4th of July Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

What you need:

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk with a teaspoon of vinegar)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot water

For the Frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (or milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red and blue food coloring

What to do:

Making the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 🥣

3. Add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined. 👩‍🍳

4. Carefully add the hot water to the batter and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin, but that's okay!

5. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Then, bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. ⏲️

6. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 🌬️

Making the Frosting:

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Then, gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. 🧈🥄

2. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract, and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. ☁️

3. Divide the frosting into three bowls. Leave one bowl white, add red food coloring to the second bowl, and blue food coloring to the third bowl. Mix each until you achieve your desired color. 🌈

Decorating the Cupcakes:

1. To get that patriotic look, you can either pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes using a piping bag with a star tip or simply spread it on with a knife. ⭐

2. For a fun twist, you can create a swirl effect by adding spoonfuls of each colored frosting into a piping bag, then pipe as usual.

3. Top with some festive sprinkles or edible glitter to add that extra sparkle! ✨