Classic Red Velvet Cupcakes

I wish I had discovered red velvet cupcakes sooner in my baking life! Fluffy chocolate cake disguised in red and topped off with a swirly dolop of fresh cream cheese frosting… just genious!!

My favorite recipe tried and tested to date is adapted from the Martha Stewart website. As for the frosting, I would recommend the one from Smitten Kitchen. It’s just the right amount of frosting I need for the 24 fluffy red velvet cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising), sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
5. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting.

Cook’s Note

Gel-paste food color is much more concentrated than the supermarket liquid variety; if you substitute the liquid, you may need to add an entire bottle (1.5 ounces) to achieve the desired shade.

Cream Cheese Frosting adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter room temperature
3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Place cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl.
2. In your electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat, on low-speed to combine. If too soft, chill until slightly stiff, about 10 minutes, before using.

Now you’ve got your frosting and cake, it’s time to decorate!! Try using fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries,…

…or you can get creative with the way you frost it with your piping bag! One reason why I love this frosting – it really holds firm for piping. I used this same frosting for my carrot cupcakes and for more flavor I added the scrapings of a fresh vanilla bean.

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