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Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

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4.3 from 15 reviews

Delight in these classic Red Velvet Cupcakes topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. Tender and velvety cupcakes infused with a hint of cocoa and vibrant red food coloring, baked to perfection and crowned with rich, creamy frosting that’s both tangy and sweet—perfect for any celebration or indulgent treat.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups cake flour (or plain/all purpose flour)
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 60g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp red food colouring

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 170g / 6oz Philadelphia block cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups soft icing sugar mixture, sifted

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Tin: Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners to get ready for baking.
  2. Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, ensuring they are well combined and aerated.
  3. Cream Butter: In a separate bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter at speed 2 for 1 minute using an electric or stand mixer until smooth and slightly lightened.
  4. Add Sugar: Add caster sugar to the butter and continue beating for another 2 minutes at the same speed until the mixture turns very pale yellow, almost white, indicating it is aerated.
  5. Incorporate Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds on speed 1 after each addition to fully incorporate and create a smooth batter.
  6. Add Wet Ingredients: Add vegetable oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, white vinegar, and red food colouring. Mix on speed 1 until everything is evenly combined and the batter is smooth with a vibrant red color.
  7. Mix in Dry Ingredients: Sprinkle the sifted dry ingredients over the batter surface and beat on speed 1 for 20 seconds. Scrape the bowl sides, then mix for an additional 10 seconds. Avoid overmixing to keep cupcakes tender.
  8. Fill Cupcake Liners: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 full depending on liner size.
  9. Bake the Cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, ensuring the cupcakes are fully baked.
  10. Cool: Immediately transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
  11. Prepare Frosting – Cream Butter: Beat softened butter in a bowl on speed 6 (stand mixer) or speed 9 (electric beater) for 1 minute until smooth and slightly paler.
  12. Add Cream Cheese: Add softened Philadelphia block cream cheese and beat for another minute until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
  13. Add Icing Sugar: Gradually add sifted icing sugar in 4 batches, mixing each time on speed 1 to avoid powder flying everywhere, until fully incorporated.
  14. Finish Frosting: Add vanilla extract and salt, then beat on speed 6 (stand mixer) or 9 (electric beater) for 2 minutes until fluffy and able to hold shape. If too soft, chill 30 minutes and rebeat.
  15. Pipe Frosting: Transfer frosting into a piping bag with your desired tip and generously frost the cooled cupcakes.

Notes

  • Use cake flour for a more tender, velvety crumb; plain flour is a viable substitute but cupcakes will have a slightly less tender texture and dome shape.
  • Unsweetened ordinary cocoa powder is recommended; Dutch-processed cocoa works but isn’t necessary.
  • Baking powder is key for a nicer dome shape rather than baking soda.
  • Butter should be softened to about 18°C/64°F—not too soft or greasy—to ensure proper creaming and rise.
  • Eggs must be at room temperature to incorporate smoothly into batter. Warming cold eggs in warm tap water for 5 minutes helps.
  • Use real buttermilk when possible for best texture and flavor; homemade buttermilk (milk plus vinegar/lemon juice) is an acceptable alternative.
  • White vinegar aids in tender crumb and helps preserve red color.
  • Use block cream cheese instead of spreadable tubs for frosting to achieve ideal texture; if using spreadable, reduce quantity by half and add lemon zest.
  • Soft icing sugar is different from pure icing sugar and is preferred to keep frosting fluffy and creamy.

Find it online: https://marthatasty.com/red-velvet-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe/