Why I love these red velvet cupcakes
These red velvet cupcakes are one of those recipes I come back to again and again
The cupcakes turn out soft and moist every time.
And they hold together well. Which makes them easy to frost, transport, and serve.
Like all cupcakes, they are also simply easier to deal with than a cake, especially when you’re serving a group.
The cream cheese frosting is a big part of why this recipe works so well.
It’s smooth, easy to work with, and has that familiar red velvet flavor people expect.
Which is why, when I need a dessert that’s easy to serve and always goes over well, this is the recipe I make.
Looking for more red velvet recipes? You'll love Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake and Red Velvet Cookies.
Ingredients
Here is your shopping list (for 12 cupcakes):
For the cupcakes:
- Baking supplies – 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder , ¼ teaspoon baking soda.
- Sugar – 1 cup sugar
- Dairy – ½ cup + 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons Buttermilk.
- Eggs – 2 eggs
- Coloring – Red gel coloring. Using gel instead of liquid gives a richer color.
- Seasoning – ¼ teaspoon salt
- Oil – 3 Tablespoons Oil
For the frosting:
- Dairy – 1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Sugar – 4 cups (1 pound) powdered sugar
- Flavoring – 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- Seasoning – ⅛ teaspoon salt. This helps to cut the sweetness a little bit.
Substitutions & Additions
- To use salted butter instead of unsalted, reduce the amount of added salt. Use ⅛ teaspoon (instead of ¼ teaspoon) for the cupcake batter. Remove the added salt from the frosting.
How to make red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
1 | Prep work
Take the cream cheese, butter and buttermilk out of the fridge a couple of hours before you start. Letting them warm up to room temperature makes them much easier to mix smoothly.
Preheat your oven to 350°F so it’s ready when you need it.
Place cupcake liners into the cupcake pans now so they’re ready to go once your batter is mixed.
2 | Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, use a spoon or whisk to stir together 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder , ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt..
Sifting isn’t necessary here. But if you have a sifter, it can help break up any lumps and aerate the flour for a lighter cupcake.
3 | Mix the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, beat ½ cup + 3 Tablespoons butter and 1 cup sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy. This usually takes 2-3 minutes.
Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula so everything gets mixed evenly.
Beat in 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Add a few drops of red gel food coloring. You don’t need very much.
Beat to see what the color is.
Add a few more drops if necessary so that the batter is a vibrant red. It will get darker after you add the cocoa powder mixture.
4 | Combine the wet and dry ingredients
Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, then add about half of the buttermilk. (It doesn’t have to be exact). Mix until just combined.
Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk.
Finally, add 3 Tablespoons oil, and mix just until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything gets mixed evenly.
Don’t over mix once the flour has been added, as that can make the cupcakes dense.5 | Bake the cupcakes
Distribute the batter evenly into the cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full. This leaves enough room for the cupcakes to rise without overflowing.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
To check if they’re done, gently press the top. They should spring back.
Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool in the pans for a few minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make sure they have cooled fully before frosting or the icing will melt.
6 | Make the frosting
Add ½ cup butter and 1 cup cream cheese to a large bowl.
Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Mix in 1 teaspoon Vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition until smooth and spreadable.
This slow addition prevents the sugar from flying out of the bowl as you mix.
7 | Frost the cupcakes
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
Pipe the icing on top of each cooled cupcake for a neat finish.
If you don’t have a piping bag, you can add a dollop of frosting using a spoon.
How to make ahead
To prepare these cupcakes ahead of time, you can bake the cupcakes up to two days in advance.
Once cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if your environment is warm or humid.
The frosting can be made a day or two ahead as well.
Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Before piping, let the frosting sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes and give it a quick stir to restore its smoothness.
Frost the cupcakes close to serving time for the freshest appearance.
But if needed, you can pipe the frosting on the cupcakes a few hours in advance. Keep the decorated cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Storage
Store frosted cupcakes for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
For the best flavor and texture, take them out of the refrigerator a few minutes before serving to let them warm up a bit.
Red Velvet Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup + 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- a few drops Red gel food coloring
- ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons Buttermilk room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons Oil
For the frosting:
- 1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese softened
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Equipment
- 12 cup muffin tin
- 12 cupcake liners
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixer and mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Piping bag or spoon for adding the frosting
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the cupcake liners in the cupcake pans.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together with a spoon or whisk.1½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until the butter is smooth.½ cup + 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup sugar
- Mix in the eggs and the vanilla.2 eggs, 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- Add in the red gel coloring and mix until combined.a few drops Red gel food coloring
- Sift in half of the dry ingredients and add in the half of the buttermilk. Mix until combined.¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons Buttermilk
- Continue by sifting the rest of the dry ingredients and pour in the rest of the buttermilk. Mix again until combined.
- Add in the oil and mix, scraping the bowl down as needed.3 Tablespoons Oil
- Distribute the batter evenly into cupcake papers, filling each paper about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back when touched.
- Let cool for a few minutes in the pans. Then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the frosting
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- Add the vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary.1 teaspoon Vanilla, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing until combined after each addition.4 cups powdered sugar
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe on top of each cooled cupcake. Or use a spoon to add a dollop of icing.
Notes
- To use salted butter instead of unsalted, reduce the added salt in the cupcake batter to ⅛ teaspoon and remove the added salt from the frosting altogether.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
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