Red Velvet Cupcakes!
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Deliciously light & fluffy red velvet cupcakes with a gorgeous cream cheese frosting!
Red velvet cupcakes
A couple of weeks ago I posted my recipe for my red velvet cake and it was a massive success – it’s one that you were all waiting for for a very long time! I had, however, had many requests for a cupcake version, so here it is!
You will see however that my recipe isn’t just my cake recipe halved as I believe this version bakes better as a cupcake, and the other as an actual cake – so there is a difference!
Food colouring
I was flabbergasted with how red my cupcakes came out – such as they look like they have been edited beyond belief, but they really are that red! It’s mind-blowing! Don’t they look cute! Look at the sprinkling of the red velvet crumbs – they’re just so red!
I use this red food colouring for these cupcakes. I will emphasise on the fact that you MUST USE A GOOD QUALITY COLOURING. Use a supermarket one? They’ll probably fail. You need quite a lot of colouring to get the right red anyway, so using the better quality means they work, and also means you actually use less colouring!
Red velvet
Red velvet is one of those controversial cakes – it’s like why on earth does a cake need to have vinegar in it? and do I really have to use buttermilk?! But honestly – a classic ‘red velvet’ contains these ingredients – and you can’t really avoid them.
You can of course just bake vanilla cupcakes and use food colouring, but red velvet is meant to be chocolate AND vanilla but be super red – the bicarbonate, vinegar, and buttermilk help create the texture and bring the colour out more!
Key Components
Bicarbonate of soda works by reacting to acid in the recipe – the rising comes from the mix of bicarbonate, buttermilk and vinegar. I always use a white vinegar for my red velvet cupcakes, but others can work such as apple cider vinegar.
One question I always get is “what is buttermilk?” or “can I just use regular milk” and to basically answer this.. you MUST use buttermilk. However, if you can’t find any in the shops (it’s usually found in pots near the cream!) you can make your own. To do this, you need to use FULL-FAT milk and mix with 1tbsp of lemon juice. Whisk it in, and leave to sit for five minutes before using!
More red velvet recipes
The reason that this recipe differs slightly to my regular red velvet cake is that when using different forms of raising agents, then you can’t always just double or half it.
So, this recipe is slightly different. However, I adore both equally! So definitely check out my other recipe if you want to make a layer cake version! I also have cookie bars and truffles so its red velvet heaven!
Cream cheese frosting
Now when this cake comes to the cream cheese frosting… things have changed a little. This recipe has been updated in April 2020. It’s quite a few worlds apart from the near five years ago it was originally posted! I will put the original recipe below in the notes, but the new version is much much better. I, in fact, LOVE IT.
So the new method, which is explained in detail on my ‘How to make cream cheese frosting – back to basics’ post – and it’s delightful. It’s beautiful. And if you ever normally have any cream cheese frosting issues that often we all do, definitely give it a read!
Baking cases and piping tips
For the cupcakes cases, I use my usual cupcakes cases as it is what I had in the drawer but you can easily make these cupcakes “fancy” by using my favourite red baking cups from Iced Jems! I love them as I repeatedly say, as they are amazing.
For the piping, I used my favourite 2D closed star piping tip – it creates the best swirl. And for the piping bags? I use these ones. I find that using the right size bag, and the right size piping tip will definitely help – especially when doing something like cream cheese frosting!
Red Velvet Cupcakes!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 150 g caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 tsp red food colouring (see notes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 15 g cocoa powder
- 125 ml buttermilk
- 175 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 150 g icing sugar
- 300 g full-fat cream cheese (I use Philadelphia)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC/150ºC fan and get 12 cupcake cases ready!
- Beat together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until smooth and fluffy like you would a normal cake!
- Add in the eggs and beat again!
- In a small bowl, mix together the red food colouring, and vanilla extract to a paste – Add this mixture to the butter mixture and beat until combined and coloured well!
- Turn the speed down so it's slow and mix in the cocoa powder.
- Pour in half of the buttermilk and beat on a slow speed. Add in half of the flour and beat again, and then the other half of the buttermilk & beat, and then the other half of the flour & beat (I realise this is faffy, but it works!)
- Finally – beat in the bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and vinegar. Beat again briefly until everything is smooth and incorporated well.
- Spoon into the cases so it's even – I use a cookie scoop and fill the cases about 2/3 full so that it's even across them all.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean when poked with a skewer! Once the cakes are baked, leave to cool on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature, and make sure to use actual butter and not a spread.
- Beat your butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy - like you would a normal buttercream. I beat them together for about 5 minutes.
- Add in your full-fat cream cheese (That has been drained if needed), and beat for about a minute.
- Scrape the bowl well, and add in the vanilla. Beat again for another minute.
- Scrape the bowl again finally, and beat again if needed. It should be a thick and smooth frosting once finished!
To Decorate
- If you want to use some cake crumbs to decorate, level off any peaked cupcakes, or core a couple out slightly and crumble up. This isn't essential, but red velvet cake crumbs make the best sprinkles!
- Using your piping bag and piping tip, pipe your cream cheese frosting onto the cupcakes.
- Once piped on, sprinkle over the cake crumbs!
- Enjoy!
Notes
- These cupcakes should be stored in the fridge for up to 3+ days due to the cream cheese frosting!
- I used...
- This recipe was updated in April 2020. The cake recipe is the same, apart from using the better food colouring!
- The original cream cheese frosting recipe was:
- 75g butter, room temperature, 150g icing sugar, 2-3tbsp whole milk/double cream, 1x 180g Philadelphia full-fat cream cheese
- You can use self raising flour instead of plain flour - if so, also leave out the baking powder. I prefer using plain flour for red velvet cakes though.
ENJOY!
Find my other Cupcake & Christmas recipes on my Recipes Page!
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J x
© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Hi Jane…..love all your recipes 😊
Can I make and freeze these ahead of time and take them out to decorate the day before?
Thanks 😊
Love the recipe, but after 3 days of storing in the refrigerator are they still okay to eat? Thank you ☺️
Yes they are! Just make sure the fresh ingredients have a long date before using x
I only have extra large eggs… can you help adjust the recipe?
Hi Natalie, I always weigh my eggs in their shells. Get as close to the weight of sugar, butter & flour as you can. I always round down and never up. I hope that helps from a fellow baker/fan
Mine turned out brown! More like chocolate cupcakes. I followed to recipe to a T but think I should of added more red colouring
To achieve the red, you need to use a high quality red food colouring, such as the one linked! Hope this helps! x
I made these gluten and dairy free. I followed the recipie with free from alternatives and made buttermilk with oatmilk and apple cider vinegar. Unfortunately we just made normal buttercream with some vegan spread but the cakes were gorgeous still. Great recipie!
Hi Jane, I have been asked to make pink velvet cupcakes. Do you think it would work if I omitted the cocoa powder & used 15g extra flour, & used pink instead of red food colouring?
I’ve just made these and followed all the instructions to a T. However they’ve all come away from the cases? Why has this happened and what I can do to stop it from happening next time please. Thank you
Hiya! Sometimes, this can be down to the cupcakes being under baked and/or sweating, and also due to poor quality cases. Hope this helps! x
These are amazing!! Best ever red velvet cupcake recipe, made these for mothers day and they turned out brilliantly!! Used the red food colouring that was recommended, it was perfect!
these had a wonderful texture but i couldn’t taste any of the cocoa even before frosting them, just like plain vanilla sponge. is that normal for red velvet? I admit I’ve never had any myself before this but i always thought it was predominately chocolate flavoured.
Hiya! What brand of cocoa powder did you use? Some brands don’t taste as strong as others! x
Hi! I’m not sure how it will affect red velvet cupcakes but when doing any sort of chocolate sponge cupcakes I pour in a teaspoon of instant coffee powder mixed with just enough hot water to dissolve it and it helps bring out a deeper chocolate flavour, this also balances out the little bit of dryness in the cake mix that you can sometimes get when making sponge cupcakes when using cocoa powder. Hope this helps!
I want to make this recipe into pink velvet as when I use it for red velvet they are always a huge hit. They turn out super red with the sugar flair extra red. Would I just omit the cocoa powder and add more flour? And obviously pink colouring instead of red ❤️
Yes that should work well! x
Can I use large eggs instead of medium? And if so, would it still be 2? Thanks!
Hiya! Yes – 2 large will be fine! Enjoy! x
Hello,
Is it possible to make these gluten free please? Should I just substitute the flour for gluten free flour?
Thank you
It is definitely worth try and if you substitute the flour also add 1/4 teaspoon of Xantham Gum x
Hi Jane ,
I’m wondering if i can use this cupcake recipe as a cake and can it be frozen then taken out when needed 😊
Hi!
Would this recipe work with oil instead of butter? Or would it alter the texture or not work?
Thanks
Hi Jane,
Would these quantities work for a 2 layer 6inch cake? Thank you. Ps can’t wait to see your book!
Hi jane love your recipe. With the cake having buttermilk in would they need to be stored in the fridge (without the cream cheese frosting) just not sure how it should be stored
No they don’t as the cakes are baked so it’s not a fresh ingredient any more x
Needed birthday cupcakes for after a sports activity. I made these two days before needed, iced on the day of eating. I substituted buttermilk for kefir as that’s all I had in the fridge. Cakes were a hit, light, moist and absolutely yummy I also made the lemon drizzle cupcakes which I’ve yet to try however, everyone loved them both . Will definitely make again. Thank you!