Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 12-cup Muffin Tin essential for shaping your cupcakes uniformly.
- Cupcake liners paper or foil work fine. Foil adds a more festive touch.
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer for achieving a smooth, fluffy frosting.
- Mixing bowls at least two: one for the dry ingredients and one for the wet.
- Rubber spatula for scraping down the sides of your bowls efficiently.
- Wire cooling rack helps cool cupcakes evenly after baking.
- Piping bag with star tip for that classic bakery-style frosting swirl.
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 cups 160g all-purpose flour
- 1 cup 200g granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder unsweetened, not Dutch-processed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup 180ml vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup 120ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 tbsp red food coloring liquid or gel
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz 225g cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup 115g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups 240g powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Optional Decorations
- Crushed candy canes
- Red and green sprinkles
- White chocolate curls
- Edible glitter or sugar crystals
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. This helps with even baking and easy cleanup. If you're using festive liners with Christmas cake designs, now's the time to show them off.
Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. The cocoa powder gives the cupcakes their signature undertone of chocolate, while baking soda ensures they rise to the perfect height.
Step 3: Blend Wet Ingredients
- In a larger bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg until pale and smooth. Add the oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, food coloring, and vinegar. Mix until thoroughly combined. The vinegar may sound odd, but it reacts with the baking soda to create a tender crumb and amplifies the red color.
Step 4: Combine and Fold
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding gently with a spatula or using a low speed on your mixer. Do not overmix; just blend until no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing can make the cupcakes dense rather than soft and moist.
Step 5: Fill and Bake
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners—each should be about two-thirds full. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- While the cupcakes cool, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar gradually, then mix in the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy—about 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 7: Decorate
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe the frosting on top using a star tip for a classic swirl. This is where you can really get into the holiday spirit: sprinkle crushed candy canes, red and green sprinkles, or glittery sugar on top for a festive touch. You can even make these look like miniature Christmas bundt cake bites with the right mold and a glaze drizzle if you're feeling fancy.