To Make the Cupcakes:

Cup of Yum
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-count muffin tin.
2. Combine 1/2 cup butter, 2 eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder and milk in a stand mixer —  until smooth batter forms.
3. Divide the cupcake batter into 3 separate bowls. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one bowl and a few drops of blue food coloring in another bowl, mixing well until the batter is rich in color. Leave one bowl of batter plain.
4. Scoop about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of each colored batter into the cupcake liners in the following order: red, white and blue. Take care not to overfill the liners.
5. Bake 18-20 minutes at 350°F
6. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

To Make the Frosting:

1. Using a stand mixer, combine powdered sugar, 1/3 cup softened butter, vanilla extract and milk. Mix until you have achieved a smooth, yet firm frosting consistency. Divide frosting evenly into 3 small bowls.
2. Add red gel food coloring one drop at a time to the first bowl of frosting and stir to combine, until frosting is bright red in color. Repeat this step with the blue gel food coloring in the next bowl of icing. Leave the third bowl of frosting white.

To Create a Swirled Effect with Your Frosting:

1. Lay out a long piece of plastic wrap on the counter and a large baking sheet.
2. Fill one freezer bag with one color of frosting. Snip the corner using the kitchen scissors and gently squeeze the frosting out in a long line on the plastic wrap.
3. Repeat step #10 with the other 2 frosting colors.
4. Once all the frosting is lined up, gently roll the plastic wrap as shown in the photo. Place in the fridge a few minutes to firm up.
5. Attach the star frosting tip to the disposable piping bag. Remove the frosting from the fridge. Cut in half if needed (mine was really long) and place the open end down into the frosting tip.
6. Gently squeeze the frosting out of the bag and onto the cupcake in a circular motion.
7. Repeat with all cupcakes.