Firecracker Cupcakes are classically vanilla, but bursting with a slightly tart summer berry compote, and crowned with a halo of fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword firecracker cupcakes
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Cook Time 17 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour17 minutesminutes
Servings 18
Calories 395kcal
Author Erica
Ingredients
Cupcakes
1 ¾cupsall-purpose flour
1 ½teaspoonsbaking powder
½teaspoonsalt
1cupgranulated sugar
½cupunsalted buttermelted
3large eggsroom temperature
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
¾cupbuttermilkor whole milk + 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
Red & blue food coloring
Berry Compote
3cupsmixed berriesfresh or frozen
2tablespoonsorange zest
5tablespoonsorange juicedivided
½teaspoonvanilla extract
1tablespoonhoney
2tablespoonscornstarch
Whipped Cream Cheese Buttercream
½cupunsalted butterroom temperature
½cupcream cheesecold
¼teaspoonsalt
4cupspowdered sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
2tablespoonsheavy cream
Sprinklesedible stars, and flag decorations
Instructions
Cupcakes
Prep 2 standard muffin tins with 18 cupcake liners. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together sugar and melted butter, about 2 minutes, until combined.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition, then add vanilla and beat to combine.
Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour.
Portion out about ½ cup into two separate bowls. Add red and blue food coloring to each bowl and stir, until desired shade is reached.
Using a small cookie scoop, place about 2 Tablespoons of red or blue cupcake batter in the bottom of each cupcake liner, then fill to about ¾ full with white batter.
Drop any remaining colored batter in dollops on top if desired, and swirl with a toothpick.
After putting cupcakes in the oven, drop the temperature to 175 degrees F and bake for 14-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow cupcake to sit in tins for about 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
When cool, using a small knife held at a 45-degree angle, cut a 1-inch deep cone out of the top of each cupcake, creating a pocket for the filling to sit in.
Berry Compote
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons orange juice and stir until combined. Set aside.
Combine berries, 3 tablespoons orange juice, zest, vanilla, and honey in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
Bring to a simmer and cook about 4-5 minutes, until berries begin releasing their juices, then muddle with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook another 5 minutes or so on low heat.
Remove from heat and stir in cornstarch mixture, combining well. Feel free to add more honey if your compote is too tart. Allow to cool to room temperature before filling cupcakes with 1-2 tablespoons, mounding it higher than the top of the cupcake..
Whipped Cream Cheese Buttercream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese together for about 3 minutes, or until combined and smooth.
Sprinkle in salt, and add confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well between cups and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla, beating until incorporated.
Scrape icing off paddle, and fit the mixer with the whip attachment.
Add heavy whipping cream, and after incorporating it in to the icing, whip on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes until fluffy.
Fill a piping bag or zipper bag with icing, and pipe a circle around the filling, and a star dollop right in the middle of it.
Decorate with sprinkles, edible star confetti, and patriotic decorations.