Discover the Best Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe with moist, tender cupcakes and rich cream cheese frosting. Easy to make, perfect for celebrations and dessert lovers!
If you’re craving a classic dessert that’s both rich and beautifully vibrant, these red velvet cupcakes are the perfect choice. With a tender, moist crumb and a hint of cocoa, each cupcake is topped with smooth, tangy cream cheese frosting that complements the flavors perfectly.
Whether you’re baking for a celebration or just because, this recipe is easy to follow and delivers delicious results every time.
You might also like Mini Red Velvet Cheesecake Recipe, Red Velvet Pound Cake Recipe, or Red Velvet Cake Balls Recipe. If you need something quick, make Red Velvet Mug Cake and Red Velvet Funnel Cake.
Another seasonal favorite we love – Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes.
What's in this post: Best Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe
Why We Love This
- Moist and fluffy texture thanks to the buttermilk and baking soda reaction.
- Subtle chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder without being overpowering.
- Vibrant red color enhanced with red food coloring for a classic look.
- Perfect for festive occasions like Christmas and Valentine’s Day.
- Far superior to store-bought mixes with homemade flavor you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- Cake Flour. Learn how to make cake flour.
- Baking Soda. Best Baking Soda Substitutes
- Vanilla Extract. Pure Vanilla extract is best.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese. The frosting will be better if softened at room temperature.
You can get the complete ingredient list at the bottom of the post.
How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 16 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
Step 2. Combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt together in a large bowl.
Step 3. Next, use either a stand or hand mixer to combine the butter and sugar.
Step 4. Then add the oil, egg yolks (save the egg whites) and vanilla extract. Mix until these ingredients are combined. I like to use a spatula to scrape the edge of the bowl.
Step 5. Now, slowly add in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk until both are combined into the wet ingredients. Add the red gel food coloring until the batter is the color that you desire.
Step 6. Use a separate mixing bowl and beat the egg whites until they are light and fluffy. Stir the egg whites into the red batter.
Step 7. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners.
Step 8. Finally, bake the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 9. Move the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
We love making homemade frosting for our cakes and cupcakes. This Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe is simple to make with only four ingredients. You will love making it so much that you will never buy store bought again.
- Step 1 – Make sure that cream cheese is softened and beat in a stand mixer until smooth.
- Step 2 – Add in butter and combine thoroughly.
- Step 3 – Then slowly add in powdered sugar continue mixing until smooth and creamy.
- Step 4 – Add in vanilla then top the Red Velvet Cake with this amazing frosting.
You can use store bought frosting, but making cream cheese from scratch allows you to know exactly the ingredients you are adding and adjust accordingly.
Expert Tips
- Cookie Scoop – Save time and use a cookie scoop! I have a set of stainless steel cookie scoops that I love and they make baking so much easier.
- Mixer – You certainly can use a hand mixer but we love our stand mixer with the paddle attachment. It gets a ton of use and to this day is such a good investment. We bake a lot so it is so handy and we love our mixer.
- Cool Cakes – Make sure the cupcakes are really cool before icing.
- Room Temperature Ingredients – Before planning on making these cupcakes, we like to set out the ingredients to bring them to room temperature. The ingredients mix better when they are at room temperature.
- Red Food Coloring – We add red food coloring for a more vibrant red color, but you don’t have to.
- Don’t Overmix – We recommend just combining ingredients until creamy.
- Cupcake Liners – Use cupcake paper liners in the muffin pan for easy cleanup. If you do not have cupcake liners, make sure to spray the pan with cooking spray.
- Cake Recipe – You can easily use this recipe to make a cake, if you prefer. We used a set of round 9″ cake pans to make a cake. This gives you the pretty layers that red velvet is known for.
- All Purpose Flour – We used cake flour in this recipe, but you can use regular flour if you prefer.
FAQs
We recommend storing the cupcakes in the refrigerator. Once the cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, place in an airtight container. They will last about 5 days if stored properly in the fridge.
Yes, you can freeze red velvet cupcakes. Once the cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, wrap them in plastic wrap and foil. The double layering of the cupcakes allows them to stay fresh in the freezer.
Once you are ready to serve, thaw the cupcakes in the refrigerator overnight. We recommend not frosting if you are going to freeze the cupcakes. Once the cupcakes have thawed, then you can frost.
If store properly, Red Velvet Cupcakes will last about 5 days. Before serving the Red Velvet Cake we like to bring it to room temperature.
Also see How Long Does Birthday Cake Last.
More Red Velvet Recipes to Try
- Red Velvet Cake
- Easy Red Velvet Cookies Recipe
- Red Velvet Brownies
- Red Velvet Puppy Chow
- Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats
- Red Velvet Ice Cream
More Easy Cupcakes Recipes
- S’mores Cupcakes Recipe
- Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint Cupcakes Recipe
- Homemade Twix Bar Cupcakes
- Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Once you try this recipe, you will be hooked. Go ahead and make it and leave a comment. I love hearing from you.
Best Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 1/3 cups cake flour
- 2 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 Cup Butter Softened
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Red Food Coloring
- 2/3 cup Buttermilk
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 16 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 6 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 16 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt together in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, using either a stand up or hand held mixer, combine the butter and sugar until thoroughly mix together (approximately 1 minute).
- Then add in the oil, egg yolks (save the egg whites) and vanilla extract. Mix until these ingredients are combined and use a spatula to scrape the edge of the bowl as well.
- Then slowly add in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk (alternating between the two) until both are thoroughly combined into the wet ingredients.
- Then add approximately 2 tsp of red gel food coloring until the batter is the color that you desire for your cake.
- Next in a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they are light and fluffy and form peaks.
- Gently stir in the egg whites into the red batter until they are combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter evenly into the 16 cupcake liners in the muffin pans.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Move the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before topping with the frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
- Add in the butter and beat until combined and smooth.
- Then slowly add in the powdered sugar (1 cup at a time). Mix after each cup is added. Continue to add until the frosting is thick and smooth. Then mix in the vanilla extract.
- Top each cupcake with cream cheese frosting and enjoy!
