If you love red velvet desserts, then you are going to love these perfect Red Velvet Cupcakes. Using only simple ingredients, you will have the best red velvet recipe to make for cupcakes.
For those who love a good red velvet cake recipe, then this recipe is for you! It is similar to our original recipe for red velvet bundt cake, but made into cupcakes and topped with homemade cream cheese frosting that has a slight tang to it.
Serve the best red velvet cupcakes on Valentine’s day or just as a fun red velvet recipe to make and enjoy with your family and friends!
Recipe Ingredient Notes:
To make our red velvet cupcakes, you need the following ingredients:
- Flour: use the all-purpose flour you already have on hand
- Sugar: use fine white sugar for the best texture
- Cocoa: you will need to use your favorite brand of unsweetened cocoa powder
- Leavening agents: use both baking powder and baking soda in this cupcake batter
- Eggs: use medium eggs that have sat at room temperature for about 5 minutes
- Milk: for the best results use buttermilk (you can make homemade buttermilk with whole milk and lemon juice)
- Butter: you will need to use unsalted butter that has been melted
- Food Coloring: to get the true effect of homemade red velvet cupcakes you will need to use red food coloring
To make our buttercream frosting, you need the following ingredients:
- Butter: use softened unsalted butter to add to the tangy cream cheese frosting
- Cream cheese: pick your favorite brand of cream cheese to make the staple frosting for this red velvet cupcake recipe
- Sugar: when making frosting only use powdered sugar
- Salt: you will need a good pinch of salt for this recipe (but omit if you are using salted butter)
- Extract: use the vanilla extract you have on hand
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make Our Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, unsalted butter and red food coloring, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
- Slowly add liquid ingredients to the dry flour mixture ingredients. Mix with a whisk until you have a smooth batter.
- Fill your paper liners up to ¾ full and tap gently on the kitchen counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes for 5 minutes on the counter, then remove from the tin and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the frosting: in a large bowl, cream together unsalted butter and cream cheese on medium speed, using a hand-held mixer. You can also use a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment.
- While the mixer is running on low, gradually add the powdered sugar and pinch of salt.
- Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, chill the frosting for a few minutes.
- Assemble the cupcakes; prepare the piping bag with a round or open star nozzle. Fill the piping bag with the prepared frosting.
- Pipe the frosting in large dollops on top of each cupcake.
- Serve and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- I used 1 Tablespoon of red food color for the cupcakes. For vibrant color use between two to three tablespoons of the red food color.
- For all those who are looking for a version without food coloring, you can use a beet. Bake or steam a medium beat until tender. Puree the beat with water (2-3 tablespoons) and use the puree in the cupcakes. In this case, remove one of the eggs.
- If you want your frosting to be thicker, simply add more powdered sugar. Start by adding ¼ cup at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Before adding frosting to the cupcakes, make sure they are completely cooled. Any heat from the cupcakes will melt the frosting.
Recipe Variations
- Add lime or lemon zest (or lemon juice) to your buttercream frosting. Use the zest of one lemon or lime. This will give a refreshing twist.
- Top cupcakes with shaved chocolate.
- Reseve some of the frosting and add red food dye to the frosting to create designs on the tops of the cupcakes.
Storage Suggestions
Counter: Place red velvet cupcakes into a large airtight container and store them on the counter for 4-5 days. Or place them in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Essentially red velvet cake is chocolate cake with red food dye added to the cake batter.
Most often cupcakes come out dry if they are over-baked or if there was not enough liquid added to the cake mix.
We love using either the McCormick or Wilton red food dye. Either of them should be easily found at the grocery store or local arts and crafts stores.
Nope! If you prefer to make this recipe without the red food coloring it will still taste great! Then they will essentially be chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
Enjoy More Delicious Cupcake Recipes
Cupcakes are a delicious treat for kids and adults alike. Check out our comprehensive list of cupcake recipes!
- Bite Size Carrot Cakes
- Cherry Cobbler Cookie Cups
- Confetti Cupcakes
- Melted Witch Cupcakes
- Mini Pumpkin Poppers
- Mini Spooky Spider Cupcakes
- Orange Crush Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
- Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes
- Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 medium eggs
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup unsalted melted butter
- 1 Tablespoon red food coloring
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter (unsalted)
- 12 ounces cream cheese
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1 good pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, unsalted butter and red food coloring.
- Slowly add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix with a whisk until you have a smooth batter.
- Fill your paper liners up to ¾ full and tap gently on the kitchen counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes for 5 minutes on the counter, then remove from the tina and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the frosting: in a large bowl, cream together unsalted butter and cream cheese, using a hand-held mixer. You can also use a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment.
- While the mixer is running on low, gradually add the powdered sugar and pinch of salt.
- Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, chill the frosting for a few minutes.
- Assemble the cupcakes; prepare the piping bag with a round or open star nozzle. Fill the piping bag with the prepared frosting.
- Pipe the frosting in large dollops on top of each cupcake.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Such a tasty and easy recipe. My kids love the “red” cupcakes