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These red velvet cupcakes are perfectly moist with the most beautiful and deep red color. They are topped with classic cream cheese frosting, and once you eat one, you will agree that these are the best!
Cupcakes are the perfect dessert for any occasion. For other delightful cupcake recipes, try these banana cupcakes, these amazing lemon blueberry cupcakes, and especially these pineapple upside-down cupcakes!
Red Velvet Cupcakes
With how many cupcake recipes are out there, I still haven’t found one that I didn’t like! Cupcakes are so yummy and can be mixed and matched with so many flavors, toppings and frostings that they are different every time! Plus, my kids go crazy over them, so it’s a no-brainer to make these for dessert! These red velvet cupcakes are one of my absolute favorite cupcake recipes!
There was a time when I was making a new red velvet cake recipe every weekend. I tried recipe after recipe, and none compared to this one. It is a light cake with a beautiful red color and a slight chocolate flavor. I top these cupcakes with my go-to cream cheese frosting recipe and the cream cheese flavor is the perfect match for red velvet. This has been my go-to red velvet cupcake recipe for years and years, and I’m sure it will become your favorite too.
Ingredients to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes
This recipe uses staple pantry ingredients that you probably already have on hand! Which makes it easy because then you can make these all the time! And trust me, after your kids devour them off of your counter in 2 seconds flat, you will need all of the stuff to make a second batch for yourself!
Cake
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: These ingredients help the cake rise and get that moist, sponge like texture.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This is what makes red velvet cake, the cocoa powder brings in that small, subtle chocolate flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: This sweetens up the batter.
- Salt: The salt is used to enhance all of the other flavors in the cupcakes.
- Buttermilk: You can use storebought or homemade buttermilk for this recipe!
- Vegetable Oil: This will give the cupcakes a moist texture.
- Egg: Let your egg sit out at room temperature before you start mixing. It will combine with the other ingredients better if it’s not cold.
- White Vinegar: This interacts with the baking soda to help leaven the cake (to help it rise without yeast)
- Vanilla Extract: This enhances the sweet ingredients in the cupcake batter.
- Liquid Red Food Coloring: This is how you will get that deep, beautiful red color!
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Butter: Use unsalted butter that has been softened to room temperature.
- Cream Cheese: This should also be softened to room temperature. It will mix better and make it so that your frosting doesn’t have any lumps!
- Salt: This enhances all of the flavors!
- Vanilla Extract: This will add a sweet flavor to mix in with the tangy cream cheese.
- Powdered Sugar: You use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar because it dissolves into the frosting making it nice and smooth.
- Milk: I used 2% but any milk is fine! Use more if the frosting is too thick.
How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes
Making red velvet cupcakes from scratch is a lot easier than you would think! These are simple and come together quickly, making them a great go-to dessert to impress any guest!
Cupcakes
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a muffin pan with pan spray and line with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder. Add the sugar and salt to the flour mixture and whisk thoroughly. Set aside.
- Whisk Flour Mixture with Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, vinegar, vanilla and red food coloring until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Fill Liners and Bake: Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners and fill them 2/3 of the way full. Bake them for 18-20 minutes. The cupcakes are done when you press on the center of the set cupcake and it springs back. Let cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Mix and Pipe: In a large bowl, mix together butter, cream cheese, salt and vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. If frosting is too thick, add a little milk. If you are planning to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, you want it thick enough to hold its shape.
Baking Tips
These red velvet cupcakes are so delicious, and I want yours to turn out perfectly! Here are a few baking tips to help you out!
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Start by setting out your ingredients before you start baking. Baking with room temperature ingredients helps when mixing the ingredients together and it creates a smooth batter and frosting!
- Thick Frosting: If your frosting is too thick to pipe, then slowly add more milk (1 tablespoon at a time) until it reaches your desired consistency!
- Don’t Open the Oven Door: If you open the oven too soon, it releases too much hot air. This makes it so that your cupcakes bake unevenly. If you need to check on things then use the oven light!
How to Make Cupcakes Ahead of Time
If you want to make these ahead of time, you totally can! That makes your life easier to just grab them and go when you are ready!
- Making Ahead of Time: Just cook them according to the directions. Once they are cooled then you can store them in your refrigerator for a day or two. When you are ready to serve them, take them out of the fridge so they can come down a bit in temperature. Make the frosting while they are coming to room temperature and then frost them just before serving!
- Leftovers: Store any leftovers in your refrigerator in an airtight container. They will last 2-3 days.
More Red Velvet Desserts
Red velvet is so delicious and has such a unique taste! I love baking red velvet recipes and I have gathered up a few more of my favorites for you to try! They are not only delicious but they are absolutely gorgeous! I know that you will love them too.
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The BEST Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 Ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon Milk plus more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a muffin pan with pan spray and line with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder. Add the sugar and salt to the flour mixture and whisk thoroughly. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, vinegar, vanilla and red food coloring until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners until they are filled 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, just until the centers of the cupcakes are set and spring back when gently pressed on. Let cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, mix together butter, cream cheese, salt and vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. If frosting is too thick, add a little milk. If you are planning to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, you want it thick enough to hold its shape.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great recipe when it comes to the batter, but i did find it could use more food colouring and for some reason my icing did not come out that solid. But i did use more cream cheese then stated so this could also be why. Over all me and my mom enjoyed them and I shall use this recipe again. Thank you ! 🙂
How many cupcakes is this recipe recommended for ?
I like to use skinnytaste.com or myfitnesspal.com for any nutritional questions. Hope that helps and you can find what you are looking for! Thanks for following along with me! XOXO
If you make these the night before to take to work, do you recommend icing them night before as well/completely making them & then putting them in tupperwares with lids in fridge? Would that dry out the cupcakes or the frosting? Or do you suggest just making the cupcakes, keeping in container with lid on the counter overnight & then make the frosting in the morning & decorate? Thx!
I would suggest making the cupcakes and the night before and then making the icing the morning of and decorating them then if possible. The icing will be okay to make the night before but it won’t have the same smooth consistency.
You can make the icing a day before or months before. I have icing in my freezer from months. I take it from the freezer to the refrigerator. When ready to use let it sit out for about 5 minutes then whip to smooth frost completely cooled Cupcakes.
Hi i want to make those cupcakes how many grems is 2 stikes of cream cheese?
Have you ever tried this recipe with a giant cupcake pan? If so does the quantity of ingredients need to be adjusted? I would love to try this for my sons Mickey Mouse themed birthday party. Thank you.
Will the amount of frosting from this recipe be enough to frost the 2 or 3 dozen cupcakes this recipe yields? I don’t want to run out. Thanks!
Yes, the frosting yields 3 1/2 dozen cupcakes. Hope that helps and you enjoy these cupcakes! XOXO
So exactly how much red food coloring is needed to make it bright red like the picture?
I followed all the instructions and cooked them until the pick was clean. But for some reason mine looks more chocolate cupcakes with tiny hint of red then bright red like the picture? I used the right amount of unsweetened cocoa powder, so I donno what I’ve done wrong. They taste great though.
How much cupcakes does this recipe make?
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cupcakes. Enjoy! XOXO
These cupcakes turned out great except they should be called “Pink Velvet”! I even used extra food colour but they still turned out dirty pink :(. I think the recipe needs to be adjusted. I used an entire 19 g tube of gel food colour and added about 2 tsp of red liquid and they still turned out pink! They are tasty though and have a great crumb 🙂
OH No! I am so sorry! I did have to add in a lot of red for the cupcake to turn a true red color. I am glad they still tasted okay for you. XOXO
Mine also turned out a dirty pink with brown patches which I wasn’t expecting.
Use your own judgment. I use a whole bottle for lighter versions but if you want the traditional color use 2 bottles like the cake recipe calls for.
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
This recipe will make about 3 dozen cupcakes. Hope you enjoy them! XOXO
I’m trying these for the first time,. The cupcakes didn’t rise very well, they kind of spread out. Any recommendations so they can rise. They are super most and delicious!
Hi, I live in Europe and its quite tough to find buttermilk. Is there any supstitute fir it? Can I use neutral cream or something like that? And, please advise which cream cheez shouldI use? When you say 12tbl butter, how much that turns out in grams (or oz.) ? Sorry for all this questions, I don’t cook much 🙂 Thank you!
For each cup of buttermilk, you can use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes. You can also use 1 cup of plain yogurt or 1-3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar plus 1 cup milk. You are welcome to use a converter online that can help you convert to the grams or your correct measurements. Hope that helps! XOXO
Sara,
Try using kefir instead of buttermilk
3/4 cups = 170 grams of butter
the same kind of cream cheese you’d use for cheesecake or on a bagel, but not the spreadable stuff; the kind that comes in a brick. and don’t use light cream cheese, the water content is too high
This recipe is delicious, but a little um… pink (i did use a gel colourant…)
??? AMAZING red velvet cupcake recipe, made this a couple of times and all the family loved it.
These cupcakes are super delish!! Red velvet is my hubby’s fave! He and my kids loved them!!! And even better because they’re homemade!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!! Blessings to you and yours!!
AWE!! Thanks SO much! I am so glad that you all loved them! XOXO
How many cupcakes does the red velvet recipe make?
About 24 cupcakes. Hope that helps! XOXO