Description
Delight in these classic Red Velvet Cupcakes characterized by moist, tender cake layers infused with a subtle cocoa flavor and vibrant red color, topped with rich, creamy homemade cream cheese frosting. Perfectly balanced between sweet and tangy, these cupcakes are an irresistible treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon 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 teaspoon white vinegar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon red gel food coloring or vegan food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 200 g butter
- 100 g full-fat cream cheese
- 360 g powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your conventional oven to 160ºC and line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners to ensure easy removal of cupcakes after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients—flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine evenly, ensuring no clumps remain.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, vegetable oil, white vinegar, eggs, vanilla extract, and red gel food coloring gently to prevent overmixing the eggs and to achieve a smooth, homogenous mixture.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl, stirring gently to incorporate all components into a smooth batter without lumps.
- Fill Cupcake Liners and Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-23 minutes. Once done, let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Butter and Sugar: Take butter out of the fridge 10 minutes prior to frosting preparation and cut into cubes. Sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps for a smoother frosting.
- Cream Butter: Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, cream the butter on high speed for 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl sides and mix again for 2 minutes to achieve a fluffy texture.
- Add Cream Cheese and Vanilla: Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese to the creamed butter and mix for 1 minute until well incorporated and smooth.
- Add Powdered Sugar: On low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar in two parts, mixing well between additions. Scrape the bowl and finally mix for 2 minutes on low speed to combine thoroughly.
- Remove Air Bubbles: Remove the frosting bowl from the mixer and beat the frosting well by hand using a spatula or wooden spoon to eliminate any air bubbles for a silky finish.
- Pipe Frosting and Decorate: Transfer the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (such as Wilton 1M). Pipe elegantly onto cooled cupcakes and decorate optionally with sprinkles for a festive touch.
Notes
- Using red gel or paste food coloring is preferable to liquid forms because it provides a richer, deeper red color while using less product.
- Adjust the amount of food coloring as needed to achieve your desired depth of red color, as strengths vary between brands.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
