Red Velvet Cupcakes

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These are the BEST Red Velvet Cupcakes! These classic red velvet cupcakes are so soft and fluffy and topped with most delicious tangy cream cheese frosting. These classic bright and festive red velvet cupcakes are so easy to make and an absolute treat.

These red velvet cupcakes are perfectly light and airy. A red velvet cupcake batter combines cocoa powder, buttermilk and white vinegar for that characteristic red velvet taste that balances tanginess and sweetness and has a subtle chocolate flavor. The red color paste gives the cupcakes their distinctive festive color and they are topped with the best cream cheese frosting. 

For more cupcake recipes, try Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes, Hot Chocolate Cupcakes and Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Red Velvet Cupcakes: These red velvet cupcakes are incredibly soft and so quick and easy to make
• Cream cheese frosting: This cream frosting is so delicious, easy to pipe with and brings a perfect tangy flavor.
• Easy and quick recipe: It's an incredibly easy and delicious recipe to make

INGREDIENT NOTES

These are some of the key ingredients for this red velvet cupcake recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.

• Eggs: Take the eggs out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
• Sour Cream: Sour cream makes for a softer and more tender cupcake. Measure out the sour cream and let it come to room temperature 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk gives a soft and tender cupcake as well as bringing a delicious tangy flavor that is characteristic of red velvet cupcakes. Measure out the buttermilk and let it come to room temperature 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
• White vinegar: White vineger bring a delicious tangy flavor, to complement the sweetness, that is characteristic of red velvet cupcakes.
• Cocoa powder: I recommend using high quality dutch processed cocoa powder for the best flavor, my favorite is from Valrhona or Ghirardelli.
• Vegetable oil: Use a flavor neutral oil, such as canola.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Here is how to make and bake these Red Velvet Cupcakes. These cupcakes needs two bowl, a hand whisk and a stand mixer or electric hand mixer. You will also need a 12-cup cupcake pan and cupcake liners.

The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.

Before starting preheat the oven to 160ºC/ 320ºF conventional oven. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan lined with cupcake paper liners.

STEP 1: For the cupcakes, in a bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined. In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined.

STEP 2: Slowly pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter. Divide the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and bake them for 20-23 minutes. Once baked let them cool down on a wire rack.

STEP 3: For the buttercream, in a large mixing bowl of your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, creaming the butter on high speed for 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix for 2 minutes. 

STEP 4: Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter for 1 minute. On low speed, mix sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix for 2 minutes on low speed.

STEP 5: Take the bowl off the stand mixer and with a spatula or wooden spoon, beat it well by hand to make sure to remove the air bubbles in the buttercream. Add the buttercream to a piping bag with a star piping tip e.g. a Wilton 1M and pipe the buttercream of the cupcakes.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
• Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
• Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.

FAQ

STORAGE

Store the frosted red velvet cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge. They are best enjoyed within 1-2 days. Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, and unused frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let the frosting come to room temperature before giving is stir to remove the air bubbles. Then pip the frosting on the cupcakes and they are ready to be enjoyed.

Other Cupcake Recipes To Try

Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

These are the BEST Red Velvet Cupcakes! These classic red velvet cupcakes are so soft and fluffy and topped with most delicious tangy cream cheese frosting. These classic bright and festive red velvet cupcakes are so easy to make and an absolute treat.

5 fra 17 stemmer

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Total Time 52 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 cupcakes

Equipment

• 12-cup cupcake pan
• Cupcake liners
• Red Food Color Paste

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

• 200 g all-purpose flour
• 200 g granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 110 g buttermilk
• 120 g sour cream 14-18% room temperature
• 75 g vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoon white vinegar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon red gel food coloring or vegan food coloring see notes

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 200 g butter
• 100 g full-fat cream cheese
• 360 g powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Instructions

 

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

• Preheat the oven at 160ºC conventional oven and line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners.
• In a bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything is combined.
  200 g all-purpose flour, 200 g granulated sugar, 2 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
• In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined. Be sure to not mix the ingredients too vigorously so the eggs don’t get over mixed.
  110 g buttermilk, 120 g sour cream 14-18%, 75 g vegetable oil, 2 teaspoon white vinegar, 2 large eggs, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon red gel food coloring or vegan food coloring
• Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.
• Divide the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and bake them for 20-23 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the hot pan. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cupcakes from the cupcake pan and let them cool down completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• Take the butter out of the fridge 10 minutes before starting. Cut the butter into cubes. Sift the powdered sugar.
  200 g butter
• Then in your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, start by creaming the butter for 5 minutes on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix for 2 minutes.
• Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter for 1 minute.
  100 g full-fat cream cheese, ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and on low speed, mix the sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts, letting the powdered sugar mix in with the butter and cream cheese before adding the next part. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix for 2 minutes on low speed.
  360 g powdered sugar
• Take the bowl off the stand mixer and with a spatula or wooden spoon, beat it well by hand to make sure to remove the air bubbles in the buttercream.
• Add the buttercream to a piping bag with a star piping tip e.g. a Wilton 1M and pipe the buttercream of the cupcakes. Optional decorate with sprinkles.

Notes

Red food color paste is better to use than red liquid food color as it will give a much richer red color. You'll therefore need to add a lot less color that if it is liquid color.

The amount can also depend on your food color, see if it needs more for a deep red color

Nutrition

Carbohydrates: 61gProtein: 4gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 317mgPotassium: 70mgFiber: 1gSugar: 47gVitamin A: 630IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg

Keyword cream cheese frosting, cupcakes, red velvet, red velvet cupcakes

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