Red, White and Blue Cupcakes

Happy Fourth of July!  In order of our nation's birthday I made red, white and blue cupcakes!   I love the way these cupcakes look when cut in half.  They are so festive and patriotic, and they taste as good as they look! It's amazing how a little food coloring can add so much to a yellow cupcake. 

These cupcakes were very easy to make.  Start with your favorite yellow cupcake recipe (I used the magnolia cupcake recipe) and have two additional bowls ready.   Make your batter according to the directions, then divide the batter into thirds.  Add blue food coloring to one bowl, and red to another.  Mix until you get the desired color.

Line two muffin tins with a cupcake liner.  Evenly divide the blue batter into each cupcake line.   Repeat with the white batter, then the red batter.   Bake the cupcakes according to directions. 

Magnolia Yellow Cupcakes 

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.