Wow guests with these Fourth of July Cupcakes that are almost too pretty to eat!
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Prep time: 35 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist white cake mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 eggs
- Red food coloring
- Blue food coloring
Frosting
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1-1/2 (8 oz) packages reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Blue glitter gel
- Red glitter gel
Garnish
- Fresh blueberries and strawberries or sprinkles

Directions
- Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 18 regular-size muffin cups.
- In large bowl, beat all cupcake ingredients except food color with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
- Divide batter between 3 bowls. Add red food color to 1 bowl to desired color of red; leave 1 bowl white; add blue food color to 1 bowl of desired color of blue.
- Spread a spoonful of blue batter and then a spoonful of white batter in paper baking cup. End by thoroughly spreading red batter on top so that the white and blue does not show through . Use up batter to make 18 cupcakes.
- Bake as directed on box for cupcakes; 2 to 3 minutes may need to be added to bake time. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- To make frosting, combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Fit the mixer with a whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth. While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour the heavy cream. Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.
- Take the glitter gel and draw two blue lines and two red lines on the inside of a piping bag. Fill the bag with the white frosting.
- Frost the cupcakes with the frosting.
- Garnish with strawberry fans and blueberries or sprinkles.
- Store covered in the refrigerator.