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Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

February 4, 2009 by Nicole 240 Comments

Red Velvet Cupcake

Intimidated by baking, assembling, and decorating a homemade red velvet cake for Valentine’s Day?  Give cupcakes a try instead!

As you probably know, I have already written about my (now ex-) husband’s family recipe for a gorgeous Red Velvet Cake.  But when I noticed that lots of readers were asking questions about how to turn the cake recipe into a cupcake recipe, I decided it was time to give it a try myself!

At first I was going to try a version using less red food coloring than the cake recipe, but at the last minute I decided to stay true to the original.  These aren’t pink, they aren’t reddish-brown, they are a dramatic RED, perfect for Valentine’s Day!  And in addition to the beautiful color, these little cakes are light, tender, and downright delicious!

There are several different types of red velvet cake. Some are heavier on the chocolate flavor than others, some use less food coloring, and some use beets instead of artificial coloring.  This one does not taste like a chocolate cake, although there is a subtle hint of cocoa.  The flavor is unique and delicious, and I prefer it to the red velvet cakes that contain more cocoa powder.  And as I’ve already mentioned, this cake recipe does not shy away from the food coloring!

Although red velvet cake is definitely a Southern tradition, it’s popularity has never been limited to the South.  The recipe I’m going to share today is also called Waldorf-Astoria Cake, and is supposedly based on a red velvet cake that was popular at the New York hotel in the 1920’s. For more on the history of red velvet cake, check out this great New York Times article.

But regardless of where the cake originated, red velvet cakes and cupcakes have become an American tradition that is holding on strong.  Whether it’s Christmas, Valentine’s Day, a birthday, or even a wedding day, red velvet is a wonderful way to celebrate!

Red Velvet Cupcake Bite

Nutrition

Calories

704 cal

Fat

2 g

Carbs

160 g

Protein

15 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
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Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour*

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 oz. red food coloring (two bottles)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

For the cream cheese frosting:

16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

pinch of salt

Instructions

Cake instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Yes, it will fizz! Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake cups with cake batter (they should be 2/3 - 3/4 full). You may not fill all the cups, I ended up with 20 cupcakes. Place muffin tins on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check early and don't overbake!

Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting. Frost cupcakes with cream cheese icing (recipe below) and decorate with red sprinkles if desired. The cupcakes above were decorated using the Wilton Cupcake Decorating Kit and Valentine's Sprinkles. They can usually be found at craft stores like Michaels or Joann.

Notes: *Sift cake flour once before measuring, then sift again with the other dry ingredients per recipe instructions. Wear an apron and be careful with the red food coloring-- no matter how hard I try, I always end up staining something! As you're mixing the cake batter, use a spatula to scrape down the bowl frequently throughout the entire process. Since the batter is fairly thick, I have found that an old-fashioned ice cream scoop works best for filling the cupcake wells (also great for muffin batter!). Since all ovens are different, make sure you check the cupcakes a little early. Mine were ready in just over 2o minutes, yours may be done sooner, or they may take a minute or two longer.

Frosting Instructions:

With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Turn mixer to low speed and blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting softens up, beat with mixer unttil smooth).

Notes: If you prefer a sweeter and/or stiffer frosting, more powdered sugar can be added (up to four cups). But remember, the more sugar you add, the less you'll be able to taste the tangy cream cheese!

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Related Recipes:

  • Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Double Dark Chocolate Beet Muffins
  • Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Around the Web:

  • Red Velvet Cake from Smitten Kitchen
  • Red Velvet Cupcakes from Firefly Pie
  • Red Velvet Cupcakes with Sprinkles Cream Cheese Frosting from Alice Q. Foodie
  • Red Velvet Cupcakes from Off the (meat)hook
  • Red Velvet Black and White Cookies from Joy the Baker

Filed Under: Adventures in Baking, Christmas, Desserts, Holiday Tagged With: cupcakes, Desserts, red velvet, valentine's day

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa says

    February 25, 2012 at 4:26 pm

    NICE, Loved em
    Reply
  2. lol says

    February 26, 2012 at 5:28 pm

    Best cupcakes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Reply
  3. Karen says

    March 4, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    Can someone please help me?? Mine are not turning like this! :( I've tried to make them twice and still my cupcakes turn flat!! They are not fluffy when they come out of the oven! I've always love to cook and I'm very good in making cupcakes but this recepie is not working for me! Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?? The only thing I did not do is stiff the cake flour! And the flour I bought was from vanilla cake mix, is that wrong?
    Reply
  4. Pamela P. says

    March 22, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Great recipe! Perfect for my sister's baby shower. Followed the recipe almost exactly as written, except I substituted all purpose flour for cake flour (per baking bites.com "The general rule of substitution is 1 cup of all purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons (1c – 2tbsp) is equivalent to 1 cup of cake flour. ") and also used 3 cups of powdered sugar for the frosting. My family loved them! Thanks!
    Reply
  5. YA says

    March 24, 2012 at 11:44 am

    Hi! I love how straight-sided your cupcakes are, care to share the brand you use for the liners? All my cupcakes end up forming a lazy V shape.
    Reply
  6. Full Sheets says

    April 1, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    Hello there, simply become aware of your blog through Google, and found that it is really informative. I'm gonna watch out for brussels. I will be grateful in the event you continue this in future. A lot of other people can be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!
    Reply
  7. Paula says

    May 16, 2012 at 5:35 pm

    Thank you for the wonderful recipe! I have used it for cakes and cupcakes many times. Everyone says they were the best red velvet they have ever had in their life. I just read all of these Posts and see nothing about how much to fill up the cupcake liners. Can u share, if not I will make them this weekend and will let you know so you can pass on. Thankful, Paula
    Reply
  8. Frances says

    May 16, 2012 at 7:32 pm

    Hi, Just want to find out when u r beating the cream cheese topping, do u use the whisk or k beater? Thanks!:)
    Reply
  9. Geraldine says

    May 27, 2012 at 8:09 pm

    Hi Nicole. I am from Australia and a girlfriend of mine wants me to make some red velvet cupcakes. I looked up a few recipes and came across yours. Just a question. I can never figure out how much is half a cup of butter as we use the metric system here. So do I soften the butter to fill half a cup or would it be 125gms of butter since one cup is about 250gms? Sorry I know this sounds like a dumb question but there is nothing worse than getting your ingredients wrong. If I were to use a colour gel or paste, do you know how much is required to be equivalent to 2 bottles of liquid coloring? I assume cake flour means plain flour but sifted twice? Many thanks.
    Reply
  10. krisha says

    June 8, 2012 at 7:02 pm

    hi, I made your cupcake recipe it was delicious but I found that the cupcakes were a little dry at the bottom. Is there a reason for this? What can I do to prevent this from happening? Please advise.
    Reply
  11. AIsha says

    June 14, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    ohh these look nice, and the recipe isn't as unhealthy as the others
    Reply
  12. Cakeaholic says

    July 9, 2012 at 9:16 am

    My first red velvet I ever baked and it was perfeeectt!....I just used 2 cups powdered sugar instead of 2.5 cups for icing, besides that followed the recipe. I am proud to say that the cupcakes I baked were wayyy better than magnolia red velvet cupcakes!! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
    Reply
  13. Hina says

    July 9, 2012 at 10:19 am

    If I add more cocoa, should I add more buttermilk to compensate for moisture?
    Reply
  14. SupergirlSR says

    December 19, 2012 at 9:13 am

    Your recipe rocks! Love your website. Do you by any chance have an angel food cake recipe? Been looking for one a long time now. I trust your recipes!
    Reply
  15. Quinn says

    December 27, 2012 at 9:46 am

    OMG luv these cupcakes red velvet is so my fav keep adding cupcakes plz =) SO good
    Reply
  16. Andrea says

    January 27, 2013 at 5:13 pm

    Thank you so much, they turned out delicious!
    Reply
  17. Kaitlin says

    February 17, 2013 at 2:47 pm

    These are my go to red velvet cupcakes! They always turn out delicious and everyone loves them! I posted about them on my blog for Valentine's Day. Stop by and check it out! http://dessertmansion.blogspot.com/2013/02/red-velvet-valenties-cupcakes.html Thanks for the recipe! (:
    Reply
  18. hannah says

    February 22, 2013 at 11:16 am

    hi, just made these but for some reason they seem to cling to the paper cups which causes them to crumble badly... any ideas?
    Reply
  19. Bobbie says

    September 11, 2013 at 3:13 pm

    Just made these delicious cupcakes with my great grandchild. She loves them and so do I. Quick and easy. Waiting to frost them when she finishes her homework. Quick tip: If you have one of those new toys (I call them), for baking cupcakes, it works great with this recipe.
    Reply
  20. http://Steply.com/Schultz210 says

    November 19, 2013 at 6:47 pm

    A few years ago, my husband and I decided that we'd make our Christmas gifts. Instead, she might appreciate a $5 gift card to the local coffee shop inside a refillable coffee mug - something she will enjoy on cold winter mornings driving a bus full of children around town. The choice of materials would depend on your chosen design.
    Reply
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