American Flag Pull Apart Cupcakes Food

AMERICAN FLAG CUPCAKE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
• Add the butter, sugar, oil and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
• Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
• Slowly add the milk and mix until well combined. The batter will look curdled, but that's ok.
• Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
• Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
• Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
• Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
• Add the almond extract and 2 tablespoons of the cream to the frosting and mix until well combined.
• Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add additional cream as needed to get the right consistency. Add salt to taste.
• Divide the buttercream evenly into three bowls, about 2 cups each. Leave one white, color one with red gel icing color and color the other with blue gel icing color.
• Frost each cupcake with in a buttercream rosette design. I used Ateco tip 844, but Wilton 1M would also work well. You'll need six that are blue, nine that are white and nine that are red.
• Pipe four "stars" onto each of the blue frosted cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 843, but any smaller star tip should work well.
• Assemble the cupcakes in 4 rows. Going left to right, the top row should have three blue cupcakes, then three red. The second row should have three blue cupcakes, then three white cupcakes. The third row should be all red - six total across. The fourth row should be all white - six total across. Assemble your cupcakes on the table you'll serve them on, or on a large platter so that you can transport them.
• Cupcakes should be find at room temperature for about 24 hours, but then should be refrigerated. They should keep well for about 3-4 days. Best served at room temperature.

FOURTH OF JULY CUPCAKE FLAG CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. With 1 box of cake mix, make batter as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about 2/3 full).
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. While 24 cupcakes are baking, make batter with remaining cake mix, water, oil and eggs. Repeat baking and cooling to make 24 more cupcakes.
• While cupcakes are cooling, tint 1 container frosting with blue food color; tint 1 1/2 containers frosting with red food color. Set both aside. Spoon remaining white frosting into decorating bag with large tip.
• On covered board or cutting board, arrange cooled cupcakes into rectangle. Mark off 12 cupcakes to be frosted blue. Pipe thick lines of white frosting onto remaining cupcakes; spread with spatula until smooth. Spoon blue frosting into separate decorating bag; pipe onto the 12 cupcakes and smooth. Carefully move blue section of cupcakes to join other portion of cupcakes.
• Into decorating bag with large star tip, spoon red frosting. Pipe stars in rows to make red stripes. Using smaller star tip, pipe white frosting stars onto blue frosting section.