Red Velvet Cupcakes

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A tender cupcake with tangy notes, sweet vanilla and a bit of cocoa.  Finished with whipped cream cheese icing.  Delicious!

For these cupcakes I recommend this brand of food colouring. If you want really red cupcakes, then supermarket colourings just do not cut it. You have to use so much and yet still won’t achieve that really vivid colour.

Let me know if you give these a go. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Halloween or just a regular weekday treat.

Print Recipe

Red Velvet Cupcakes

A tender cupcake with tangy notes, sweet vanilla and a bit of cocoa.  Finished with whipped cream cheese icing.  Delicious!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Decorating and Resting Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Keyword: cake, cupcakes, red velvet
Servings: 12 cupcakes

Equipment

  • 12 hole cupcake tin
  • Paper cupcake liners
  • Piping bag

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 125 g unsalted butter softened
  • 1 tbsp neutral flavoured oil I used sunflower
  • 175 g caster sugar
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp red food colouring I recommend Sugarflair brand from online
  • 130 g plain flour
  • 15 g cocoa
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 140 g buttermilk see note
  • 1½ tsp white wine vinegar

Whipped Cream Cheese Icing

  • 125 g unsalted butter room temperature
  • 180 g full-fat cream cheese room temperature
  • 180 g icing sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • If you haven't already. Make sure your butter and cream cheese are out of the fridge.

Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 170°C/160°C fan. Line a cupcake tray with 12 paper liners.
  • In a large mixing bowl beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and oil and continue beating together, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Continue doing this until lightened for 4-5 minutes until it becomes lighter in colour and texture.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add your vanilla extract and red food colouring and mix well.
  • Now time to add your dry ingredients – flour, bicarb of soda, cocoa and salt. Mix until just incorporated.
  • Finally add your vinegar and buttermilk. Stir until just combined and try not to overmix.
  • Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcake liners until each is about ¾ full.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. The cupcakes' centres should spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't open the oven door for the first half of the bake or the cupcakes might sink in the centre.
  • Leave cool before icing the cupcakes.

Whipped Cream Cheese Icing

  • Beat the butter for 2-3 minutes until lighter in colour. This is to make sure your icing will be whipped, but also to help with the colour.
  • Add the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla and beat for about five minutes until it is light and fluffy.

Assembly

  • Fill a piping bag that's been fitted with a nozzle, I used a 2D closed star.
  • Pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake.
  • Enjoy

Notes

  1. I recommend this brand of food colouring.
  2. If you can’t find buttermilk, then use whole milk, add a tbsp lemon juice/white vinegar and leave it sit for 15 minutes. It will look curdled when it’s ready.

Enjoy, R x

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