4th of July Cupcakes

Yesterday B and I went to Walmart and he bought me some piping bags and some tips to make these cupcakes and I was beyond excited I was all I am Baker, hear me ROAR. So I begin making the cupcakes and everything goes as planned, I even figure out how to put together the piping bag, tip and coupler thingamajig with little to no effort. Just call me Betty Crocker. I spoon the icing in and start filling in the holes when I realize I've made my first mistake, it's coming out all red instead of all Red, White and Blue and swirled and pretty. But I'm okay with it because it's just the filling and I figure it will be better once I get passed the red a little. Well I was wrong. While they didn't come out terrible or anything they didn't look like the picture in the cook book at all. B referred to them as "Tye Dye Fourth of July Cupcakes" tie dye wasn't exactly the look I was going for but it's what I got.  With that being said they're delicious AND they still look 4th of July like so I really can't complain! 


Want some Tye Dye 4th of July Cupcakes? Read on. 


First up. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees then start in on the White Cake batter. Mix 1 Cup Shortening and 1/2 cup butter. 

Next you want to slowly add 2 cups of sugar

Until it's all added and looks like this:

Then mix in one egg at a time beating after each egg

Once all 4  large eggs have been incorporated it's time to combine your 2 3/4 Flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp of salt. 

Now you want to alternate between adding the dry ingredients and one cup of buttermilk to the Shortening/Butter/Sugar/Egg mixture. Start with the flour mixture and end with the flour mixture. 

After another round of flour, buttermilk and finally flour the consistency of the batter should end up something like this: 

The last thing you want to do is add 1 1/2 tsp of Almond Extract and 1 1/2 tsp of Vanilla Extract

Now that the batter is all set you want to line the cupcake tin with liners and spoon in the batter until the liners are about 3/4 filled. 

Pop them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes! While those are cooking it's time to make the frosting! For these cupcakes we're going to use Vanilla frosting which just so happens to be my favorite. First combine 8 tbls of whipping cream, 1 cup of butter, 2 tsp of clear vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp of salt. 

Mix it up! 

Then slowly add 32 oz of powdered sugar: 

Until everything is incorporated and your frosting looks like this: 

By now your cupcakes should be about done, check to make sure they are, take them out and put them on a cooling rack! 

While your cupcakes are cooling it's time to use your food coloring gel to create blue and red frosting. Separate the frosting into three different bowls, one will stay white, one will be dyed blue and the other will be dyed red. 

Once your cupcakes have cooled use the end of a wooden spoon to create holes. 

Put your piping bag and tip together. I used Wilton Tip 32. Then spoon in a little bit of blue a little big of red and a little bit of white. No particular rhyme or reason to this part. 

Now fill in the cupcakes! 

Then starting in the center and working your way around ice the cupcakes until they look like this

Having trouble with that? Feel like giving up? Just ice each cupcake with either red white or blue, I did that at one point! 

Red, White And Blue Cupcakes

Ingredients: 

White Cake Batter: 

1 Cup Shortening 
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Cups Sugar
4 Large Eggs
2 3/4 Flour 
2 tsp Baking Powder 
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk 
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract 
1 1/2 tsp Almond Extract 

Vanilla Frosting: 


1 Cup of Butter
8 Tablespoons of Whipping Cream 
2 Tsp of Clear Vanilla Extract 
1/4 Tsp of Salt

Directions: 

1. Combine 1 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of shortening. Gradually add two cups of sugar. 
2. Combine 2 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tsp of baking powder. 
3. Gradually combine the wet mixture with a the flour mixture and one cup of buttermilk alternating between the two ingredients starting with flour mixture and ending with the flour mixture {i.e. add some flour, mix, add some buttermilk, mix, add flour, mix, add buttermilk, mix, add remaining flour mixture and mix} 
4. Set up your muffin pans with liners and fill the cups until they are 3/4 of the way filled. Bake at 350 for appx 10-12 minutes. 
5. While the cupcakes are cooking it's time to make your frosting. Combine 1 cup of butter 8 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream , 2 tsp of vanilla and 1/4 of salt. Slowly add 32 oz of powdered sugar. 
6. Seprate the frosting into three separate bowls. Dye one bowl red with gel food coloring and the other blue. Leave one white. 
7. Place your cooked cupcakes on a cooling rack. Once they have cool use the bottom of a wooden spoon to create a hole in the center of your cupcakes. 
8. Spoon alternating spoonfuls of red, blue and white frosting into your piping bag. Fill the center of the cupcakes. 
9. To frost start in the center and work your way out in a circle until the entire cupcake is frosted OR frost normally with either red, blue or white. 


ENJOY!

Clicky Click Love Please-Because You Love Me Him! :)