This easy red velvet cupcake recipe is ready in just 40 minutes, and I used regular, everyday pantry staples. The one thing you may need to run to the store for is red food coloring which you’ll find in the baking aisle, or you could even buy it online if you’re planning ahead. Red velvet cupcakes are such an easy and fun dessert to make, perfect for pretty much any occasion. Want to make a fun Valentine’s Day treat with the kids? Make Red Velvet Cupcakes. How about something red and white with green sprinkles for Christmas? Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting is the answer! Red, white, and blue for July 4th? All you need is blue sprinkles! I love the simplicity and ease of whipping up a batch of homemade cupcakes for an unfussy treat that doesn’t involves stacking and layering! Our Best Ever Moist Chocolate Cupcakes are truly amazing and so easy to whip up, and our S’mores Cupcakes with Graham Cracker Frosting are perfect for a taste of summer year-round!
Why this Recipe Works
The combo of butter and oil makes for the best texture and flavor. You get 2 dozen cupcakes so this is great for bake sales, parties, and more. Or you can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes to later. The cream cheese frosting on these red velvet cupcakes is tangy, fluffy, and irresistibly good. I could just eat it with a spoon! It only requires 4 ingredients, again, you’ll probably have them on hand already.
Ingredient Notes
I love that I almost always have the ingredients on hand so I can make this red velvet cupcake recipe whenever I get the craving. Did you know you can freeze cream cheese and buttermilk? They both do great in the freezer so you have some whenever you need it. Just be sure to let it thaw and come up to room temperature before adding it to the recipe.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds a lovely tang to cake and cupcake recipes. Perfect for red velvet cupcakes! White vinegar: You might see the ingredient “vinegar” and think that’s a little odd to put in a cupcake! When vinegar mixes with baking soda, however, they release carbon dioxide together which helps the cake to rise even more when baking. Cake flour: If you don’t have cake flour, you can make a good replacement by using 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour and ¼ cup of cornstarch instead. Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder adds a chocolate flavor as well as darkening the color so that the red velvet cupcakes aren’t bright red, but more of a crimson. Cream cheese: Adding cream cheese gives the frosting an amazing tang. it’s SO good!
How to Make This Recipe
- Whisk Dry ingredients. Next, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt.4. Mix wet ingredients, and then add it all together. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and light. Add oil, vanilla, eggs, vinegar, and food coloring (affiliate link). Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk.
- Fill ’em up & bake! Fill the cupcake liners ½ to 2/3 of the way full. Bake the red velvet cupcakes for 19-21 minutes until the tops spring back at a touch or a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
- Make frosting and set. Finally, beat the butter and cream cheese with vanilla, and then add the powdered sugar. Beat them together for 5-7 minutes. Frost the red velvet cupcakes, then refrigerate to set.
Recipe Tips
Storage: As these cupcakes have cream cheese frosting, they’ll need to be stored in the refrigerator. Store them in an airtight container and they’ll last for up to a week. Freezing: You can also freeze them for 2-3 months. Thaw on the counter, then frost and serve! Measure correctly: I use the scoop & level method where you fluff the flour in the container, then spoon it into the measuring cup until it is piled over the top and use a knife or other straight edge to level it off. Use room temperature ingredients: This really does make a difference when baking cakes and cupcakes! You can cheat a bit by putting your eggs in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes and microwaving the butter for 6-10 seconds to speed things up a bit if you have to. Variation: Try tossing some chocolate chips in a few teaspoons of flour and stirring them into the batter before adding it to the cupcake liners! Or break up some Oreos and add those to the batter for an Oreo red velvet cupcake!
More Cupcake Recipes
Burnt Almond Cupcakes Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes Dulce de Leche Cupcakes Key Lime Cupcakes
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