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Fireworks Cupcakes

Fireworks cupcakes are easy patriotic cupcakes made with tall swirled vanilla buttercream peaks, red and blue star sprinkles, and sparkler picks. The tri-color star-tip swirl creates a dramatic firework burst look perfect for 4th of July cupcakes.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vanilla cupcakes (cake mix)
  • 1 box white or vanilla cake mix
  • ingredients on box Use the ingredients listed on the cake mix box (typically eggs, water, and oil/butter).
Buttercream
  • 1 cup unsalted butter Softened.
  • 4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream Add 3–4 tablespoons as needed for a pipeable texture.
  • red and blue gel food coloring
  • red, white, and blue star sprinkles
  • sparkler picks or flag picks

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Bake the cupcakes
  1. Bake cupcakes according to package directions in lined muffin tins, then let cool completely on a wire rack so the frosting won’t melt.
Make the vanilla buttercream
  1. Beat the softened unsalted butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes at medium speed, to create a smooth base for the frosting.
  2. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then mix in the vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons heavy cream, increasing to high speed until combined.
  3. Beat on high for 3 minutes until very light and fluffy, adding up to 1 more tablespoon heavy cream only if the buttercream feels too stiff to pipe.
Color and assemble the tri-color swirl
  1. Divide the buttercream into three portions, leaving one white and coloring one red and one blue with gel food coloring for a clean tri-color look.
  2. Load a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with all three colors side by side for a tri-color swirl effect.
  3. Pipe a tall swirled peak of frosting onto each cooled cupcake, building height so the swirl holds its shape like a firework burst.
Decorate like fireworks
  1. Shower each cupcake with red, white, and blue star sprinkles over the frosting peaks so they resemble cascading sparks.
  2. Insert a sparkler pick into the center of each cupcake and serve immediately for the upward “burst” presentation.

Notes

Pro tip: Cool the cupcakes completely before piping—warm cakes will soften the buttercream. Store unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature up to 2 days (or refrigerate 3 days); frosted cupcakes keep refrigerated up to 3 days, but add sparkler picks right before serving. Freezing: freeze unfrosted cupcakes up to 2 months, thaw, then frost. Dietary swap: use a gluten-free vanilla cake mix and check that your sprinkles are gluten-free if needed.