Red Velvet Cupcakes

These moist, velvety and fluffy red velvet cupcakes topped with a big dollop of cream cheese frosting are so yummy and very easy to make! They aren’t just gorgeous to look at with their striking red color, they taste just as incredible with a subtle chocolate and vanilla flavor.

To ensure your cupcakes come out soft with a tender crumb, be sure not to over-mix the batter! The key to a light fluffy cupcake is mixing until just combined, otherwise, you’ll activate the gluten in the flour and your cupcake will be heavy, dense, and gummy.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (cake flour)
• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter softened
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup vegetable/ canola oil
• ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. white vinegar
• 1 tbsp. red food coloring

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 170g / 6oz block of cream cheese, softened
• 2 ½ cups icing sugar mixture, sifted
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
2. Line a standard 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners, set aside.
3. Sift all the dry ingredients together into a large mixing bowl, then set aside.
4. Put the butter in a separate bowl and beat with an electric beater or a stand mixer for about 1 minute until it’s smooth.
5. Add sugar then beat for another 2 minutes, until the butter is fluffy and the butter changes to a very pale yellow color.
6. Add the eggs one at a time beating for about 30 seconds after each addition.
7. Add in the vegetable oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and red food coloring then beat on Speed 1 until well incorporated and the batter is smooth.
8. Add in the dry ingredients and mix for a few seconds until just combined and you no longer see streaks of flour. A few small lumps are okay. Be keen not to over-mix.
9. Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake liners. It should fill ¾ of the way in a standard muffin tin, but it depends on the size of the cupcake liners you use.
10. Place in the oven and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the middle cupcake comes out clean.
11. Remove the cupcakes onto a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before topping them with cream cheese frosting.

For the frosting:

1. Place butter in a bowl and beat on high speed for about 1 minute until it’s smooth and starts to become paler in color.
2. Add in the cream cheese then beat for a further 1 minute at the same speed until smooth.
3. Add in the icing sugar in four batches, beating in between until incorporated stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add the vanilla and salt then beat for about 2 minutes until fluffy. It should be creamy but still, hold its shape in a peak.
5. Transfer into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe large dollops on top of each cupcake.
6. Serve and enjoy.