Red Velvet Cupcakes
Fluffy and moist, these buttery cupcakes will win over the two people on earth who don’t already call Red Velvet Cupcakes their favorite. The generous swirl of tangy cream cheese frosting completes this classic recipe.
The mysterious Red Velvet cupcake is easily the most requested cupcake flavor I am asked to make for friends and family, no matter what the occasion. I have struggled with the popularity of the Red
Velvet Cupcake because I haven’t been a fan…are they chocolate, vanilla, just red flavor?!?!?!? When a friend requested red velvet for a graduation party recently, I tried reforming my attitude to come up with the ultimate Red Velvet Cupcake.
I decided that to create the perfect Red Velvet Cupcake I would include the best of a number of favorite cupcake flavors. Then it dawned on me that this is why the Red Velvet Cupcake is so popular! Outrageously moist, very buttery, full of vanilla flavor with a hint of chocolate and sweet tangy cream cheese frosting complimenting all the flavors.
These Red Velvet Cupcakes have a few extra ingredients but the method is fairly easy.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- red food color
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with approximately 18 paper liners.
- In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
- Beat butter with stand mixer until light and fluffy – about 2 minutes.
- Add oil and beat to combine.
- Add sugar and beat on high speed until creamed together. Scrape down the bowl a few times.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time and mix thoroughly.
- Slowly beat in the vanilla, vinegar and food coloring.
- With the mixer on the slowest speed, mix in half the flour mixture and combine until just mixed. Add sour cream and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on the slowest speed until combined.
- Spoon batter into liners, filling about 1/2 full. Bake for about 15 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out with a few crabs.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Notes
Don’t forget a good cream cheese frosting to complete the Red Velvet Cupcakes. Any basic cream cheese frosting will do the trick. I used my Sturdy Cream Cheese Frosting. This recipe makes a ton of frosting, you can cut it in half and have plenty to frost these cupcakes. This recipe is great if you want to pipe your frosting on the cupcakes and/or the weather is a little warmer and the cupcakes will not be refrigerated for a while.
Sturdy Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 pounds confectioners sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure all ingredients are combined completly.
- With mixer on medium/high, beat for approximately 8 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
Have a little fun decorating your red velvet cupcakes. They are a natural for Valentine’s Day (red 
). Look for hearts to sprinkle like these from Michaels’s. Since I was making this batch of Red Velvet Cupcakes for a graduation celebration, I used the kitchen sink approach with red sugar sprinkles, red jimmies and red sugar balls. I admired the use of a Red Velvet Oreo by Ruffles & Rain Boots, but the Red Velvet Oreo is seasonal and I couldn’t find any. I may stock up for the future when they become available!
So, so delicious—very addictive!