Firecracker Cupcakes – homemade funfetti cupcakes with a snap, crackle and pop finish. The perfect patriotic treat for all summer gatherings.
Serve these red, white and blue cupcakes next to a batch of juicy blueberry cobbler, patriotic ice cream cones and a batch of the most festive sangria.
Firecracker Cupcakes Recipe
Celebrate the 4th of July or any other fun occasion with a batch of these Firecracker Cupcakes. These are especially great for birthday parties!
The funfetti cupcakes are made from scratch and it’s a really good cupcake recipe, one of my favorites when it come to homemade.
These are not just for kids, adults love them too -something about the tiny explosions going off in their mouths that reminds them of childhood.
No one will be disappointed when these cupcakes show up for dessert.
For the BEST Funfetti, Use Jimmy Sprinkles
Rainbow sprinkles are not equal when it comes to making the perfect colorful funfetti cake.
Jimmies are the long, thin and waxy form of the rainbow sprinkle. You often see them labeled as “decorettes”. These jimmies, melt perfectly into the batter and create the rainbow effect we are hoping for with all of our funfetti recipes.
Ingredients for Firecracker Cupcakes
The recipe begins with homemade funfetti cake, so all the usual cake baking ingredients are warranted here, including rainbow jimmies. Please note that you will only be using egg yolks in this recipe (eight of them), so egg separation is required. Make a plan for using up those egg whites in another recipe.
Homemade whipped cream made from heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla is piped or dolloped on top of these cupcakes.
The crowning touch is adding fresh raspberries and blueberries and of course Pop Rocks on top of the whipped cream.
How to Make Firecracker Cupcakes
Dry ingredients are sifted together (do not skip the sifting), while the butter and sugar are creamed until they are voluminous.
The egg yolks are beaten together with the vanilla extract until thickened and then combined with the butter-sugar mixture.
Dry ingredients are combined with the wet and rainbow jimmies are stirred into the batter. Batter should be divided equally among muffin tin that have been lined with paper cupcake liners.
Cupcakes should be completely cooled and the whipped cream added at serving time.
Garnish each cupcake with fresh blueberries and raspberries and Pop Rocks!
Serving Tip
One really fun idea with this recipe is to serve each cupcake with its own pack of Pop Rocks, allowing the eater to keep adding the Pop Rocks to every bite. It makes for a really fun dessert hour.
You can easily make these cupcakes the day before your gathering.
Keep them tightly covered at room temperature.
Make the whipped cream right before serving and add the fruit.
If you want to use frosting, canned or homemade you can also do that, but the whipped cream really gives these cupcakes an edge!
More Patriotic Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Patriotic Pretzels
- Patriotic Cake
- Edible Eagles
- Mixed Berry Pretzel Icebox Dessert
- Patriotic Marshmallow Popcorn Cake
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Firecracker Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2-1/4 tsps baking powder
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 12 tbsps unsalted butter, softened
- 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 8 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup "jimmy" rainbow sprinkles
Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish:
- 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
- 3/4 cup fresh raspberries
- Pop Rocks*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper baking cups.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy, substantially increased in volume and lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
- In another large bowl, use an electric mixer with clean beaters to beat egg yolks and vanilla until thickened and pale in color, about four minutes.
- Add the beaten egg yolks to the butter-sugar mixture and mix to combine.
- With the mixer on low, add a third of the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Once mixed, add half of the milk, followed by another third of the flour. When well mixed, add the remaining milk, mix, then add the remaining flour.
- Use a silicon spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are mixed in. Gently fold in the sprinkles.
- Fill the prepared muffin tins with batter. Cook until a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. Do not over bake. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Just before serving, in a large bowl combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Use an electric mixer to beat until thick.
- Dollop or pipe whipped cream over each cupcake, then garnish with blueberries and raspberries.
- Sprinkle each cupcake GENEROUSLY with POP ROCKS. Or serve each cupcake with it’s very own pack of POP ROCKS which is what I do.
Notes
Nutrition
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