Red, White and Blue Velvet Cupcakes

For the red velvet cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350ºF and prepare cupcake tins by lining them with baking papers or cups.

Cream butter and sugar on medium speed of electric or stand mixer for about 2 minutes. Add egg and beat. Mix in cocoa power and red food coloring at medium speed for 4 minutes. This will allow the distinctive red food coloring to get fully incorporated in batter.

Meanwhile, sift flours, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl. In a measuring cup, measure buttermilk and add vanilla.

Add half of flour and half of buttermilk mixtures to butter and cocoa powder. Mix on low-speed until just mixed in, then add remaining flour and buttermilk. Finally, add sour cream and vinegar being careful to not over-mix cake batter.

Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full with batter. Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes and allow to fully cool before frosting them.

For the icing:
In the bowl of mixer, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, kosher salt and milk and beat at low speed until powdered sugar is fully blended in and icing looks light and fluffy.

Add mascarpone cheese and beat until just incorporated because mascarpone cheese is more delicate and over-beating it could cause icing to curdle.

Pipe or spread a generous amount of icing on each cupcake. I like to use a large star tip to pipe my icing on the cupcakes.

For the white chocolate stars:
To add something special for Fourth of July, you can make white chocolate stars. These stars are easy to make if you have a silicone or plastic mold.

Break chocolate into smaller pieces in a microwave safe bowl. Heat chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir and heat chocolate for an additional 20 seconds, then continue to stir until smooth and fully melted.

Pour melted chocolate in star molds and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes to allow chocolate to fully cool and become firm. When chocolate is cool and firm, turn mold over and pop out chocolate stars.

Finally, add a few red and blue berries to each cupcake and top them off with a white chocolate star and some festive sprinkles.