Moist Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Moist Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Nothing beats rich, moist red velvet cupcakes topped with luxurious cream cheese frosting. They just melt in the mouth. This simple, easy and effortless recipe will have you making these cupcakes more often than you planned. Lightly flavored with cocoa powder these are frosted with my cream cheese frosting.

Did you know that the red velvet cake was first made during world war II? I believe when food was rationed the bakers had to use boiled beet juice to enhance the color of their baked goods. There are still some traditional red velvet cakes that use beets in the recipe to keep them moist. Now we just call them chocolate beet cake or something similar not necessarily red velvet cupcakes.

Another interesting find for me was that although the red velvet original recipe is known to be American, it was actually not frosted with cream cheese frosting. Rather it was made with a French butter icing called roux icing, which is very time-consuming to make but really light and fluffy. The cream cheese frosting is just a modern variation that over the years has become the most associated with moist red velvet cupcakes or cakes. I often use Swiss Meringue Buttercream for my custom decorated red velvet cakes and cupcakes. It's a non-dairy alternative so it gives me more decorating time.

And although the name is red velvet, the color is not actually supposed to be red but more mahogany. You usually get this color when you mix red and brown together. That is why we have cocoa powder in red velvet. The purpose of the cocoa powder is to deepen the red.

About these red velvet cupcakes

Bright, red, rich, moist, light and fluffy with a hint of cocoa. These cupcakes have a soft crumb and work great with many different frosting.
The recipe is simple, easy and effortless. I use oil, vinegar, and buttermilk to create an alkaline reaction, which in turn gives a very light and fluffy texture to the cupcakes.
Today I have used the classic cream cheese frosting but often I will frost them with my no-butter cream cheese frosting. If you love rich cream cheese frosting I highly encourage you to try it out.

Let's talk ingredients and substitutes (Save /Pin)

• Cocoa powder - This is not a chocolate cupcake. The main purpose of the cocoa in this recipe is to enhance the red color. It makes the red deep, rich and dramatic. If you don't want to add cocoa powder - just add two drops of a brown color instead.
• Canola oil - Any cooking oil will work as long as it has no flavor. That way it won't affect the flavor of the cupcakes. For example, olive oil has a strong flavor and smell, which we definitely don't want.
• Buttermilk - You can make buttermilk at home and it takes just five minutes - here's how to make homemade buttermilk in 5 mins 
• Red food color - You can use beetroot color for a more natural substitute. And yet, you would need more than 2 tbsp for the whole batter. I would recommend adding 1/4 cup beetroot juice that has been condensed by boiling for 15 to 20 mins. Simultaneously reduce the buttermilk to 1/4 cup as well. I use regular color gels for my cakes since they are more concentrated.
• Sugar - I prefer to use white sugar so it won't alter the color of my cupcakes. And yet, feel free to use the same amount of light brown sugar. I would not recommend dark brown sugar.

Useful Tips and Tools

• If you bake often, it would be a good idea to invest in a cake mixer. Because often we try to mix by hand and then we are too tired to give it enough creaming or mixing. So, if you are making this buttercream go head and remove that K-Mix or Kitchen Aid from your kitchen cabinet. And, you don't have to buy an expensive stand mixer, a simple hand mixer works great too.
• Personally, I believe in weighing ingredients by weight, which makes my kitchen scaleone of the most valuable items when baking. The same goes for mymeasuring cups and measuring spoons. It's always a good idea to have these handy and use them when baking rather than trying to guess measurements.
• Also, it is important to buy cupcake linersfrom a trustworthy source to prevent peeling. There is nothing worse than to bake good cupcakes or muffins and then have all the liners peel off.
• Additionally, you can use a measuring cup to ensure you divide the batter evenly among all the cupcakes or muffins. That way all your cupcakes will be a similar size. Personally, I love using my cupcake scooper for that purpose.  
• A good baking tray is always important. Try using a light colored baking trayBaking tray. Another option is to line the baking tray with Parchment Paper for easy clean up just in case of spillage.
• Every oven works differently. So the baking times are just guidelines. In case of muffins and cupcakes, it’s often a good idea to rotate the baking tray mid-way the baking so they cook and rise evenly.

How to Make Moist Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Save/Pin

Method

Bake the Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 F.
• Line your muffin pan with cupcake wrappers.
• Swift together - flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
• Combine the red food color and vinegar with the buttermilk and stir well.
• Whisk together oil and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time.
• Followed by the buttermilk mix.
• Lastly, add in the flour mix.
• Once all the ingredients are in. Scrape the sides of the bowl and stir again making sure you have a deep red colored batter.

• Divide batter into the cupcake wrappers about 3/4 full.
• Bake in a preheated oven for about 18 to 20 mins.
• Cool completely before you decorate.

Prepare Cream Cheese Frosting

• In a mixer bowl add the cream cheese and room temperature butter.
• Whip with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy – about 3 minutes.
• Add 2 tbsp of cream, salt, lemon juice and vanilla – whip another minute.
• Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until you’ve used 3 cups.
• Continue to whip on medium-high for 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Check consistency – if necessary add more powdered sugar to stiffen or fresh cream to lighten.
• The more you whip the lighter this frosting will become.

Frost the cupcakes

• Prepare your frosting of choice from the recipes above.
• Prepare a piping bag with a large round tip ( I used no 12).
• Add any gel food color if you want to your frosting.
• Then add frosting into a piping bag with a spatula.
• Close the bag and pipe frosting.
• The design I have is just a simple squeeze until the blob reaches the edges of the cupcake.
• Then squeeze again to make a couple of such blobs each time picking the bag slightly higher until you reach a tip.

12 Tips for baking perfect cupcakes every single time

1. Follow the recipe properly with minimum substitutions.
2. Always use good quality ingredients.
3. Make sure the ingredients are all at room temperature.
4. Never over mix the batter.
5. Use a scoop for baking similar size cupcakes.
6. Always preheat the oven before baking - a hot oven works best for cupcakes.
7. Bake cupcakes at the right temperature.
8. Always bake cupcakes on the center rack one tray at a time.
9. Never open the oven during baking - no peeking.
10. Remove cupcakes from their pan no later than 7 to 10 minutes after baking.
11. Store cupcakes properly after baking. Place them in an airtight container at room temperature. Cupcakes dry in the fridge unless wrapped properly with plastic wrap.
12. Simple syrup the cupcakes if don't plan to eat them on the same day.

Frequently asked questions

What other buttercream or frosting can I use for these red velvet cupcakes?

Oh, these cupcakes are delicious with just about any frosting. I have shared with you more than 30 different buttercream flavors here on the blog but these are just a few suggestions.

30 Plus Homemade Buttercream Frosting Recipes

Need a buttercream recipe in 5 minutes? Have a buttercream related question? Wondering what buttercream to use for your cake? It's all here in one place. 30 plus homemade buttercream frosting recipes for you to explore. With recipes, tips, trick, and troubleshooting, as well as popular questions, answered.

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Moist Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Author: Veena Azmanov

5 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 7 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 27 mins

Calories: 519kcal

$10

Adjust Servings Here: 12 cupcakes

Description

Nothing beats rich, moist red velvet cupcakes topped with luxurious cream cheese frosting. They just melt in the mouth. This simple, easy and effortless recipe will have you making these cupcakes more often than you planned. Lightly flavored with cocoa powder these are frosted with my no-butter cream cheese frosting.

ADJUST SERVINGS HERE - 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES

• 150 grams (1.2 cups) All-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp (1 1/2 tbsp) Cocoa powder
• 150 ml (0.63 cups) Canola oil
• 150 grams (5.29 oz) Sugar
• 2 (2 ) Eggs large
• 120 ml (0.51 cups) Buttermilk
• 1 tsp (1 tsp) Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (1/2 tsp) Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp (1/2 tsp) Vinegar
• 1/4 tsp (1/4 tsp) Salt
• 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Vanilla
• 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Red food color or 1/2 tsp food gel color

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 225 grams (0.99 cups) Cream cheese
• 113 grams (0.5 cups) Butter
• 450 grams (3.75 cups) Powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Fresh cream
• 1 tsp (1 tsp) Salt
• 1/2 tsp (1/2 tsp) Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Vanilla extract

Instructions

BAKE THE CUPCAKES

• Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 F.
• Line your muffin pan with cupcake wrappers.
• Swift together – flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
• Combine the red food color and vinegar with the buttermilk and stir well.
• Whisk together oil and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time.
• Followed by the buttermilk mix.
• Lastly, add in flour mix.
• Once all the ingredients are in. Scrape the sides of the bowl and stir again making sure you have a deep red colored batter.
• Divide batter into the cupcake wrappers about 3/4 full.
• Bake in a preheated oven for about 18 to 20 mins.
• Cool completely before you decorate.

PREPARE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• In a mixer bowl add the cream cheese and room temperature butter.
• Whip with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy – about 3 minutes.
• Add 2 tbsp of cream, salt, lemon juice and vanilla – whip another minute.
• Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until you’ve used 3 cups.
• Continue to whip on medium-high for 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Check consistency – if necessary add more powdered sugar to stiffen or fresh cream to lighten.
• The more you whip the lighter this frosting will become.

FROST THE CUPCAKES

• Place frosting into a piping bag with a round or star tip nozzle
• Pipe a dollop of frosting on each cupcake
• The design I have is just a simple squeeze until the blob reaches the edges of the cupcake.
• Then squeeze again to make a couple of such blobs each time picking the bag slightly higher until you reach a tip.

Recipe Notes

 

Featured Recipe Below - Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Equipment

Cupcake Pan

Cupcake liners

Stand Mixer

Mixing Bowl

Meas Cups and Spoons

Measuring Spoons

Baking Tray

Oven

Ice Cream Scooper

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Moist Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Amount Per Serving

Calories 519 Calories from Fat 261

% Daily Value*

Fat 29g45%

Saturated Fat 10g50%

Cholesterol 73mg24%

Sodium 446mg19%

Potassium 118mg3%

Carbohydrates 62g21%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 51g57%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 580IU12%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 59mg6%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

About Videos - most recipes has two videos - a quick version & longer detailed version. Sometimes a similar recipe video may be used

Keywords - baking, baking from scratch, Cupcakes, Red Velvet, Red Velvet Cupcakes

Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about itMention @veenaazmanov or #tag on Instagram #veenaazmanov

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