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Fireworks Cupcakes

Fireworks cupcakes are tall, swirled vanilla cupcakes topped with dramatic tri-color buttercream peaks. Finished with red and blue star sprinkles and sparkler picks for a 4th of July–style firework burst look.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vanilla cupcakes
  • 1 box white or vanilla cake mix plus ingredients on box (eggs, water, oil)
Buttercream
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 4 powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3.5 tbsp heavy cream start with 3 tbsp, add up to 4 for desired consistency
  • 0.25 red and blue gel food coloring amount varies; use for red and blue portions
  • 1 red, white, and blue star sprinkles
  • 24 sparkler picks or flag picks for decoration about 1 per cupcake

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake and cool the cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake cupcakes according to the cake mix package directions in lined muffin tins until set in the centers. Cool completely on a wire rack so the frosting holds its shape.
Make the vanilla buttercream
  1. Beat the softened unsalted butter until fluffy, then gradually add powdered sugar with the mixer running. Scrape the bowl as needed so the mixture turns smooth and thick.
  2. Add vanilla extract and heavy cream, then beat on high for 3 minutes until very light and fluffy. If it seems too stiff, add a little more heavy cream (up to 4 tbsp) for a pipeable texture.
Color and load a tri-color swirl
  1. Divide the buttercream into three portions: leave one white, color one red, and color one blue with gel food coloring. Mix each portion until the color is even with no streaks.
  2. Load a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with all three colors side by side for a tri-color swirl. Hold the bag upright to keep the color channels distinct.
Pipe, decorate, and serve
  1. Pipe a tall swirled peak of frosting onto each cooled cupcake. Apply steady pressure while swirling upward to create the dramatic peak.
  2. Shower each cupcake with red, white, and blue star sprinkles, then insert a sparkler pick into the center. Serve immediately so the cupcake is fresh and the sparkler look stands out.

Notes

Pro tip: For the tallest “firework” peaks, make sure cupcakes are fully cool and the buttercream is light and pipeable (add cream only if needed). Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; let them sit at room temperature 15 minutes before serving for best texture. Freezing is not recommended because the sprinkles and frosting decoration can dull. For a lighter swap, use a store-bought buttercream or a reduced-fat frosting, but keep the star-tip piping technique for the same peak swirl.