Tiny blue buttercream stars and red-licorice stripes create a patriotic batch of cupcakes to celebrate Independence Day. Festive cupcake liners carry out the theme; see Sources, page 342.

　　

Ingredients

makes 24

　　24 Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes (page 26) or One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes (page 152)

　　Swiss Meringue Buttercream (page 304)

　　Blue gel-paste food color

　　1 small bag (about 5 ounces) red licorice laces

　　

Step 1

Tint 1 cup buttercream bright blue with gel-paste food color. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip (#4). Using an offset spatula, spread each cupcake with a smooth layer of untinted buttercream. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before decorating.

　　

Step 2

To finish, cut licorice laces into seventy-two 1 1/2-inch-long pieces and seventy-two 3/4-inch-long pieces. Arrange three longer pieces and three shorter pieces to form a flag pattern on each cupcake. With blue frosting, pipe nine dots in each open corner to form “stars.”

　　Martha Stewart's Cupcakes