick comes out clean. Afterward, allow the cupcakes to cool completely to room temperature before you begin frosting and decorating. To make this cupcake cake, follow the steps below.
- Add a base coating of frosting (optional). Place a small dollop of frosting on each cupcake and spread evenly with an angled spatula. This does help cover the edges of the cupcakes. You don’t need a very thick layer; I’d say about a teaspoon of frosting on each one and try to spread it out to the edges with an offset spatula.
Why Add a Base Coat?
I like to do this when I am using multiple piping tips, so if there are any holes between the frosting, it’s less noticeable. If you choose to only cover the cupcakes with roses (1M piping tip), then you can skip this step.
Pipe the Large Roses
Use a 1M piping tip to make the large roses first. I did 2-4 large roses per color.
- Hold the piping tip above the cupcake at a 90º angle.
- Starting in the center of the cupcake, apply steady pressure while piping the frosting in a swirl outward toward the edges. See my full tutorial on how to decorate cupcakes if you’ve never done this before.
Pipe the Remaining Cupcakes
For the other cupcakes, I use a decorating technique similar to my unicorn cupcakes. This gives the cupcakes more variety, but you can absolutely stick with only the large roses if you prefer.
- Next, use a 1M tip to pipe the smaller roses.
- Then, fill in around the roses with the smaller size 21 and 199 piping tips. For these, use small piping bags fitted with a coupler so you can more easily change out the piping tips as you go. Here you can see what it looks like without a base coat of frosting:
Assemble the Cupcake Cake
You can lay out your cupcakes on a sheet pan for easy transport or in a large cupcake box. To make the American flag:
- Start with the blue cupcakes in the corner.
- Arrange your red and white cupcakes in alternating rows to make the stripes. Garnish with sprinkles.
Storing and Serving a Cupcake Cake
Once frosted, these 4th of July cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and are best consumed within 2-3 days. If you live in a warm climate, you might need to refrigerate these cupcakes (in an airtight container), but be sure to serve at room temperature for best results.
When it’s time to serve, uncover the cupcake, arrange them if needed, and dig in! Serve your American flag cupcake cake alongside a 4th of July charcuterie board.
More 4th of July Desserts to Try
4th of July Cupcake Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 24 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy 4th of July cupcake cake tutorial features frosted red, white, and blue cupcakes arranged in the shape of the American flag.
Ingredients
- 1 batch vanilla cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cup (339 g) unsalted butter, cold
- 6 cups (780g) powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 (12 ml) tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Prepare a batch of 24 cupcakes. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- Cut the butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally, beating until the butter is very fluffy.
- Alternate adding 2 cups of powdered sugar at a time with the liquid ingredients: vanilla extract & heavy cream. Ensure the powdered sugar is well combined, and whip for 1-2 minutes before adding more powdered sugar.
- Finally, increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 3-5 minutes to whip additional air into the frosting.
Color the Frosting:
- Dye 1 cup of frosting blue. Drop approximately 8 drops of gel color into the frosting and mix well. Add additional drops of gel until desired color is reach.
- Divide the remaining frosting in half, and color one half red (following the step listed above for blue) and leave the other half undyed.
- Prepare a couple of piping bags: at least 1 or 2 small piping bags fitted with couplers (affiliate link) and one small bag without a coupler for the 1M piping tips.
Assemble the Cupcakes:
- Set up your cupcakes in a rectangle shape, 6 across and 4 rows. For all the cupcakes you’ll be frosting, place a small dollop of frosting (appx 1 teaspoon) on each cupcake and spread evenly with an angled spatula. You’ll need 6 blue, 9 red and 9 white.
- First use a 1M piping tip to make the large roses, I recommend 2-4 per frosting color.
- Next, pipe smaller roses with the 1M tip and then, use the smaller piping tips, size 21 and and size 199 to fill in the gaps making rosettes. Decorate with sprinkles.
Equipment
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Notes
- These can be made up to 2 days in advance,
- Storing frosted cupcakes: Cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and are best consumed within 2-3 days. If you live in a warm climate, you might need to refrigerate these cupcakes (in an airtight container), but be sure to serve at room temperature for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 47g
- Sodium: 118mg
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: .4g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 57mg
