July Tie Dye Cupcakes (Printer-friendly)

Moist vanilla cupcakes with colorful tie-dye swirls and buttercream.

# What You Need:

→ Cupcake Batter

01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ tsp baking powder
03 - ¼ tsp salt
04 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
08 - ½ cup whole milk

→ Coloring

09 - Red gel food coloring
10 - Blue gel food coloring

→ Buttercream Frosting

11 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 3 cups powdered sugar
13 - 2 tbsp whole milk
14 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
15 - Pinch of salt
16 - Red and blue gel food coloring

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
04 - Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, then milk, then the remaining dry ingredients; mix just until combined.
05 - Divide batter evenly into three bowls. Tint one portion red, one blue, and leave one portion plain.
06 - Using a spoon, layer each color batter into liners in a random or swirled pattern for a tie dye effect.
07 - Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until light and fluffy. Divide into three bowls; tint one red, one blue, and leave one white.
09 - Fill a piping bag with all three colors side-by-side to create a swirl. Pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes.
10 - Optionally, decorate with festive sprinkles.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It brings a wow factor to any summer party without requiring advanced pastry skills.
  • The moist vanilla base is the perfect canvas for such vibrant, playful colors.
02 -
  • Gel food coloring is superior to liquid drops because it keeps the batter consistency correct.
  • Do not overmix the batter after adding the flour or the cupcakes will turn out tough and dense.
03 -
  • Use a striping bag or paint stripes inside the bag for even more defined color layers.
  • Chill the frosted cupcakes for ten minutes to set the swirl before serving.

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