Moist Red Velvet Cupcakes
Nothing beats rich, moist, light, and airy red velvet cupcakes topped with luxurious, no-butter cream cheese frosting. This simple and easy recipe will have you making these cupcakes more often than you planned.
Did you know that red velvet cake was first made during World War II? I believe that when food was rationed, 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 original red velvet recipe is known to be American, it was not actually 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.
Why make these 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 frostings.
- The recipe is simple and easy. I use oil, vinegar, and buttermilk to create an alkaline reaction, which gives the cupcakes a very light and airy texture.
- Today, I have used the classic cream cheese frosting, but I often frost them with my no-butter cream cheese frosting. If you love rich cream cheese frosting, I highly recommend you try it.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Cocoa powder—This is not a chocolate cupcake. The cocoa enhances the red color, making it deeper, richer, and more dramatic. If you don’t want to add cocoa powder, just add two drops of a brown color instead.
- Canola oil—Any flavorless cooking oil will work great. Olive oil, for example, has a strong flavor and smell, which we definitely don’t want.
- Buttermilk – You can make homemade buttermilk in 5 mins, so don’t look for substitutes.
- Sugar—I prefer to use white sugar so it won’t alter the color of my cupcakes. However, feel free to use the same amount of light brown sugar. I would not recommend dark brown sugar.
- Red food color—You can use beetroot color as a natural substitute. However, you would need more than 2 tbsp for the whole batter. I recommend adding 1/4 cup of beetroot juice that has been condensed by boiling for 15 to 20 minutes. Simultaneously, reduce the buttermilk to 1/4 cup as well. I use regular color gels for my cakes since they are more concentrated.
Step-by-step: Red velvet cupcakes
Cupcakes
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C/ Gas mark 3. Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners
- Red color – Combine the red food color and vinegar with the buttermilk and stir well. Set aside
- Dry ingredients – In a small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Set aside
- Whip – In a bowl of a stand mixer, whip the whole egg for a minute. Then, gradually add the sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to whip until light and fluffy.
- Wet ingredients – Next, gradually add the oil, followed by the buttermilk mixture.
- Combine – Add the flour mixture and combine well, but do not overmix.
- Liners – Divide the batter equally between the cupcake liners.
- Bake—Transfer to the oven and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then entirely on a cooling rack.
Pro tip – The cupcakes must be cold before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt.
Frosting
- Cream – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, salt, and whipping cream until smooth.
- Sugar – Add powdered sugar and whip until smooth. Continue to whip for a minute or two more until light and fluffy.
Pro tip – Cream cheese can curdle when overwhipped for a minute or two, which is all you need.
Assemble
- Place frosting into a piping bag with a round piping tip.
- Pipe – Pipe the frosting on each cupcake.
Pro tip – Give it one big squeeze until it reaches the edges of the cupcake. Continue making sure to end tall with a point. - Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Bake them until just done – over-baking can dry them out.
Use ingredients like sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, and apple sauce to help keep the cupcakes moist. If you don’t serve them on the day, add a few teaspoons of simple syrup before frosting.
This will make a small 6-inch cake. If you want to make a red velvet cake, I highly recommend using my tried-and-tested recipes.
Best Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – Oil-based Cake
Moist Red Velvet Cake with Italian Meringue Buttercream – Butter-based Cake, Strawberry Red Velvet Cake with strawberry filling
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.
Moist Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Nothing beats rich, moist, light, and airy red velvet cupcakes topped with luxurious no-butter cream cheese frosting. This simple and easy recipe will have you making these cupcakes more often than you planned.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) Buttermilk
- 2 tbsp Red food color or 1/2 tsp food gel color
- ½ tsp Vinegar
- 1 ¼ cup (155 g) All-purpose flour
- 1½ tbsp Cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 large Egg
- ¾ cup (150 g) Sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) Canola oil
- 2 tbsp Vanilla extract
- 8 oz (226 g) Cream cheese
- 8 oz (226 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp Whipping cream
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Method
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C/ Gas mark 3. Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners
- Red color – Combine the red food color and vinegar with the buttermilk and stir well. Set aside1/2 tsp Vinegar, 2 tbsp Red food color, ⅓ cup Buttermilk
- Dry ingredients – In a small bowl sift together, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Set aside1 ¼ cup All-purpose flour, 1½ tbsp Cocoa powder, 1 tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Baking soda, ¼ tsp Salt
- Whip – In a bowl of a stand mixer, whip the whole egg for a minute then gradually add the sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to whip until light and fluffy.¾ cup Sugar, 1 large Egg, 2 tbsp Vanilla extract
- Wet ingredients – Next, gradually add the oil followed by the buttermilk mixture1/3 cup Canola oil
- Combine – Add the flour mixture and combine well but do not overmix.
- Liners – Divide batter equally between the cupcake liners
- Bake – Transfer to the oven and bake for about 18 to 20 mins. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then on a cooling rack completely. Pro tip – the cupcakes must be cold before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt.
- Cream – In a mixer bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, salt, and whipping cream until smooth.8 oz Cream cheese, 1 tbsp Whipping cream, 1 tsp Salt
- Sugar – Add powdered sugar and whip until smooth. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Continue to whip for a minute or two more until light and fluffy. Pro tip – Cream cheese can curdle when over whipped a minute or two is all you need.8 oz Powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp Lemon juice, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Place frosting into a piping bag with a round piping tip
- Pipe – Pipe the frosting on each cupcake. Pro tip – Give it one big squeeze until it reaches the edges of the cupcake. Continue making sure to end tall with a point.
- Enjoy
I love red velvet cake! These cupcakes look so delicious and moist ♥
Thanks, Natalie. Yes, they are veery moist and delicious.
This recipe is going into my staple cupcake collection! Loving all the positive feedback on this post. Can’t wait for everyone to try it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you, Traci. So happy to hear that.
This cupcake are from heaven, thanks so much for knowledge shared
Thank you Ada. You are very welcome.
Hi Veena! Can I use this recipe for a regilar cake? I am planning to use this recipe for a birthday, to be filled with cream cheese and covered with fondant. But I am concerned of the filling. How long does a cream cheese filled cakes lasts? Thank you.
I have not used this as cake recipe but don’t see why not. You may need to double the amounts. Cream cheese is perishable frosting so has to be kept in the fridge. id’s say three days would be a good time for shelf life. You can use Swiss Meringue buttercream too if you want more working time.
These look so perfect! I think red velvet is a perfect Christmas dessert!
Thanks Cricket. I tend to give them as holiday gifts.
ALL your cupcakes are so impressive, but there’s something extra special about red velvet for the holidays!
Thank you Sue. Yes there is something extra special about red velvet during the holidays.
Anything with cream cheese frosting is great in my book! And these cupcakes look awesome. A match made in heaven.
Thank you Debi. Red velvet and cream cheese are sure match made in heaven
Beautiful color and very interesting reading. Thank you for the history of the cake and the science behind it
Thank you Laura. Glad you enjoyed reading it.
I love red velvet cakes, these cupcakes look delicious!
Thank you Emily.
Hi Veena, if I plan on using beetroot powder can I proceed with the recipe as is or do I need to make any changes? Apparently baking soda doesn’t work well with the acidity of the beetroot, is that correct? TIA
HI Ambika yes, I have not used beetroot powder in my red velvet cakes or cupcakes but I heard it does not work with baking powder or baking soda. Makes it a dark more brown color. You will have to omit the leavening agents in the recipe but then makes it a more dense cupcake.
To avoid a dense cupcake what you can do is separate the egg whites from the yolk. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks separately then fold it into the batter at the last step. I hope that makes sense. Feel free to ask questions. Thanks