4th of July Cherry Bomb Cupcakes

This 4th of July, fire up the party with these awesome red, white and blue 4th of July Cherry Bomb Cupcakes!  These chocolate cupcakes are frosted with the best chocolate icing that is quick and easy to make!

Then, top them off with patriotic sprinkles and boozy (or not) chocolate covered cherry bombs for a festive explosion of color!  Easy to make and fun to eat for the holiday!  For more fun patriotic treats, you'll love this roundup of 20 Red, White & Blue Patriotic Desserts to Proudly Hail!

This 4th of July, let your fireworks sizzle in more ways than one! Celebrate the patriotic holiday with a delicious treat that will leave your taste buds exploding with these Cherry Bomb Cupcakes.

Not only are they a fun and festive way to show off your love for America, they're also packed with a delicious combination of flavors that will make your mouth water.

We took our Perfect Hershey's Chocolate Cupcakes and just gave them a smooth patriotic make-over!  This is the perfect 4th of july cupcake recipe that hits all the red, white and blue colors when you want to celebrate!

Other patriotic desserts you'll love are these Red White and Blue Chocolate Chip Bars, this Retro Red White and Blue Cake, these Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cup Double Stuffed Oreos and these awesome 4th of July Oreo Truffles!

Ingredients You Need for Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

• granulated sugar
• all-purpose flour
• HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• eggs
• milk
• vegetable oil
• vanilla extract
• boiling water

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

• butter 
• HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• powdered sugar
• milk
• vanilla extract

Chocolate Cherry Bombs

• maraschino cherries with stems, drained
• Fireball whisky
• whipped cream-flavored vodka
• white chocolate chips
• Blue sugar sprinkles

Omit the booze if you don't want alcohol involved.

How to Make Best Cupcakes

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. 
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and using mixer, beat on medium speed of 2 minutes. 
4. Stir in boiling water.  Batter will be thin. (I placed my batter in a pitcher for easier pouring)
5. Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full with batter. 
6. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. 
7. Frost with Perfect Chocolate Frosting.

How to Make Best Chocolate Frosting

1. In microwave, melt butter. Stir in cocoa powder. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
2. Add small amount additional milk, if needed.

Cupcake & Frosting Tips

• These cupcakes will rise about a half an inch while baking, so take care not to over fill with batter.
• When you add the frosting on top, you can frost the old-fashioned way and just slather frosting on top with a spatula or knife.   We loved using these large star piping tips to get a beautiful swirl on top!
• Fill the piping bag about ¾ full with frosting, then twist the bag until the frosting pokes out of the tip. 
• For a traditional swirl, start piping from the outside of the cupcake and work in a circle inwards. You can also pipe a “rose swirl” by starting from the inside and working outwards. 
• Since we're going all red, white and blue for the 4th of July, we couldn't resist adding super delish chocolate covered cherries on top!  That makes these the ultimate!

How to Make 4th of July Boozy Chocolate Cherry Bombs

1. Place cherries in a medium bowl.
2. If making these boozy, add Fireball and vodka and soak for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Drain cherries and pat dry with a paper towel. Do what you want with the reserved booze. 🙂
3. Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 20-second intervals, stirring in between until melted.
4. Dip each cherry two-thirds of the way into melted chocolate, twisting slightly to help chocolate stick. Dip cherry in blue sugar, coating halfway up the white chocolate coating.
5. Chill in fridge for at least 20 minutes.
6. Place a chocolate covered cherry on top of each of the cupcakes and add some colorful red, white and blue sprinkles!   Devour!

OMIT STEP 2 if you don't want alcohol added to make them non-boozy.

Make Cupcakes Ahead of Time

• If you’d like to make these 4th of July cupcakes ahead of time, wrap the unfrosted cupcakes in plastic wrap and store them either at room temperature for a day or two, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Simply unwrap and frost as desired.

Freezing Cupcakes

• You can freeze cupcakes when they’re frosted or unfrosted for up to 3 months.  When freezing these cupcakes, keep them in a container with a lid that’s freezer-safe and will protect the frosting layer. 
• Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in a freezer-safe container as well, in a resealable freezer bag, or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. 
• Thaw frozen cupcakes unwrapped at room temperature.

This 4th of July cupcake recipe is an easy and fun way to celebrate the 4th of July.  Much like these Boston Cream Cupcakes!  Who's ready to celebrate the USA!?!  Let freedom ring!

More Bombin' Treats!

• Grinch Cocoa Bombs
• Best Red White and Blue M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Easy Hot Chocolate Bombs
• Ultimate Oreo Cupcakes
• Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
• Easy Cherry Cheesecake Cookie Cups

Perfect Hershey's Chocolate Cupcakes

Kim Lange

Learn how to make the best, baked from scratch Perfect Hershey's Chocolate Cupcakes paired with a creamy, silky chocolate icing that is quick and easy to make!

4.20 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 24 Cupcakes

Calories

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Perfect Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 - ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1 - ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 - ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Perfect Chocolate Frosting Recipe

• ½ cup butter
• ⅔ cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional Decoratives: Hershey Bars Hershey Kisses or sprinkles

Instructions

 

Perfect Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
• Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
• Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and using mixer, beat on medium speed of 2 minutes.
• Stir in boiling water. Batter will be thin. (I placed my batter in a pitcher for easier pouring)
• Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full with batter.
• Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely.
• Frost with Perfect Chocolate Frosting.

Perfect Chocolate Frosting Recipe

• In microwave, melt butter. Stir in cocoa powder. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
• Add small amount additional milk, if needed.
• When you add the frosting on top, you can frost the old-fashioned way and just slather frosting on top with a spatula or knife.   We loved using these large star piping tips to get a beautiful swirl on top!
• Add a Hershey Bar, Chocolate Kiss or sprinkles on top for a simple decoration!

Notes

Make Cupcakes Ahead of Time

• If you’d like to make these cupcakes ahead of time, wrap the unfrosted cupcakes in plastic wrap and store them either at room temperature for a day or two, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Simply unwrap and frost as desired.

Freezing Cupcakes

• You can freeze cupcakes when they’re frosted or unfrosted for up to 3 months.  Keep them in a container with a lid that’s freezer-safe and will protect the frosting layer. 
• Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in a freezer-safe container as well, in a resealable freezer bag, or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. 
• Thaw frozen cupcakes unwrapped at room temperature.

Keyword chocolate, cocoa, cupcakes, frosting, Hershey's, party dessert

Tried This Recipe?Let us know how it was by commenting below!

Cupcake Recipe from Perfect Hershey's Chocolate Cupcakes & Cherry Bomb Recipe from Delish