Patriotic swirled vanilla treats (Printable Format)

Vanilla cupcakes swirled with patriotic colors and topped with creamy frosting - a perfect festive treat for summer holiday parties.

# What You'll Gather:

→ For the Cupcakes

01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 cup milk (whole milk works best)
09 - Red gel food coloring (gel works better than liquid)
10 - Blue gel food coloring (gel works better than liquid)

→ For the Frosting

11 - 1 1/2 cups buttercream frosting (store-bought or homemade)

→ For Decoration

12 - Patriotic sprinkles (red, white, and blue mix)
13 - Small American flags (optional)

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners - choose patriotic ones if you have them! Get all your ingredients out and make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature for best results.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. This helps distribute the leavening agents evenly so your cupcakes rise perfectly. Set this mixture aside for now.
03 - In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy - this should take about 3 minutes. Don't rush this step! It creates air pockets that help your cupcakes become light and tender.
04 - Add the eggs to your butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract until well combined. The mixture should be smooth and velvety at this point.
05 - Now comes the important part - gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the flour mixture (so it goes: flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). Mix gently after each addition and stop as soon as everything is combined. Overmixing leads to tough cupcakes!
06 - Divide your batter evenly into three separate bowls. Leave one bowl as is for the white batter. Add red gel food coloring to the second bowl and blue to the third. Start with a small amount of coloring and gradually add more until you reach your desired shade. Remember that the colors will lighten slightly when baked.
07 - Now for the fun part! Use separate spoons for each color and add a bit of each colored batter to each cupcake liner. You can layer them (blue on bottom, white in middle, red on top) or spoon them side by side. For a marbled effect, stick a toothpick into the batter and gently swirl it - but don't overmix or you'll lose the distinct colors!
08 - Place the muffin tin in your preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. You'll know they're done when the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Once the cupcakes are completely cool, top them with swirls of buttercream frosting. You can use a piping bag with a star tip for a fancy touch, or simply spread it with a knife. Finish with a sprinkle of patriotic red, white, and blue sprinkles. For an extra festive touch, add small American flags just before serving.

# Important Tips:

01 - These festive cupcakes are perfect for summer holidays like the 4th of July, Memorial Day, or Labor Day celebrations. The swirled colors inside make for a fun surprise when people take their first bite!
02 - For the most vibrant colors, use gel food coloring instead of liquid food coloring. Gel colors won't thin out your batter and provide more intense, true colors.

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