These Patriotic Firecracker Cupcakes for Memorial Day or July 4th are so festive with red, white and blue cake batter baked right into an ice cream cone.
Perfect for Memorial Day or Independence Day three-day weekend and kids will love them!
Firecracker Cupcakes for your Patriotic Party
Looking for more Memorial Day cupcakes or July cupcake ideas? These are so delicious and cute: American Flag Cupcakes ! Or you could make this Easy Flag Cake Recipe or this Patriotic Rice Krispies Treat Cake which is one of my favorite recipes!
Why I love these Patriotic Cupcakes
• They're red white and blue on the inside with the best homemade white frosting and edible firecracker on top!
• Baked in an ice cream cone, they're a little bit more fun than traditional cupcakes! Not your typical cupcakes!
• The kids will love these blue patriotic swirl cupcakes that are also completely delicious.
• These cute Firecracker Cupcakes are perfect for a Memorial Day cookout or Fourth of July party!
• Simple to make with a box cake mix, plus the best homemade buttercream frosting and fun marshmallow firecrackers on top!
• These festive treats are so patriotic with red, white and blue cake on the inside!
• These cute Fireworks Cupcakes are a fun change from the usual Fourth of July desserts, and they’re perfect for any party or barbecue!
• Why not light up the room, make a bang and bring these firecracker cupcakes.
what you need
Ingredient notes
• Ice Cream Cones - Use your favorite brand but make sure they are the cake cones (not the sugar cones or waffle cones).
• Cake Mix - We used a white cake mix for this recipe because you will be dividing the batter into 3 bowls, then coloring red and blue.
• Food Coloring Gel - You will need red and blue food coloring gel paste. This works much better than the traditional kind we used back in the day.
• Marshmallows - Make sure you buy large marshmallows for this recipe and NOT mini marshmallows.
• Red Candy Melts - Wilton Brand makes great candy melts in all different colors including red. Another option is to buy white almond bark and color it red which is what we did. Make sure to use oil based food red coloring if you go this route.
• Licorice Laces - These are hard to find in stores. I found my licorice laces on Amazon. You could also us Twizzler candies and cut into narrow strips about 1-inch long.
How to make Patriotic Firecracker Cupcakes
• Step 1 - In a large mixing bowl, mix up the cake batter with an electric mixer according to package instructions. Divide batter equally into 3 bowls. Color one red, one blue and leave the other white. Use a muffin scoop to scoop cupcake batter into greased muffin tins or cupcake pans. (You don't even need a cupcake liner.) For each muffin cup, add about a tablespoon of red batter, then white batter, then blue batter. Make sure you don't over-fill them. You only need to fill the muffin cups about ⅔ full.
• Step 2 - Add an upside down ice cream cone on top of the batter in each muffin cup. Bake cupcakes at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack.
• Step 3 - Make vanilla frosting using hand mixer or stand mixer. Beat softened unsalted butter on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Frost each vanilla cupcake using a piping bag fitted with a 1 m tip or 1M. Add red, white and blue sprinkles.
• Step 4 - For the firecrackers, melt candy melts in microwave according to package directions. Place toothpick in marshmallow and dip into melts. Place on parchment paper lined sheet pan. You'll need 15-18 (depending on how many cupcakes you baked). While the candy coated marshmallows are still wet, place a 1-inch piece of licorice leather on top of each firecracker. Place in the refrigerator about 30 minutes to set. Place one on top of each frosted cupcake. The perfect finishing touch!
Expert tips
• Room Temperature Ingredients - For best results, always use room temperature ingredients for most baking projects. Chilled ingredients mix differently and affect the consistency of the recipe.
• Prepared Pan - It's very important to grease your cupcake pan very well to make sure your cone cakes don't stick. (Do not use a silicone pan because it's too floppy). Use shortening or butter and rub it all over the inside of the pan, covering all the crevices. I used a generous amount of Crisco and they popped out perfectly after baking and cooling.
• Making the Cones Straight - When placing the cones on top of the batter before baking, try to place them as straight as possible. Then gently press them slightly into the batter to help stabilize them when they bake.
• For an extra bang, try adding Pop Rocks. Strawberry and Tropical Punch Pop Rocks popping candy make a colorful addition to these independence day cupcakes, and they even set off “fireworks” in your mouth as well! Before frosting the cupcakes, scoop out a little bit of cake using the wide end of your pastry tip, add ½ teaspoon of pop rocks, then replace the cut out piece of cupcake. Frost as directed in recipe.
• Serving Suggestion for Cupcake Cones - If you're serving them at a Memorial Day picnic or July 4th party, place each cupcake in a clear plastic cup with a handful of M&M candies in the bottom of the cup to stablize the cupcake and also look cute (preferrably patriotic colors for Memorial Day celebrations).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much batter do I put in the muffin pan? This is an important question. Make sure you don't over-fill them. You only need to fill the muffin cup about ⅔ full. It helps if you use a medium scoop or muffin scoop.
Does the ice cream cone burn in the oven? Lots of people have asked this question and the answer is no. As long as you bake your ice cream cone cupcakes on the middle rack of a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, they will not burn.
How do I store my Memorial Day cupcakes? Place cupcakes in the cupcake pan that you baked them in (after it's cooled). You can place a little bit of aluminum foil around the base of each cone to stablize them, if you wish. Store covered at room temperature for 24 hours, then in refrigerator. Let thaw before serving.
How do I transport my frosted cupcakes? You can transport them the same exact way that you store them in the muffin pan. Then loosely cover with plastic wrap. Be careful! If possible, have a friend hold them in their lap in the passenger's seat of your car.
Looking for more Memorial Day Desserts? Here are some of my favorites from the website:
Easy Bagel Pizza with Fresh Fruit
Cute Dirt Cake Ice Cream Sandwiches
Double Chocolate Chips Bundt Cake
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Related Recipes
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Patriotic Firecracker Cupcakes for Memorial Day or July 4th
Ingredients
- 1 white cake mix, prepared according to package instructions. 15.25 ounces
- 12 ice cream cones (cake)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar or about 16 ounces
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 large marshmallows
- 1 cup red candy melts or almond bark plus oil based red food coloring
- 12 pieces black licorice laces (1-inch long for each piece)
- 2 tablespoons red, white and blue sprinkles
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix up the cake batter with an electric mixer according to package instructions. Divide batter equally into 3 bowls. Color one red, one blue and leave the other white. Use a muffin scoop to scoop cupcake batter into greased muffin tins or cupcake pans. (You don't even need a cupcake liner.) For each muffin cup, add about a tablespoon of red batter, then white batter, then blue batter. Make sure you don't over-fill them. You only need to fill the muffin cups about ⅔ full.
- Add an upside down ice cream cone on top of the batter in each muffin cup. Bake cupcakes at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack.
- Make vanilla frosting using hand mixer or stand mixer. Beat softened unsalted butter on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Frost each vanilla cupcake using a piping bag fitted with a 1 m tip or 1M. Add red, white and blue sprinkles.
- For the firecrackers, melt candy melts in microwave according to package directions. Place toothpick in marshmallow and dip into melts. Place on parchment paper lined sheet pan. You'll need 15-18 (depending on how many cupcakes you baked). While the candy coated marshmallows are still wet, place a 1-inch piece of licorice leather on top of each firecracker. Place in the refrigerator about 30 minutes to set. Place one on top of each frosted cupcake. The perfect finishing touch!
Bev says
They were kind of tippy but very delicious! Pretty for the July 4th holiday.
Rhonda Thomas says
My grandkids loved these firecracker cup cakes. Thank you so much for sharing these.
Lise Ode says
That's great! So glad they enjoyed them!