This Red Velvet Cupcake recipe creates a tasty treat for your Valentine, or for any other occasion! Decadent and tender chocolate cupcakes are dyed red, then topped with sweet, fluffy cream cheese frosting. They're irresistibly delicious!
These red velvet cupcakes are easy to make in practically no time! Whether you're looking for an easy everyday dessert idea or a Valentine's Day treat, you can't go wrong with this recipe!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy to make. You can bake up a batch in under an hour.
- Freezer friendly. Make a double batch if you want, because unfrosted red velvet cupcakes can be frozen!
- A fantastic treat for sharing. Just about everyone appreciates getting homemade cupcakes! Wrap them up in cellophane bags tied with red ribbon to share at work or your child's class Valentine's Day party!
Red Velvet Cupcakes can be enjoyed any time of the year, but if you're looking for other treats to make for Valentine's Day, these Valentine's Day Sugar Cookie Bars, Red Velvet Brownies and Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake are all delish!
Ingredients
For this red velvet cupcake recipe, you'll need
- granulated sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- unsalted butter: Use European butter for an extra rich buttery flavor
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder: It's a good idea to test your leavener for freshness before you start baking.
- kosher or sea salt: Do not use iodized table salt
- whole milk: Using milk with a high fat content will help you create moist and tender cupcakes.
- Red Food Coloring: Using gel coloring rather than liquid will yield the best results, as you won't need as much.
📖 Time-Saving Tip - Testing Baking Soda or Baking Powder for Freshness
This simple little test can save you time and money, because if your leavener is expired, whatever you're baking wont rise in the oven! This test works for baking soda and baking powder:
- Add about ½ teaspoon of baking soda or powder to a small bowl. Stir in an equal amount of an acidic ingredient, like vinegar or citrus juice.
- If the solution doesn't start to bubble immediately, it's time to replace your leavener.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- all-purpose flour: If you'd like to make this red velvet cupcake recipe gluten-free, swap the AP flour for a cup-for-cup brand of gluten-free all-purpose flour. Two popular brands are Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour.
- unsweetened cocoa powder: For a darker color and richer chocolate flavor, you can use unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder.
- baking powder: If you happen to be out of baking powder, but you have baking soda and cream of tartar on hand, you can make a baking powder substitute.
To use baking soda as a substitute for baking powder, mix ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 teaspoon of baking powder. - white granulated sugar: To reduce the calories of your Valentine's Day dessert, use a cup-for-cup granulated sugar substitute. Monkfruit sugar is a good option.
- unsalted butter: If you need or want to use salted butter, just omit the salt called for in this recipe.
Plant-based / dairy-free butter substitutes should work, but I have not tested them with this recipe. - whole milk: Any variety of dairy milk or plant-based milk should work fine.
- eggs: Egg yolks are important for creating structure and moisture, so I didn't test any egg substitutes with this recipe. If you want to do some testing on your own, feel free! For tips and suggestions, read my article, Egg Substitutions for Baking.
- vanilla extract: If you need an alcohol-free flavoring, you can use vanilla essence.
Red Food Coloring: Using gel coloring rather than liquid will yield the best results, as you won't need as much.
- Use high speed on a mixer to cream the butter and sugar together.
- Incorporate the wet ingredients: eggs, vanilla, vinegar, and milk. To create tender and moist cupcakes, it's very important to bring all of the ingredients to room temperature first, including the eggs and milk.
Making the Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Use high speed on a mixer to cream the butter and sugar together.
- Incorporate the wet ingredients. It's very important to bring all of the ingredients to room temperature first, including the eggs and milk.
- Mix in the dry ingredients and food coloring. If you use liquid food coloring, keep in mind that you'll likely need to use a lot to create a bright red color.
- Bake the red velvet cupcakes in a preheated 350°F. oven for about 20 minutes.
Liz's Tips for Moist and Tender Cupcakes
- Use room temperature ingredients. Using room temperature ingredients, especially eggs, helps to incorporate them with the other ingredients. Take refrigerated ingredients out of the fridge 30 minutes before preparing this red velvet cupcake recipe.
- Use paper cupcake liners - they'll protect your pan from being stained red.
- Measure the flour properly. To prevent dry cupcakes, it's important not to use too much flour. Never scoop it directly into the measuring cup. The best method is to weigh it on a kitchen scale. If you don't have a scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then use a butter knife to level it.
- Consider using red gel food coloring rather than liquid food coloring. Gel coloring is more concentrated than liquid, so you won't have to use as much to create a bright red color.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storing: You can keep unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. However, if the cupcakes are frosted, they should be refrigerated.
Freezing: You can freeze unfrosted red velvet cupcakes after letting them cool for at least 1 hour. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then store them inside of zip top freezer storage bags or an airtight, freezer-safe container.
To thaw, remove from the freezer and let the wrapped cupcakes thaw at room temperature. This helps to prevent condensation build-up on the cake itself.
Frosting Red Velvet Cupcakes
You don't have to frost the cupcakes, but using an icing, glaze, or frosting makes them look beautiful!
The most popular frosting for red velvet cake is cream cheese frosting. You can find a recipe for it in my Carrot Cake Cupcakes post.
Other tasty options include buttercream frosting, vanilla icing, and powdered sugar icing. For a really decadent dessert, top the cupcakes with chocolate ganache or whipped chocolate ganache.
Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe FAQ
Red velvet cupcakes are a lovely combination of both chocolate and vanilla flavors. The chocolate cake is dyed with red food coloring. Some recipes include instant coffee, for an additional layer of flavor.
The special ingredient in a traditional red velvet cake recipe is vinegar, which adds tanginess to the rich chocolate cake.
You can actually use different kinds of vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a popular favorite, as the flavor is milder than white vinegar. If the recipe calls for vinegar and you don't have any available, lemon juice is a perfect substitute for vinegar.
Other Cupcake Recipes To Try
Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 1.5 teaspoons red food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan by placing a paper liner into each well.
- In a large mixing bowl, use high speed on an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to cream together the sugar and butter until creamy.Add eggs and vanilla to the sugar mixture. Using medium speed, beat the ingredients until all are incorporated.
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder to the bowl. Using low speed, mix ingredients to incorporate, just until no clumps of flour remain. *Avoid over mixing the batter.
- Add the whole milk and mix again. Lastly, add the red food coloring to the bowl. Fold it in with a large spoon or mixing spatula until the food coloring is well distributed and fully incorporated into your batter.
- Fill each cupcake liner to the top with batter. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding icing, if desired. Tasty options are cream cheese frosting and vanilla buttercream.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- Use room temperature ingredients. Using room temperature ingredients, especially eggs, helps to incorporate them with the other ingredients. Take refrigerated ingredients out of the fridge 30 minutes before preparing this red velvet cupcake recipe.
- Use paper cupcake liners - they'll protect your pan from being stained red.
- Measure the flour properly. To prevent dry cupcakes, it's important not to use too much flour. Never scoop it directly into the measuring cup. The best method is to weigh it on a kitchen scale. If you don't have a scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then use a butter knife to level it.
- Consider using red gel food coloring rather than liquid food coloring. Gel coloring is more concentrated than liquid, so you won't have to use as much to create a bright red color.
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