Red Velvet Cupcakes
“Red velvet cupcakes that are moist and fluffy, topped with a generous amount of cream cheese frosting for a delectable dessert!”
This red velvet cupcakes are as light and delicate as they are beautiful and dramatic. They have a slight cocoa taste with a slight tang that nicely complement the cream cheese frosting.
Cream cheese frosting has an addictive quality to it; the sweetness is balanced by a hint of tang, the texture is creamy and delectable. I like this frosting on carrot cupcake and cake, and in almost everything!
This red velvet cupcakes recipe comes from my red velvet cake recipe and used half of it. You can double or triple the recipe as you desired because red velvet cupcakes are usually a hit with the crowd.
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WHAT IS RED VELVET CUPCAKE
Red velvet cupcake is a mildly chocolate-flavored chocolate cake baked with a small amount of cocoa powder. The acidity of the vinegar and buttermilk reacts with the cocoa powder, making the cake moist, light, and fluffy and giving it its distinctive crimson hue. Red food coloring or beetroot extract can also be used to intensify the hue.
Many recipes leave off the cocoa powder to make the red appear brighter, but a traditional red velvet cake or cupcake will have some chocolate.
HOW TO MAKE RED VELVET CUPCAKES
These delicate, delectable, and colorful red velvet cupcakes are simple to create.
Prepare the cupcakes.
Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) and lining muffin pan with paper liners.
Combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cocoa powder in the bowl and sift to remove lumps. Set aside.
Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until combine, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the egg, oil, vinegar and buttermilk and beat until well incorporated. Using low speed, combine the dry ingredients in 1-2 increments. Finally, add the vanilla extract/ essence and food coloring. Mix until just combine, do not overmix.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups that have been prepared. They shouldn’t be more than two-thirds full. The reason for this is because the cupcakes are so fragile, they will not maintain their shape when baking if you overfill them!
Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the cream cheese frosting.
Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth. Lastly, combine the vanilla extract/essence and salt and mix to fully incorporate.
Decorate the cupcakes.
Frost the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting once they have totally cooled down. You can sprinkle the crumbs over the frosting for a beautiful finish.
TIPS IN MAKING RED VELVET CUPCAKES
- Before you begin, make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature. Why? Everything mixes together smoothly, evenly, and produces a homogeneous texture when everything is close to the same temperature.
- If possible, use cake flour. Cake flour contains less protein than all-purpose flour, resulting in a softer, lighter, and velvety cake!
- Make sure you have the right amount of flour! The most common error is using too much flour in a recipe. Using a scale is the most accurate and convenient way to measure flour.
- You can use as much red food coloring as you want. I used around 1 tablespoon of liquid food coloring, but you can use more and tint the batter till you like the hue.
- Sift the dry ingredients to remove any cocoa powder lumps. This will also aid in the softening and lightening of the cake.
- Don’t forget to use oil. The oil keeps the sponge moist.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened but still cool to the touch before creaming the frosting. The frosting will not become runny as a result of this.
- Fill only 2/3 batter into the cupcake liners. These red velvet cupcakes are delicate and lack the structure to keep their shape while baking. Overfilling the cups may cause them to spill and lose their form. If this happens, don’t worry; it won’t impact the flavor, only their appearance.
- Frost your cupcake after they have cooled completely, or you’ll end up with a melty disaster!
- Make them a day ahead of time. This cake is even wonderful the next day.
SUBSTITUTES
- If cake flour isn’t available, you can use all-purpose flour instead. You may also prepare a cake flour alternative by measuring 1 cup all-purpose flour, subtracting 2 tablespoons, and adding 2 tablespoons cornstarch to get 1 cup cake flour. It’s critical that you sift it twice to fully blend it.
- Red velvet cake necessitates the use of buttermilk. You can buy buttermilk or make your own by blending 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of full cream milk and filling until it measures 1 cup. Give it a good stir and let it settle for 5 minutes before using.
- If using food gel coloring, use it sparingly until you get the desired color.
HOW TO SERVE
You can serve this red velvet cupcakes as an after-meal dessert.
They can also be a lovely gift to your friends and loved ones on Valentine’s day.
HOW TO STORE
Unfrosted cupcakes may be kept at room temperature for a few days. Store in an airtight container to prevent from drying out.
If freezing, wrap baked cupcakes individually in plastic wrap and place them in a plastic bag or tub to freeze. Use within a month for best results.
Frosted cupcakes can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days. Note: Refrigerate your cupcakes if your kitchen temperature is above 70°F or if they have been out for a long time.
The cream cheese frosting can be kept refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to two months. Allow the frosting to come to room temperature before applying it to the cupcakes.
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and tell me how you liked it in the comments section below; I love hearing from you! Happy tummy!
Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe
Equipment
- Oven
- muffin/ cupcake tin
- Parchment / Baking paper
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Icing spatula/ Spreader / butter knife / piping bag
Ingredients
For Cake:
- 1 and ¼ cups cake flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 medium eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoons vanilla extract/ essence
- 1-2 teaspoons liquid or gel red food coloring
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces (227g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup (76g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and ½ cups confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract/ essence
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line cupcake pan with cupcake liner.
Make the batter:
- Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder together in a large bowl. Whisk and sift to remove any lumps then set aside.
- Using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until combined, about 4-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add the egg and beat before adding, oil, vinegar and buttermilk. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients in 1-2 additions. Mix until well blended.
- Pour in vanilla essence/ extract and red food coloring. Beat until well incorporated.
- Divide batter evenly among cupcake liner about 2/3 full. Bake for around 20-22 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note: Be careful not to overbake as the cakes may dry out.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the frosting:
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar by batch and fold it first into the cream cheese and butter mixture. This will prevent it flying out because of its powdered form. Beat until smooth.
- Pour the vanilla extract and salt. Beat for 3 minutes until completely combined and creamy.
- Note: You can add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, little milk if frosting is too thick, or a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. Frosting should be soft, but not runny.
Assemble and frost:
- Note: The cupcakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling. Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or place the cream cheese frosting into a piping bag with a big star tip. Pipe over the top cupcakes.
- Optional: Decorate your cupcakes by crumbling a piece of cupcake and sprinkling it over the top. Or you can garnish it with chopped pecans.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If cake flour isn’t available, you can use all-purpose flour instead. You may also prepare a cake flour alternative by measuring 1 cup all-purpose flour, subtracting 2 tablespoons, and adding 2 tablespoons cornstarch to get 1 cup cake flour. It’s critical that you sift it twice to fully blend it.
- Red velvet cake necessitates the use of buttermilk. You can buy buttermilk or make your own by blending 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of full cream milk and filling until it measures 1 cup. Give it a good stir and let it settle for 5 minutes before using.
- If using food gel coloring, use it sparingly until you get the desired color.
- See my tips on the post above.
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