Description
This Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe delivers moist, tender cupcakes with a vibrant red color and classic cocoa flavor, topped with creamy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for celebrations or a delightful treat, these cupcakes are easy to make from scratch using simple ingredients and baking techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp red gel food coloring (add more for deeper red color)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vinegar
Leavening
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a standard muffin tin with 24 paper liners.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together sifted cake flour, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Mix Sugar and Oil: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the sugar and vegetable oil until smoothly blended.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing gently after each addition until just combined.
- Incorporate Flavor & Color: Add the vanilla extract and red gel food coloring to the wet mixture, mixing slowly until the color is evenly distributed. Add more coloring if a deeper red shade is desired.
- Alternate Dry & Wet Ingredients: Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the wet ingredients in three batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix well between each addition but avoid overmixing to keep cupcakes tender.
- Add Leavening Mixture: In a small bowl, stir together vinegar and baking soda (it will fizz) and immediately add this to the cupcake batter. Mix until just combined.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to evenly divide the batter among the 24 muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake: Bake for 18 minutes, rotating the muffin tin halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost and Decorate: Once fully cooled, frost generously with cream cheese frosting and decorate with fondant flowers, hearts, red velvet cake crumbs, or enjoy plain.
Notes
- Use cake flour for the lightest and most tender cupcakes.
- Adjust red food coloring to achieve your preferred shade of red.
- Filling cupcake liners about 2/3 full ensures proper rise without overflow.
- Rotate the pan halfway during baking for even cooking.
- Cool completely before frosting to prevent melting or sliding off the cupcakes.
