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Red velvet cupcakes
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5 from 6 votes

Red Velvet Cupcakes

These red velvet cupcakes are fluffy and moist and oh so delicious with a wonderful color. The cream cheese frosting takes them to next level delicious.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 12
Calories: 229kcal
Author: Alison

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
  • Sift the all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder and mix together.
  • Prepare homemade buttermilk by adding 1 Tbsp of lemon juice to a measuring jug and then adding room temperature milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let it sit for a few minutes to curdle.
  • Add the homemade buttermilk, vanilla extract, egg, canola oil, white vinegar and red gel food coloring and mix into a batter (don't overmix). Use a hand whisk briefly if needed to remove any lumps.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake liners.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
  • Remove from the tray and leave them to cool on a wire cooling rack.
  • Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Video

Notes

  1. The flour should be measured correctly either using the spoon and level method (spoon it into a cup measure and then level off the top with a knife, don't scoop it or pack it in) or weighed on a food scale. Click 'metric' below our ingredients list to get the weight in grams if you prefer to weigh it. 
  2. You can use homemade buttermilk or regular store-bought buttermilk. We did find however that regular buttermilk caused these cupcakes to be really flat on top, whereas the homemade buttermilk caused them to have a nice little domed top. We preferred the domed top, but the taste and texture is amazing either way. 
  3. The vinegar (along with the buttermilk) reacts with the baking soda to give these cupcakes rise, but it also helps strengthen the color. You can also use apple cider vinegar if that's what you have on hand. 
  4. Red gel food coloring is stronger than a liquid food coloring and is recommended in this recipe. 
  5. Keep your cupcakes stored in the fridge in a covered container where they will last for up to 5 days.
  6. Nutritional information is for cupcakes only, the cream cheese frosting nutritional information can be found on that separate linked recipe. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cupcake | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg