For the longest time, I didn’t understand what all the rave was about red velvet cupcakes. I never really understood if they were considered a chocolate cupcake or a vanilla cupcake. These red velvet cupcakes have a hint of vanilla and chocolate, I have now come to the conclusion that they are both a chocolate and vanilla cupcake.
They are fluffy and moist and the cream cheese frosting is what pulls it all together. You could choose to do just a buttercream frosting, but when I think of a red velvet cake, I think of it with a cream cheese frosting.
You will use 1 ounce of red food coloring, which is just one box. It sounds like a lot of food coloring… because it is. If you do not wish for them to be too red, then you can try just adding half of that. I think that they need all of it: you can’t have a faintly red “red velvet” cupcake. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did.
- ½ cup /113 grams butter, at room temperature, plus 2 tablespoons to prepare pans
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, divided
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ounce red food coloring (or about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons distilled vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ½ cups flour, sifted
- 1 cup buttermilk ( room temperature)
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 18-20 cupcakes.
- Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking soda. set aside.
- With a standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Add one egg at a time. Beat on high until each egg is well incorporated. Mix in vanilla. Then add food coloring and vinegar.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Make sure to not overmix.
- Divide batter into cupcake liners filling ½ - ⅔ of the way full. bake for about 20 to 22 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a rack completely.
- Frosting:
- In a medium to large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add Vanilla. Then add the sifted confectioners’ sugar and 1 Tablespoon cream. Beat for 2 minutes. Add 1 more Tablespoon cream if needed to thin out. Beat on high for 1 full minute. I usually add a pinch of salt if I feel that it is too sweet. Frost cooled cupcakes and enjoy.
- I store my cupcakes in the fridge.
