Ingredients
Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 180 grams cake flour, spooned and leveled
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, I used dutch cocoa*, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 85 grams salted butter, room temperature
- 80 mL vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 157 mL buttermilk, warm
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 5-6 drops red GEL food coloring**
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 227 grams cream cheese, room temperature
- 480 grams powdered sugar, spooned and leveled
- tiny pinch of fine sea salt
- 30-45 mL heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
Method
Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F (177C) convection and line 14 cupcake tins with liners
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium-large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and sugar until they're evenly distributed (whisk well).180 grams cake flour spooned and leveled, 200 grams granulated sugar, 10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder I used dutch cocoa*, spooned and leveled, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt
- Add the oil and butter to the dry ingredients and use the whisk attachment on an electric mixer to beat the butter and oil into the dry ingredients until they're well combined. It should look kind of crumbly.85 grams salted butter room temperature, 80 mL vegetable oil
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just a few seconds before adding the next egg.2 large eggs room temperature
- Warm up the buttermilk and add the vanilla, vinegar and food coloring to it. Mix until the food coloring is fully dissolved in the buttermilk.157 mL buttermilk warm, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp vinegar, 5-6 drops red GEL food coloring**
- Add the buttermilk to the batter, mixing just until it's fully combined and smooth.
- Distribute evenly among the cupcake tins, about 50-55 grams in each, and bake for about 18-21 minutes or until the center springs back when you press on it.
- Remove from the oven, let them cool for 5-10 minutes and remove them from the pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place the room temperature butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes, until the color turns to a pale yellow.113 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- Add in the cream cheese and beat at medium speed for a minute, just until they're combined.227 grams cream cheese room temperature
- Add the powdered sugar and salt and mix on low speed, just until it's combined. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat the buttercream for 2-3 minutes, until all of the sugar is fully dissolved and the buttercream no longer feels gritty.480 grams powdered sugar spooned and leveled, tiny pinch of fine sea salt
- Pour in 3 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream and vanilla bean paste and beat for another 1-2 minutes on high speed.30-45 mL heavy whipping cream room temperature, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Notes
*You can also use unsweetened natural cocoa but you'll have a lighter color and flavor to the cake.
**You can use less or more food coloring if desired. I like it less potent so I use 3-4 drops but in the photos there's 5-6 drops. When adding it to your milk, if it's more potent than my milk picture, then your cake will be too.
If you prefer the more traditional Boiled Milk Frosting, I have that version in my red velvet cake recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 468kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 4gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 194mgPotassium: 76mgFiber: 1gSugar: 50gVitamin A: 656IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 0.4mg