There are some bakes that feel iconic before you’ve even taken the first bite, and for me red velvet cupcakes definitely fall into that category. They are so so pretty, entirely indulgent, and somehow manage to feel extra special when they are in fact surprisingly straightforward to make! Just a cocoa-kissed vanilla cake, a stunning shade of red and a generous swirl of cream cheese frosting that makes everything better!
What is the actual flavour of red velvet cake?
Red velvet isn’t just chocolate cake coloured red, despite what many people believe. It’s lighter, softer, and more delicate than a fully chocolate cake. Rather, its a light mix of cocoa and vanilla, with a slight tang that comes from buttermilk and vinegar.
It is specifically that tang from the vinegar and buttermilk which makes red velvet so very special. These two ingredients together balance the sweet flavour of the cake and frosting, give the crumb that velvety texture (that’s where the name comes from after all!), and helps keep the cake wonderfully light and tender. Pair the cake with that heavenly cream cheese frosting, and you have pure magic on your hands!
What makes red velvet cake red?
If you’ve ever wondered how to make cupcakes red velvet, you’d not be alone! When the cake was first introduced, the red colour was due to a chemical reaction of the cocoa with the acid from the buttermilk and vinegar. However, this resulted in a duller reddish-brown colour, not the strong red we have come to expect of our bakery favourite red velvet cupcakes recipes today. Bakers today may keep the traditional ingredients used, but enhance the colour with the help of food colouring to create a far more appealing red coloured bake, adored the world over.
Why this red velvet cupcake recipe works
- Secret ingredient #1. OK, this one is technically not an ingredient, but it is really simple: patience! Be patient at each stage of beating, mixing, combining and folding and the results will speak volumes! My iconic red velvet cake recipe is so good, it has actually converted a “red velvet cake hater” to being a “red velvet cake lover”!
- Secret ingredient #2. Yogurt. I always always make my buttermilk using equal quantities of whole (full fat) milk and yogurt. This not only adds to the signature tang of buttermilk, which is essential in red velvet cake, but it makes it richer and more luxurious, resulting in a wonderful texture in the cupcakes. The acidity of yogurt in my way of making buttermilk also helps with the reaction between the yogurt and bicarb, aiding the signature velvety texture we all love in these red velvet cupcakes with yogurt.
Ingredients required for moist red velvet cupcakes
- Unsalted butter: I prefer baking with unsalted butter so I can manage the salt level myself. For smoother mixing and the best outcome, make sure the butter is at room temperature.
- Sugar: I use caster sugar when making the red velvet cupcakes recipe, and icing (powdered) sugar in the cream cheese frosting.
- Eggs: supports the structure and rise of these delicious cupcakes.
- Vanilla: for a subtle and delicate flavour in the cakes.
- Yogurt: to make the buttermilk traditionally used in red velvet cake. You can use store bought buttermilk or make it by combining milk with lemon juice, but I prefer making my buttermilk with yogurt. I always use Greek yogurt.
- Milk: combined with the yogurt to make buttermilk, essential in making red velvet cupcakes.
- Food colour: I added red food colouring to enhance the cake’s colour. You can leave it out, but it won’t be red. Gel colours are more concentrated and give a stronger result than liquid ones.
- Plain flour: I use plain (all-purpose) flour for these easy recipe red velvet cupcakes. I avoid self-raising flour as I add raising agents separately in this bake.
- Cocoa powder: used in a smaller amount than in a classic chocolate cake, but just enough for a lighter chocolate flavour.
- Baking powder/bicarbonate of soda (baking soda): the leavening agents that give this bake its rise and light texture.
- Vinegar: red velvet cake relies on the reaction between vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to help the cakes rise. It’s a distinctive ingredient that adds a subtle edge, along with the tang from buttermilk, setting it apart from other cakes.
- Cream cheese: the lovely tang of cream cheese pairs perfectly with red velvet cake. I think they’re truly meant to be together!
What equipment do I need to make cupcakes?
- Cupcake tin*: you will need a twelve hole cupcake/muffin tin to make these moist red velvet cupcakes.
- Cupcake cases*: to bake the cupcakes in. I use larger cupcake cases, which are more muffin sized, so I have enough height in them for my bake.
- Digital kitchen scales*: I provide all my measurements in cups too, however I would encourage everyone to always weigh out ingredients when baking. A set of digital kitchen scales is so useful and totally an essential baking tool for me.
- Measuring spoons*: a set of measuring spoons is essential for any baker. This is because these are more accurate than using everyday teaspoons and tablespoons, which can vary greatly in size.
- Stand mixer*: to beat the cake and frosting ingredients together. You can mix everything together by hand when making this cupcakes velvet red, but I find it much easier using an electric mixer for this step.
- Jug*: to whisk the eggs and also to make the buttermilk in.
- Whisk*: for mixing together the wet ingredients.
- Sieve*: helps to remove any lumps from the dry ingredients, ensuring a smooth and evenly mixed batter every time.
- Spatula*: a useful tool to scrape down the mixing bowl when making the red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
- Ice cream scoop*: useful to evenly distribute the cupcakes red velvet mixture into the cases. I prefer this as a really simple and easy way to measure the mixture out equally.
- Piping bag*: used for piping the cream cheese icing onto the best recipe red velvet cupcakes.
- Piping nozzle*: I used a 1M nozzle here, to create the pretty swirl decoration for this easy red velvet cupcakes recipe.
How to make red velvet cupcakes
Cupcakes are such a fabulous bake, and these beauties are no exception! First make and cool the cupcakes, then prepare the cream cheese frosting. Top each cupcake with a swirl of cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with some cupcake crumbs or sprinkles of your choice. That’s it, time to enjoy!
For the cupcakes
Step 1: Line the muffin tin with cupcake cases and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F whilst making the red velvet cake batter.
Step 2: Beat the butter in a mixing bowl for 4-5 minutes until really soft and paler. Add in the caster sugar and beat again until really pale, light and fluffy.
Step 3: In a separate jug, whisk the eggs together with the vanilla and food colouring. Gradually add the egg mixture in with the butter and sugar, beating between additions, until fully incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.
Step 4: In the same jug the eggs were mixed in, combine the milk and yogurt to make buttermilk. In another clean bowl, sift and combine together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
Step 5: Add the flour to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, and mixing on a low speed only until just combined. Scrape down the bowl again to make sure all the ingredients have been incorporated.
Step 6: In a small clean bowl, combine the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and vinegar. It will bubble together when combined. Quickly tip this into the cake batter and fold through until completely mixed in.
Step 7: Divide the mixture evenly between the twelve cases, filling them about â…” full. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the cupcakes are risen, springy to touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the cream cheese frosting
Step 1: Beat the butter in a mixing bowl for 4-5 minutes until really soft and paler.
Step 2: Add in half the icing (powdered) sugar and beat again until combined and smooth. Add in the other half of the sugar and beat again until everything is well combined and fluffy. Make sure to scrape down the bowl to ensure it is all evenly mixed.
Step 3: Take the cream cheese out of the fridge, drain if necessary, then give it a gentle mix to loosen it. Add the cheese to the butter mixture and fold in gently until evenly combined. DO NOT OVERMIX! Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a star shaped nozzle.
Decorating the cupcakes
Step 1: Holding the bag upright and starting from the middle of the cupcake, pipe a swirl going out to near the edge before coming back in and creating a swirl on top. Keep the bag upright throughout and the pressure even.
Step 2: Sprinkle the iced cupcakes with some red velvet crumbs or use some red or white sprinkles to finish them off. Enjoy!
How can I tell when my cupcakes are baked?
You will know when the red velvet cupcakes are done as they will be springy to touch and a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes will come out clean or with one or two crumbs only.
How to make perfectly firm cream cheese frosting for red velvet cupcakes
If you live in the UK and have ever followed a recipe for cream cheese frosting that requires beating cream cheese until light and fluffy, you will know that always ends badly. If you’re lucky, you might stop short of it entirely being unusable, but chances are you will end up with a mixture that can only be described as slop or soupy in texture.
This is because the cream cheese, even the full fat stuff, we get here in the UK actually has a higher water content than the blocks of cream cheese available in the US. British cream cheese is more like a spread and sold in a tub, compared to American cream cheese which is often sold in foil wrapped blocks, similar to butter.
The solution here in handling the British version is quite different to all the American recipes out there. There are two things important to remember if you’re trying to make cream cheese frosting in the UK:
- Keep the cream cheese cold. Unlike most other ingredients used in baking, to make the frosting, the cheese is kept in the fridge right until the moment you need to use it. Keeping it cold helps keep it firm, so when it mixes with the butter and sugar, it will remain the same.
- Handle it as little as possible. When removed from the fridge, gently (very gently!) loosen it with a spoon or spatula, so it doesn’t remain as a block. Then, once it has been added to the butter and sugar, gently fold it in until only just combined. I will sometimes even pop this in the fridge for it to chill again before using to pipe or decorate with, to keep it as cold and stable as possible.
How long do red velvet cupcakes last?
My best red velvet cupcakes should be enjoyed within 2-3 days of baking to be at their best.
How to serve red velvet cupcakes
Serve these easy red velvet cupcakes for beginners at room temperature for them to be enjoyed at their best.
How to store red velvet cupcakes
Since they have a cream cheese frosting, these red velvet cupcakes recipe best will need to be stored in the fridge. Remove and allow to come to room temperature for at least a half hour before serving.
Expert tips for the perfect red velvet crumb and foolproof cream cheese frosting
- Always use room-temperature ingredients when baking. Here, that means the buttermilk for the cupcakes and the butter for the cake and frosting. This ensures smoother mixing and better results. The only exception to this rule is the cream cheese which should be used straight from the fridge.
- Beat the butter really well to soften it before adding in the other ingredients. This will help everything blend together beautifully for perfect cupcakes.
- Take your time! From beating the butter and sugar to pale and fluffy and adding the eggs in a little at a time to gentle folding in the dry ingredients, each step of preparing these cupcakes requires care to ensure best results.
- Adding the eggs in gradually helps them blend far better with the butter and sugar than plopping a whole egg in and beating it does. Trust me, I’ve tried both ways: it really is worth the extra effort!
- Don’t over mix the dry ingredients. It’s the combining of the wet and dry together correctly that is critical in ensuring the red velvet crumb is light and fluffy, not claggy or gummy once baked.
- Fill cupcake cases only up to â…” full. This ensures they rise just right without spilling over.
- Use a high-quality, full-fat cream cheese for the icing. After trying many brands, I always return to Philadelphia here in the UK. It’s always reliable, easy to work with, and tastes great!
- Be sure to beat the butter well when making cream cheese frosting for red velvet cupcakes. This softens it, helping it blend smoothly with the cream cheese for a silky icing.
- Cream cheese nightmares. Here in the UK, the technique needed to make a pipeable cream cheese frosting is very different from in the US where you can get the cheese in a block, similar to butter. See my “How to make perfectly firm cream cheese frosting for red velvet cupcakes” above for details.
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before adding cream cheese frosting or the frosting might melt and the cake may become soggy. Nobody wants that!
Troubleshooting
If you have any other questions about this red velvet cupcakes recipe, please leave me a comment below, I would love to help. And if you do make this recipe for red velvet cupcakes, please do leave me a rating and review below. I’d really appreciate your feedback as it helps me improve my website and also guides others who are looking for a similar recipe. Additionally, you could also post on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. You already know I would love to see!
More recipes from my blog for you to enjoy
Do check out these other delicious red velvet themed recipes on my blog too:
Red velvet brownies: If red velvet cake and brownies had a baby together, what would the resulting bake be? Let me introduce you to the irresistible result that is red velvet brownies! These vibrant brownies are chewy, fudgy, and oh so delicious!
Red velvet cake truffles: Gorgeous little balls of fun, these truffles bring all the joy of the delightful cake in a delicious mouthful of pure heaven. Red velvet, cream cheese and white chocolate. A simple and truly irresistible sweet treat!
Red velvet donuts: Calling all donut fans, you NEED to try these red velvet donuts! Wonderfully soft, cakey donuts topped with a smooth cream cheese glaze, these donuts will definitely hit the spot! And, the best part is these donuts can be made and enjoyed in under an hour!
Red velvet cookies: Red velvet cookies might just become your new favourite! Soft and chewy with a gorgeously delicate crust and a delicious light chocolate and vanilla flavour. These cookies are so good, everyone will absolutely love them!
Eggless red velvet cake: You will love this rich and moist eggless red velvet cake recipe. It has three layers of beautiful decadent red velvet sponge with a smooth and totally irresistible cream cheese icing. This is one showstopper of a cake you will not want to miss!
Thanks so much for joining me today, my friends. Hope these beautiful red velvet cupcakes satisfy your sweet cravings! Enjoy! x
Recommended equipment I used *
| Cupcake tin | Cupcake cases |
| Digital kitchen scales | Measuring spoons |
| Stand mixer | Jug |
| Whisk | Sieve |
| Spatula | Ice cream scoop |
| Piping bag | Piping nozzle |
The Best EVER Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 80 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 175 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- red food colour
- 80 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) yogurt
- 80 ml (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) milk
- 210 g (1 ½ cups) plain (all purpose) flour
- 10 g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
For the cream cheese frosting
- 150 g (½ cup + 3 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 150 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) icing (powdered) sugar
- 300 g (1 ¼ cups + 1 tbsp) full fat cream cheese
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Line the muffin tin with cupcake cases and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F whilst making the red velvet cake batter.
- Beat the butter in a mixing bowl for 4-5 minutes until really soft and paler. Add in the caster sugar and beat again until really pale, light and fluffy.
- In a separate jug, whisk the eggs together with the vanilla and food colouring. Gradually add the egg mixture in with the butter and sugar, beating between additions, until fully incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.
- In the same jug the eggs were mixed in, combine the milk and yogurt to make buttermilk. In another clean bowl, sift and combine together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
- Add the flour to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, and mixing on a low speed only until just combined. Scrape down the bowl again to make sure all the ingredients have been incorporated.
- In a small clean bowl, combine the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and vinegar. It will bubble together when combined. Quickly tip this into the cake batter and fold through until completely mixed in.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the twelve cases, filling them about â…” full. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the cupcakes are risen, springy to touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the cream cheese frosting
- Beat the butter in a mixing bowl for 4-5 minutes until really soft and paler.
- Add in half the icing (powdered) sugar and beat again until combined and smooth. Add in the other half of the sugar and beat again until everything is well combined and fluffy. Make sure to scrape down the bowl to ensure it is all evenly mixed.
- Take the cream cheese out of the fridge, drain if necessary, then give it a gentle mix to loosen it. Add the cheese to the butter mixture and fold in gently until evenly combined. DO NOT OVERMIX! Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a star shaped nozzle.
Decorating the cupcakes
- Holding the bag upright and starting from the middle of the cupcake, pipe a swirl going out to near the edge before coming back in and creating a swirl on top. Keep the bag upright throughout and the pressure even.
- Sprinkle the iced cupcakes with some red velvet crumbs or use some red or white sprinkles to finish them off. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Always use room-temperature ingredients when baking. Here, that means the buttermilk for the cupcakes and the butter for the cake and frosting. This ensures smoother mixing and better results. The only exception to this rule is the cream cheese which should be used straight from the fridge.
- Beat the butter really well to soften it before adding in the other ingredients. This will help everything blend together beautifully for perfect cupcakes.
- Take your time! From beating the butter and sugar to pale and fluffy and adding the eggs in a little at a time to gentle folding in the dry ingredients, each step of preparing these cupcakes requires care to ensure best results.
- Adding the eggs in gradually helps them blend far better with the butter and sugar than plopping a whole egg in and beating it does. Trust me, I’ve tried both ways: it really is worth the extra effort!
- Don’t over mix the dry ingredients. It’s the combining of the wet and dry together correctly that is critical in ensuring the red velvet crumb is light and fluffy, not claggy or gummy once baked.
- Fill cupcake cases only up to â…” full. This ensures they rise just right without spilling over.
- Use a high-quality, full-fat cream cheese for the icing. After trying many brands, I always return to Philadelphia here in the UK. It’s always reliable, easy to work with, and tastes great!
- Be sure to beat the butter well when making cream cheese frosting for red velvet cupcakes. This softens it, helping it blend smoothly with the cream cheese for a silky icing.
- Cream cheese nightmares. Here in the UK, the technique needed to make a pipeable cream cheese frosting is very different from in the US where you can get the cheese in a block, similar to butter. See my “How to make perfectly firm cream cheese frosting for red velvet cupcakes” above for details.
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before adding cream cheese frosting or the frosting might melt and the cake may become soggy. Nobody wants that!
Very good i liked it