These classic Red Velvet Cupcakes are a crowd-pleaser! There’s nothing better than red velvet cupcakes made from scratch with cream cheese frosting. Every bite is soft, tender, and deliciously sweet. The batter gets its signature look from a lot of red food coloring, while a touch of cocoa, a glug of buttermilk, and a splash of vinegar give the crumb its distinct, slightly tangy flavor.
Instead of using all vegetable oil, I used a combination of oil and full-fat mayonnaise that keeps the familiar texture while adding mayo’s moisture. This is noted in the list of ingredients below.
The cream cheese frosting — rich, smooth, and just sweet enough — is the perfect complement. You’ll get about 20 cupcakes from this batch, but the recipe is easy enough to scale up or down.
With two July 4 parties on the horizon, I took a patriotic approach when it came to the visual aspect, starting with US flag motif cupcake holders and ending with red, white and blue sprinkles with stars.
NOTE: Depending on the make and size of your red food coloring, you may, or may not need a full bottle. Use enough to make the batter a rich red color.
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup full-fat mayonnaise (no light or olive oil mayo)
- 2Â eggs
- 1 tsp. vinegar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Red food coloring (you can use beet root powder as well)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
- 1 lb. confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, mix together the sugar, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vinegar. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on medium speed until well blended.
- Add the vanilla and the entire bottle of red food coloring to the cake batter and mix again on low speed until well blended and uniform in color.
- Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with papers. Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full with the cake batter. You will end up with 18-20 cupcakes.
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until the center springs back when pressed lightly with your finger. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before icing.
For Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. Ice the cooled cupcakes. (I used a pastry bag with a large tip opening to create a swirled effect.)
Buttercream cupcakes can be safely left out at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, provided they are stored in an airtight container and the room is cool and dry. They’ll also keep well in the fridge for 3–5 days in an airtight container. Just let them sit out for 20–30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens back up.
Adapted from a recipe by SouthernPlate.com
