Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
These red velvet cupcakes are a gorgeous red color, moist and fluffy, have the most amazing flavor, and are topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. An easy recipe that is great year-round!
I found long ago that getting a really, really good red velvet cupcake could be totally elusive. Some are dry, some are TOO red. It propelled me to make a great version at home.
I did some reading, I looked at a lot of recipes, and in the end I decided to try this one, which originated at the Hummingbird Bakery. And I'm so glad I did, because I don't think a better one could exist.
If you are looking for a super moist red velvet cupcake recipe, this is IT! They are everything you could hope for - moist, fluffy, a tiny bit chocolatey, and a perfect vehicle for a heaping pile of cream cheese frosting!
Don’t save these just for Valentine’s Day; they are great at Christmas, birthdays, or as an everyday treat!
Key Ingredient Notes
While we use some pantry staples like flour, sugar, and vanilla extract, below are notes on the essential ingredients for our red velvet cake recipe:
- Cocoa Powder – Use unsweetened, natural cocoa powder here. We want to avoid Dutched since it has already been alkalized.
- Vinegar – The reaction of the vinegar with the buttermilk helps to pull out the red hue in the cocoa powder. For this recipe, we use white vinegar, but you could also substitute apple cider vinegar.
- Buttermilk – Using soured milk is a key component to red velvet cakebatter, as the acidic liquid is needed to combine with the baking soda and cocoa powder to get the rise and texture right.
- Baking Soda – This works magic with the cocoa powder and buttermilk to get a beautiful rise and tender crumb.
- Red Food Coloring – We want to boost that beautiful red color! You can use either 2 tablespoons of liquid food coloring or 5 to 6 drops of gel food coloring.
How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes
Step #1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
Step #2: Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the egg and beat until well incorporated.
Step #3: In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and red food coloring, which will make a thick paste. Add it to the batter and mix until combined.
Step #4: On low speed, alternate adding the buttermilk and flour, then beat on high until smooth.
Step #5: On low speed again, add the salt, baking soda, and vinegar. Beat on high until the mixture is completely combined and smooth.
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Step #6: Divide the cupcake batter evenly between the liners and bake for about 20 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Decorating the Cupcakes
I love to pair red velvet with my favorite cream cheese frosting; it’s so thick and luscious, plus the slight tang is a great contrast to the sweetness of the cupcake. However, you could also use a seven-minute frosting, vanilla frosting, or even a chocolate frosting!
Some decorating options:
- Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting on the cupcakes.
- Place frosting in a piping bag and use piping tips to pile the frosting high! My favorite tip for those pretty swirls on the top of cupcakes is a Wilton 1M or Ateco #826 open star tip.
- The most traditional garnishment for red velvet cupcakes is to crumble one cupcake and use the cupcake crumbs to decorate the other cupcakes.
- Or use your favorite sprinkles, popular options are heart sprinkles or red, white, and pink jimmies!
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Buttermilk Substitute: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, use this at-home substitution – Pour 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a measuring cup. Add enough milk (I recommend 2% or whole) to measure 1 cup total. Stir together and let it sit for 5 minutes, then use it as directed in the recipe below.
- Adjusting to Make a Whole Cake: This recipe can be doubled to yield two 9-inch cake layers (bake time 25 to 30 minutes), or a 9×13-inch cake (bake time about 30 minutes).
- Mixer: This recipe can be successfully made using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer; either one will work!
Storage & Freezing Instructions
- Unfrosted Cupcakes – Unfrosted cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or bag; thaw at room temperature (should take 30 minutes to 1 hour).
- Cream Cheese Frosting – The frosting itself can be made and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week. It can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Frosted Cupcakes – Frosted red velvet cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 1 week. I do not recommend freezing the frosted cupcakes.
More Red Velvet Recipes to Try:
- Red Velvet Cheesecake
- Red Velvet Poke Cake
- Red Velvet Roll Cake with White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Filling
- Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
- Red Velvet Ice Cream
Watch the Recipe Video:
If you make these red velvet cupcakes and love them, remember to stop back and give them a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (149 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2½ tablespoons (13 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 1 cup (125 g) + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (227 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, chilled and cut into 8 pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin/cupcake pan with liners.
- On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.
- Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt on low speed until smooth, then mix for an additional 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Increase the speed to medium-low and add the cream cheese one piece at a time and mix until smooth, then mix for an additional 2 minutes.
Notes
- This recipe can be doubled to make an 8 or 9-inch layer cake.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on November 8, 2010.
Photography by Dee Frances.
There is no hard and fast rule; it all depends on the specific recipe, what other ingredients are involved, etc. Both baking soda and baking powder create rise, but also interact with other ingredients. So basically yes, the cupcakes should rise more with more leavening, but sometimes it takes playing around with other ingredients to get it right.
Hi michelle, was wondering if the reaction of the baking soda and vinegar to making a fluffy cupcake works when with all chocolate cupcake recipe? as if im not wrong the it will only take effect with cocoa powder?
thanks!
Hi Nel, I’ve never tried it, but it seems like it should work!
another question, that is if the chocolate cupcake recipe I’m using calls for baking powder but it doesn’t rise much and it’s not fluffy, can I substitute baking powder with the baking soda+vinegar ? thanks!!
Hi Nel, That would be a good experiment, I’ve never done it so I couldn’t say for sure if that would solve the problem (independent of changing anything about the other ingredients), but if you give it a try I’d love to hear how it works!
Yeah sure! sorry for another question, if i want the cupcake to rise more do I add more powder soda/baking powder? or what should I do to make it rise more? (let’s say if the temperate of oven is correct)
thanks!
I tried this recipe today and am very happy with the results! Somehow I could only made 10 cupcakes, but it was not a big deal. A few changes I made were; I added a little bit of canola oil (1/8 cup or less) because this recipe called for the least amount of butter than any other recipes that I found online, and I had to skip the vinegar because I don’t keep white vinegar in my pantry and I didn’t wanna buy it… I’m not sure what vinegar does, but I am very happy with how my cupcakes tasted. They were moist, fluffy, slightly chocolaty, in a word, delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipes as well as the stunning pictures of your cupcakes! They are very inspiring!
So I tried this recipe…and I have to say that the cupcakes cam out perfect! They were extremely moist and had a nice cocoa flavor. I loved them!
Hi, I have seen various red velvet cupcake recipes and they all seem to have baking powder as one of the ingredients, which your recipe doesn’t have. Is baking powder not required for the cake to rise?
Hi Sawsan,
Baking powder is typically a mixture of baking soda (alkaline) and an acidifier (plus starch to buff up the volume). In this recipe, vinegar is used to help bring out the red colour in (non-Dutch processed) chocolate and also serves as the acidifier. As such, if you were to use baking powder instead of baking soda, the final mixture may be too acidic, which is why this recipe lists baking soda, not the powder. The baking soda and acid in the vinegar (and buttermilk) will react together to produce carbon dioxide, producing a leavening effect and neutralising eachother. I hope that answers your question. :]
Made this as my second attempt at baking cupcakes and I’ve got them cooling off now. Sadly, they don’t have that nice, deep red colour, I suppose using gel food colouring and Van Houten (i.e. Dutch Processed) cocoa is to blame. I was hesitant to use too much of the food colouring given how potent gel-based ones usually are, but I guess they’re better suited to icing and fondant than a large batch of brown cake batter. :]
Hi, I made these, followed the recipe to the tee and they came out a dark brown like chocolate cupcake mixture. So odd… the batter was a fairly vivd browny red before it went into the oven, and they’re not remotely burnt. I wonder what can have happened. They’re still delicious, but they ain’t red velvet!
Hi, I haven’t had any luck with cream cheese frosting. Every time I attempt, it ends up being a runny mess, not looking anything like yours and I follow the directions completely. What might be the problem? Thank you! I am loving the cupcake and all of your recipes. :)
OMG!!!! These were amazing! Great recipe! I will be making these again, and again!!
Turned out perfectly. Thanks!
Hi Michelle, may i know how did you bake your cupcakes to have such a smooth surface? my cupcakes always have very serious cracks and dome very high up ):
Cracks and a high dome might be due to the oven temperature not being quite right, or over-baking.
Thanks for your reply! you mentioned temperature not quite right, do you think the temperature is too high or too low resulting in that?
Thanks again!
Hi Nel, overbaking – when underbaked, cakes and muffins typically sink in the middle.
these look delicious! can i double this recipe to make 2 layers (2 9-inch cakes) in cake pans? i always used to use a recipe at pinchmysalt but i thought this one looked better, is the cream cheese frosting really sweet?
Yes, you can double and make a two layer cake. I find asking if frosting is really sweet or too sweet to be totally subjective, since one person may find it to be too sweet, and someone else may not. I think this frosting is the perfect balance of tang from the cream cheese and sweet from the sugar.
Genius!My favorite kind of icing and i’m making it soon!Thank you very much,your blog is amazing!:D
Hey Michelle! Just wondering if I can substitute white wine vinegar for the distilled white vinegar in this recipe? Do you think it would substantially alter the flavor?
Hi Rashmi, It would alter the flavor and how it reacts with the cocoa powder, so I would stick with the white vinegar.
I just tried making my own batch of these gorgeous looking cupcakes and they turned out awesome! The cake was super moist and fluffy. Thanks for the recipe :D
Hi, I wanted to try out this recipe as a mini cupcake. How would you suggest I modify the recipe or baking time? Thanks so much!
I would start checking them around the 8-minute mark to make sure they don’t over-bake.
I wish I had read this comment earlier today. I just took a guess at baking mini cupcakes and had them in the oven for about 14-18 minutes. They just taste doughy and not like a light, fluffy red velvet mini cupcake.
also, what do i need to increase if i want it to be even more moist? thanks!
Hmm these cupcakes are pretty light and moist, so I’m not sure that I would recommend changing anything about the recipe.
Thanks michelle! what about if i would like the chocolate taste to be stronger, can i add more cocoa powder? if yes, how much more cocoa powder is recommended to be added? will it cause the end result to become less fluffy and moist? Thanks again!
You can add more cocoa powder if you’d like – I would start with an additional tablespoon and go from there.
hi michelle, if i were to double or triple the quantity, will it affect the end result of the cupcake?
thanks!
I have never doubled/tripled the recipe so I can’t give you a guarantee, but I think you should be just fine.
Hi Nel,
I have doubled the recipe and it comes out beautifully. I have done it twice now, the first time however I forgot to add 2 eggs, I only added 1, but there was little difference in the result.
Hi,can i opt out 1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar? Will it changes the taste?
Tracey, You really can’t omit the white vinegar – it is a crucial component because of the chemical reaction that occurs between it and the buttermilk, as well as the dark cocoa powder. It will definitely change the taste and the texture. You can’t taste the vinegar in the finished product, but it is a very important component.
i made these they taste great. i added 1 tsp baking soda and 1 teaspoon vanilla. very tasty, and fluffy but not moist. if your looking for a moist cupcake this is not it, but great recipe, its soft and fluffy. day three is the last day to truly enjoy them, best when eaten the day of. im a professional baker take my word for it!
A quick note that adding baking soda (as much as 1 teaspoon) can have a significant impact on the texture of the cupcake, which could be why yours turned out fluffier and drier than intended.
I made these last night and by god they are the best cupcakes I’ve ever tasted and with the added bonus I can actually say I made them myself!
Thank you so much for sharing such a perfect recipe! This ones a keeper!
HII MICHELLE..
I HAVE TRIED UR RECIPES NA THY ALL WERE OWSUMMM AND THANK U SOO MUCH FR SUCH A YUMMY RECIPES. :-)
Hello, may i know for this recipe, if i don’t add the cocoa powder and red food coloring, will it turn out to be a nice fluffy and moist vanilla cupcake? Thankss!!
Hi Nel, Actually you may not. There is white vinegar in the cupcakes, which reacts specifically with the cocoa powder for the flavor combo you find in red velvet cupcakes. I would recommend just going with a regular vanilla cupcake if that’s what you’re looking for: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/10/28/vanilla-cupcakes-vanilla-buttercream-frosting/
Hi Michelle!
I tried baking the regular vanilla cupcakes using this (https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/10/28/vanilla-cupcakes-vanilla-buttercream-frosting/) recipe before, i feel like it as too much yolk in it. is it possible for me to reduce the number of yolks? if yes, can I use 1 whole egg & 1 egg white or how many egg is the best?
Thanks so much! :)
how do you get the frosting so perfect? what kind of pastry bag do you use?
Hi Sam, I use disposable pastry bags from Wilton, and a Wilton 1M decorating tip.
I have never made red velvet cake before… tried the cupcakes today and they were awesome! The icing was to die for. I have just recently gotten back into baking and I stumbled across your blog. I will definitely use this icing recipe again. All that vanilla was really delicious. The only problem was finding enough red food coloring for the cupcakes. I used up a whole bottle and then added some from a small bottle that I had. I will definitely try more of your recipes. I also like all the information you give with each recipe. Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!
Hi
I can’t wait to try this and am going to make it for my little guy’s first bday this weekend. How long would you bake the cakes for if the recipe was doubled? Same temp? I’m only going to get one shot at this! Decorating inspiration appreciated too for this one :)
Thanks!
Hi Nicole, I am guessing you would need anywhere from 25 to 40 minutes of bake time for the cakes. I haven’t baked it in cake form yet, so I would just start checking around 25 minutes to be safe, checking every 5 minutes. Enjoy and happy birthday to your little man!
I’ve never made red velvet cake/cupcakes before…these look really good, so I may have to give them a shot. Do you have to add the red food coloring, for texture purposes? I know the cake won’t be as pretty, but I’d rather leave it out. Should I just use 3 tablespoons water instead?
Hi Jen, You can omit the food coloring, you just won’t get that red hue to the cupcakes. You don’t need to add water in its place, just omit.
I’ve never made red velvet cupcakes, but I’m an avid baker. These cupcakes came out amazing, which is a relief because I’m bringing them to work. As for the frosting, it tastes delicious, but every single time in my entire life that I’ve made cream cheese frosting, it comes out a little soupy. This frosting recipe worked for me better than most, but I’m wondering if anyone else has that problem, or if anyone has a trick for perfect cream cheese icing?
Full fat cream cheese, softened butter but not melty :) You can also pop it in the fridge to let it harden up a bit before using it frost
What brand of butter & cocoa is the best to use? I feel this may make a difference! Mine came out flat, & not pretty! Greasy too! Followed recipe & didn’t open my oven! Please help!
Hi Maria, I buy my butter in bulk at Sam’s Club, so it’s their unsalted brand. And I use Hershey’s natural cocoa powder.
I use the same as you!!Z Tehehehehe! Now that I think about it this wasn’t a necessary comment.
I know I am very behind on this one but I have recently discovered your blog and absolutely love it! I made a Martha Stewart Red Vevlet cupcake recipe and was not happy with my 1st attempt. This recipe is fanulous! Thank you for sharing!
What brand of liquid food coloring do you use? Not sure if it would make a difference! Thanks
I used McCormick one of the best coloring. I just have not found that one recipe.
I also used McCormick’s