Red Velvet Cupcakes

4.91 from 40 votes

A perfectly, moist and fluffy red velvet cupcake topped with cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time20

Cook Time18

Total Time38

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: cupcakes

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 302kcal

Prep pans and preheat. Preheat the oven to 350° F/180^oC. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar. In a second mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in your stand mixer with paddle attachment cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed. Add egg and beat to combine. Add vanilla, oil, and red food coloring.
Alternate the flour and buttermilk. Stir vinegar into buttermilk. Add and alternate the flour and buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Beat just until combined. Do not overmix.
Bake. Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
Make the frosting. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar and pinch of salt until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. (I used a large, unlabeled star tip to frost these cupcakes.)

Tools: Cupcake Pans | Cooling Racks | Piping/Pastry Bags | Whisk | Ateco Tip #847 | Cupcake Liners
Make Ahead and storage: You can make the red velvet cupcakes up to 2 days in advance, unfrosted. Just wrap in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. You can also make the cupcakes and freeze for up to 2 months. The frosting can be made up to a week in advance. Just store in your refrigerator for up to a week. You may need to place them back in your mixer and rewhip back to the same consistency. If the cupcakes are frosted, it can stay fresh at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
Cake flour: If you don't have cake flour, you can use AP flour but your cupcakes won't be as light and fluffy. Or you can make your own cake flour by measuring out the 2 1/2 cups AP flour, remove 2 1/2 Tbsp. Replace with 2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch and then sift. Results won't be quite the same but will come close!
Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk on hand, then you can replace with 1 cup milk, and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (or vinegar) mixed together. Let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken/react.
Red food coloring: You can reduce or omit the food coloring, or use an all-natural alternative. I haven't tested with an all-natural coloring.
Layer cake: Here is my layer cake recipe.
Check out my cupcake baking tips!