Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Line cupcake pan with paper liners.

-Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.

-Beat butter on high for 30 seconds.

-Add sugar and vanilla extract to the butter until well combined.

-Add egg whites, one at a time, mixing after each.

-Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each.

-Add 1/3 C flour mixture to the wet mixture followed by adding 1/3 C of the buttermilk; add 1/3 C flour mixture again then add 1/3 C buttermilk mix on low speed, add 1/3 C of flour and add the rest of 1/3 C of buttermilk mix in low speed until thoroughly blended.

-Divide the batter into three bowls.... add red gel food coloring to one.... add blue gel food coloring to the second and the third remains white. Stir well.

-Begin by spooning in some of the red batter then the blue... using a spoon twirl the two colors together.

-Place your star in the center and build the cupcake.... continue with the blue batter then the red batter.... using a spoon twirl the two colors together.

-The batter should reach 2/3rds of the top of the lined cupcake holders.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted

toothpick comes out clean.

-Cool for 10 minutes.

-Remove to a wire rack until fully cooled

White Star:

-Spoon the white batter onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 24 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

-Allow to completely cool.

-Using a small star cookie cutter and cut out the stars for the cupcakes.

Frosting:

-Beat the softened butter on its own until smooth.

-Add vanilla extract.

-Add powder sugar with heavy cream into the creamed butter until it becomes a smooth and thick texture.

-If the frosting is too thick, add more heavy cream, if the frosting is too thin, add more powder sugar.

-Take a spoonful of the frosting and hold the spoon upside down

if the frosting drops off the spoon add more powdered sugar ....

-Divide the frosting into three bowls..... One bowl add several red drops of gel food coloring... stir well......Second bowl add several drops of blue gel food coloring.... stir well.... Third bowl remains white.

-Scoop individual colors of the frosting at a time into a pastry bag... Start with the blue frosting, second the red frosting and lastly add the white frosting.

-Twist the open end of the pastry bag to push the frosting to the tip. Test it out before applying the frosting to the cupcakes. The frosting should come out in a mixture of the red, white and blue.

-Frost the cupcakes.