Red Velvet Cupcakes
These red velvet cupcakes are super moist and have a delicious cream cheese buttercream frosting. Top them with chocolate swirls, sprinkles, etc., and you have some beautiful cupcakes on your hands.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ¼ cups (157 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder regular, not dutch processed
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 mL) vegetable oil
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp red food coloring
- ½ cup (120 mL) whole milk room temperature, see note
- 1 tbsp white vinegar see note
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 7 cups (840 grams) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, combine the whole milk and vinegar. Set aside. See note.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and oil together on medium-high speed until combined. About 2-3 minutes.
- Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until combined and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well on low speed in between each addition, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl if necessary.
- Add the vanilla extract and red food coloring and mix on low-medium speed until combined. With the mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients. Once almost fully incorporated, add half of the milk/vinegar mixture and mix until almost combined. Repeat this with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk/vinegar mixture. Do not over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly amongst the cupcakes. The batter should be the perfect amount for 12 regular-sized cupcakes. Fill the liners until they are ½-3/4 of the way full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until combined, smooth and no more lumps exist. Add the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and milk and mix on low speed at first for 30 seconds (so the powdered sugar doesn't go everywhere) then mix on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until the frosting is smooth and combined.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost and enjoy!
Notes
Important note: even though mixing whole milk and vinegar creates buttermilk, do NOT use store bought buttermilk. Yes, buttermilk is acidic, but the vinegar in this recipe was measured specifically for pairing with whole milk. If you use buttermilk and vinegar, they will be way too acidic and will affect the cupcakes ability to rise. So I suggest following the recipe instructions.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!