Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe

This Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe will give you light, soft and moist cupcakes with a classic cream cheese frosting. They are delicious, easy to make and perfect for any occasion!

We've been making Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting for quite some time here at home. And we started making them so often that we decided to change the recipe a little to make them and a little lighter. I think you'll love how easy and delicious they are!

Here are some questions you might have:

Is this the best red velvet cupcake recipe?

For us it is! I'm sure there are many good red velvet cupcake recipes out there, but trust me, this one won't disappoint! And if you ever made Martha Stewart's red velvet cupcakes you should definitely try this recipe. This is an easier and lighter version!

Are homemade red velvet cupcakes better than store-bought?

Well, it depends on where you buy them. Mass produced cupcakes don't taste as good as the ones you get from small batches. The quality of the ingredients will also define how good a cupcake tastes.

So, making them at home, with quality ingredients will give you spectacular cupcakes!

Are these red velvet cupcakes with buttermilk?

Yes! But if you don't have buttermilk at home you could substitute for milk and a little vinegar - this is how we do it! I explain how to in the recipe.

Are these red velvet cupcakes with oil?

Yes, they are, but you could substitute it for butter if you prefer. Having said that I must remind you that these will not be oily.

How do you make red velvet cupcakes from scratch?

The only difference for making these red velvet cupcakes from scratch instead of using pre-packaged mix is that to make this recipe you won't need boxed mixes, but the ingredients separately.

Mixing, baking and frosting cupcakes made from scratch is the same as if using a bought mix.

What are the ingredients for red velvet cupcakes?

For the cupcakes you'll need:

• buttermilk: you can substitute for milk and a little white vinegar
• cake flour: if you don't have cake flour you just have to remove part of the all-purpose flour and replace it for some corn starch - I'll tell you how to do it in the recipe.
• cocoa powder: use it for better results, or substitute for chocolate powder, that works too.
• salt
• sugar
• baking powder
• vegetable oil: use a neutral oil such as canola, soy, corn or cottonseed oil, but you could substitute for butter
• egg
• red gel food coloring: if you don't have it you could still make these cupcakes, but they won't have the red velvet color; if using regular food coloring, add more of it
• vanilla extract

For the frosting:

• heavy cream
• cream cheese
• vanilla extract
• confectioners' sugar - DO NOT use regular sugar. If you do not have confectioners' sugar, I'll show you how to make it at home.

How to make confectioners' sugar at home

To make powdered sugar at home, place granulated sugar in a blender, and pulse for about 30 seconds. Shake the blender cup a little and then pulse for another 30 seconds. You can also use a Nutribullet or a food processor.

How to make Red Velvet Cupcakes?

You'll start by preheating the oven to 350 F (180C) and lining standard muffin tins with paper liners. If you are using milk and vinegar instead of buttermilk, mix these 2 ingredients and set aside (1 cup milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar).

In a large bowl whisk together cake flour, cocoa and salt.

In another another bowl combine sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, food coloring and buttermilk (or milk and vinegar mixture), mixing with an electric mixer on medium-high speed.

Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix them very well (again, using an electric mixer). Pour batter in lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.

Bake until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool before removing cupackes from the pan.

To make the frosting you will pour heavy cream into a bowl and whisk on high speed until it reaches a whipped cream texture. Add cream cheese, sugar and vanilla and whisk on high speed for about 30 seconds.

Spread cupcakes with frosting, or pipe using a star tip attached to a piping bag.

Can I turn these cupcakes into red velvet muffins?

We have never tried, but you could. Make the frosting without using the heavy cream and after you pour the batter in the muffin tins place around 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each muffin.

How long do red velvet cupcakes last?

Unfrosted cupcakes will keep for 1-2 days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can freeze cupcakes for a few weeks (also unfrosted), but try not to leave them in the freezer for more than a month.

Recipe

I think you will enjoy this Glazed Orange Bundt Cake.

Print Pin

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Delicious and easy to make red velvet cupcakes

Course cake

Cuisine American

Keyword cupcake

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 cupcakes

Calories 251kcal

Equipment

• Electric mixer

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp red gel food coloring
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting

• 3.5 oz heavy cream
• 3.5 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350 F (180C). Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
• If you are using milk and vinegar instead of buttermilk, mix these 2 ingredients and set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together cake flour, cocoa and salt.
• In another bowl combine sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, food coloring and buttermilk (or milk and vinegar mixture). Mix it all with an electric mixer on medium-high speed.
• Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix them very well.
• Pour batter in lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let it cool before removing cupackes from the pan.

Frosting

• Pour heavy cream into a bowl and whisk on high speed until it reaches a whipped cream texture. Add cream cheese, sugar and vanilla and whisk on high speed for about 30 seconds.
• Spread cupcakes with frosting.

Notes

Adapted from marthastewart.com

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 365mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 1mg

If you make this recipe, please let us now by tagging @travelcooktell on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

Click here for more sweet recipes.