Description
Delight in these classic Red Velvet Cupcakes featuring a moist, tender crumb with a hint of cocoa, topped with smooth and creamy homemade cream cheese frosting. Perfect for celebrations or any sweet craving, these cupcakes offer a beautiful red hue and rich flavor with effortless baking.
Ingredients
Scale
Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 110 g buttermilk
- 120 g sour cream (14-18%, room temperature)
- 75 g vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon red gel food coloring or vegan food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 200 g butter (softened)
- 100 g full-fat cream cheese
- 360 g powdered sugar (sifted)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 160ºC (conventional oven) and line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners to ensure the cupcakes bake evenly and don’t stick.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir gently to blend evenly.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the buttermilk, sour cream, vegetable oil, white vinegar, eggs, vanilla extract, and red gel food coloring together gently to avoid overmixing the eggs.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring gently until the batter is smooth and free of lumps but not overmixed.
- Fill Cupcake Liners and Bake: Distribute the batter evenly into the 12 cupcake liners. Bake for 20-23 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Butter for Frosting: Remove butter from the fridge 10 minutes in advance and cut into cubes for easier creaming.
- Cream Butter: Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and beat again for 2 minutes.
- Add Cream Cheese and Vanilla: Mix in the cream cheese and vanilla bean paste with the butter for 1 minute until smooth and combined.
- Incorporate Powdered Sugar: On low speed, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar in two parts, scraping down the bowl in between. After adding all sugar, mix for an additional 2 minutes on low speed to achieve a silky frosting.
- Remove Air Bubbles: Remove the bowl from the mixer and beat the frosting by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon to eliminate air bubbles, ensuring a smooth texture.
- Pipe Frosting on Cupcakes: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (e.g., Wilton 1M) and decorate each cupcake. Optionally, garnish with sprinkles for a festive touch.
Notes
- Red gel or paste food coloring is preferred over liquid for richer color with less quantity needed.
- Adjust the amount of food coloring depending on the brand and desired intensity of red.
- Do not overmix the wet ingredients to keep the cupcakes tender.
- Ensure all ingredients, especially eggs and sour cream, are at room temperature for best results.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake with frosting
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
