Stars and Stripes Cupcakes - flour

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
• Make the cupcakes: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Combine the granulated sugar and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in the melted butter and vanilla until smooth.
• Reduce the mixer to low speed; beat in half of the flour mixture, the milk, then the remaining flour mixture until smooth.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
• Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth, then beat in the vanilla and raspberry extracts.
• Beat in the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until creamy.
• Transfer half of the frosting to a separate bowl and tint red with food coloring.
• Put the white and red frosting in separate zip-top bags; snip a corner of each.
• Snip a corner of a larger zip-top bag; put both frosting bags in the larger bag and twist so that they pipe out of the snipped corner.
• Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
• Make the candy stars: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Microwave the candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl in 45-second intervals, stirring, until smooth.
• Transfer to a small zip-top bag and snip a small corner.
• Pipe twelve 2- to 3-inch stars onto the parchment, piping double or triple lines for stability.
• Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.
• Carefully lift the stars from the parchment and insert into the frosting on each cupcake.
• Photograph by Kate Mathis