Red Velvet Cupcakes

A frosted red velvet cupcake on a cooling rack.

Make a batch of tender, red velvet cupcakes for Valentine's Day, Christmas, or your next celebration, all from scratch. They've got soft notes of chocolate, vanilla, and buttermilk, and are topped with silky ermine frosting.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 18

Resting Time 1

Total Time 1 48

Servings cupcakes

Author Heather

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 ½ cups (168 g) cake flour
1 ½ tablespoons natural cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup (49 g) vegetable oil
½ cup (120 g) buttermilk room temperature
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
2 teaspoons red gel food coloring

Ermine frosting

¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 g) whole milk
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Cupcakes

If making ermine frosting, I suggest starting the frosting first. While the frosting base cools, prepare the cupcakes.
Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a cupcake pan with 15 liners and set aside.
In a bowl, add dry ingredients: cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and remove any clumps. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add butter and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat to combine. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, add oil, buttermilk, vinegar, and food coloring. Stir to combine.
To your egg mixture, add half of the dry ingredients. Stir until just incorporated. Add half of your buttermilk mixture and stir until just incorporated. Repeat once more to add your remaining dry and wet ingredients. Do not overmix.
Divide batter between 15 cupcake liners. Bake for about 18-21 minutes, or until the center pops back when gently pressed. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

Ermine frosting

In a saucepan over medium heat, add sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in milk and continue whisking until smooth.
Cook over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, whisking frequently, until mixture looks very thick (like sweetened condensed milk consistency). Remove from heat.
Transfer mixture to a bowl. Press plastic wrap over the top of the mixture and up the sides of the bowl to prevent a skin from forming. Allow mixture to cool completely to room temperature, about an hour. (To speed up cooling, transfer to the refrigerator, but don't allow it to go below room temperature. Mixture will solidify and become difficult to work with.)
Now is a good time to prepare your cupcakes.
Once flour mixture has cooled, add room temperature butter to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer (or a stand mixer) until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add your cooled flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the whipped butter and beat until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently. Continue until all of your flour mixture has been incorporated. (If your flour mixture is even a little warm it will melt the butter and ruin the frosting. Flour mixture must be room temperature, not warm, for this step).
Add vanilla extract and mix to combine. Frosting should be silky smooth with a whipped texture.
Pipe or spread frosting with a knife onto cupcakes and serve.

Video

Notes

Food coloring: 2 teaspoons gel food coloring can be substituted with 4 teaspoons liquid food coloring. Food coloring can be omitted entirely for pale brown cupcakes.
Storage: Cupcakes will keep at room temperature for about 6 hours or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Allow cupcakes to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Frosting variations: Ermine frosting can be substituted with your favorite frosting - popular choices include cream cheese frosting and whipped buttercream frosting.
Top tips: Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cake, based on reader comments and questions!

Nutrition