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The seductive red color, irresistibly moist cake and thick, rich crown of Cream Cheese Frosting make Red Velvet Cupcakes the celebutante of cupcakes!
This recipe makes either 24 cupcakes or two eight inch layer cakes.
Check it out! This recipe was featured in the LA Weekly!
Ingredients for Red Velvet Cake:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 tsp white distilled vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp red food coloring
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar, sifted
2 tbsp cream (half n half)
NOTES: Red food coloring will stain your hands, clothes and mouth, so use caution when handling. This recipe makes either 24 cupcakes or two eight inch layer cakes.
To make a Buttermilk substitute:
1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.
3. Let stand for five minutes and use in the recipe.
For added instruction and entertainment, watch the How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes video.
Directions for Red Velvet Cake Batter:
Prepare the dry ingredients. In a bowl combine flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa powder. Use a whisk to remove any lumps and combine thoroughly.
Make the batter. In an electric mixer, beat eggs and slowly stream in oil until emulsified. Add vanilla, white vinegar and red food coloring. Combine well and slowly add the dry ingredients. The batter will thicken; keep mixing on low. With the mixer running, stream buttermilk into batter slowly. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
Bake. Distribute batter to prepared cake or cupcake pans and bake in a preheated 350(F) oven: 20-25 minutes for cupcakes; 35-40 minutes for cakes. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.
Directions for Cream Cheese Frosting
Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting. In an electric mixer, combine cream cheese and butter. Begin adding powdered sugar, creaming thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla and cream. Continue adding powdered sugar until frosting has a pearly sheen and thick, gooey yet spreadable consistency.
Frost. Share and enjoy. For added instruction and entertainment, watch the How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes video.
Hey! :)
Is there any difference in using rice vinegar (or instead the white distilled one? Or is it like when you’re doing buttermilk that you can substitute it by lemon juice or something like that?
Hey! :)
Is there any difference in using rice vinegar instead the white distilled one? Or is it like when you’re doing buttermilk that you can substitute it by lemon juice or something like that?
Hi Rita,
There is a difference and I think it will taste slightly different. Consider using a little less. I searched the internet to see if anyone has done it (because I haven’t) and they said they didn’t notice: http://ispyablog.com/tag/red-velvet-cake/
Hope this helps!
Do i have to use brown sugar?
Hi Zeina – You don’t have to but, in my opinion, they won’t be as full of flavor.
Hey I was wandering do you have to use Buttermilk for the cupcakes?
Hi Hailey, If you want them to be red velvet cupcakes, you want to use buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use this substitute:
1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.
3. Let stand for five minutes and use in the recipe.
Hope this helps!
What kind of oil ?
vegetable oil, corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil… any kind of “flavorless” oil is great.
Hi Betty！
I wonder 1 cup of AP flour equals to how many grams in your recipe？
Hi rachel,
This is a really good resource for converting all kinds of measurements: http://www.jsward.com/cooking/conversion.shtml
A cup of AP flour is about 120 grams according to this site. Let me know if you try the cupcakes and how it goes… Good luck!
Hi betty! Would it be a problem if you put half a cup of cocoa powder, instead of just putting 2 tbsp of cocoa powder? :)
Hi Ina,
Well, you won’t be making a red velvet w/ that much cocoa powder and I’m not sure how you will need to adjust the other dry/wet ingredients to not disrupt the ratio. If you give it a go, let me know how it works for you.
hi i was wondering if i have to add vinegar thank x
I’ve never left the vinegar out, farrah… but they are your cupcakes :) Let me know if you give it a try!
I’m doing it right now (the cake) but it is not cooking well! it’s been almost 40 min now but the inside is still not cooked, i did not use a round pan but rather the long one shaped like a toast bread/ is that the reason why? I do hope it comes out alright…
Yes, Turk — that is probably why. A loaf pan (I believe) is what you are using and a quick bread, such as a banana bread takes about 50-55 minutes. It will cook, but probably not the best pan choice, may be dry by the time it’s cooked through. Hope this helps.
hey, i was wondering if you can convert these ingredients into grams for me?
thanks xx
hi betty, i forgot to ask, would it be okay if i used yogurt instead of buttermilk? cos i was looking at other videos and they seem to be using yogurt instead of buttermilk.
thanks x
Hi Punn, Here’s a handy conversion chart that may help you convert the recipe into grams: http://allrecipes.com/howto/cup-to-gram-conversions/
Hi Punn, I’ve never subbed yogurt instead of the buttermilk. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes, I’d love to know!
Sounds delicious ,, il try it at home and let u knw ..
Thanks nd keep up
Thanks SsoSsi! Let me know how it goes :) And I’ll “keep it up!” xoxo
Is it okay if we use a hand mixer instead of a kitchen aid ?!
Hi Nicole, Of course :) Perfectly fine.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE; may I kindly ask you what brand food/gel colouring you used to achieve such a luscious shade of red (as opposed to the sickly browny-red often achieved). PLEASE. I want to purchase all the ingredients for this recipe this week to make as a thank you for my parents who have been my rock. Thank you so much in advance :)
Hi Hazella,
I’m so flattered you are making these cupcakes for your parents as a way of saying thanks for being your rock. How incredibly awesome.
I used the store brand “First Street” from Smart N’ Final. It comes in a 16 oz. bottle, so you’ll have a lot leftover.
If you don’t have access to Smart N’ Final, here are the ingredients: Water, Red 40, Citric Acid and Sodium Benzoate and it’s distributed by Amerifoods Trading Co. Los Angeles, CA.
And, I’d also recommend watching the how-to video, the order and intensity you add the ingredients to the batter is important: http://www.averagebetty.com/videos/how-to-make-red-velvet-cupcakes-video/
I’d love to know how it goes!
hey!
my cousin told me to cook red velvet i saw this was the perfect recipe but can we mix the red food coloring with the cocoa powder
Hi Arielle,
Is your red food coloring a powder? If so, feel free to mix it in with the dry ingredients (cocoa powder). Hope these make you and your cousin very happy!
thx so much
but when you bake it there’s air bubbles how to avoid that???
Hi Arielle,
To avoid air bubbles, you can gently “bang” the filled muffin pan on your counter top before baking. Just hold the edges of the pan, pick it up like an inch from the counter, then “drop” it onto the counter. Hope this helps!
Hi if I’m going to make my own buttermilk do I still need to add the extra vinegar?
Thanks I can’t wait to try this recipe
Hi Zanny,
Great question! You do. Treat the buttermilk substitute as “buttermilk” and the vinegar as vinegar. I’d love to know how they turn out for you :)
Hi
Was wondering if I could use apple cidar vinegar in place of white distilled vinegar?
Hi Teri, I have never tried it, so I don’t know. It seems like it would impart a different taste… but I’m not sure. If you give it a try, I’d love to know your results.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU
Aww! Thanks, Lulu!! xoxo
Hi Betty!
The red velvet cupcakes you made, did you used the red food coloring that is tasteless? Because whenever I made red velvet cupcakes, it will always become bitter..
Hi Teresa,
I’ve never encountered a food coloring that has a taste at all, so I’m not sure what would make your red velvet cupcakes bitter.
I used the store brand “First Street” from Smart N’ Final. It comes in a 16 oz. bottle, so you’ll have a lot leftover.
If you don’t have access to Smart N’ Final, here are the ingredients: Water, Red 40, Citric Acid and Sodium Benzoate and it’s distributed by Amerifoods Trading Co. Los Angeles, CA.
And, I’d also recommend watching the how-to video, the order and intensity you add the ingredients to the batter is important: http://www.averagebetty.com/videos/how-to-make-red-velvet-cupcakes-video/
I’d love to know how it goes! Good luck!
what does tbsp mean? i understand that tsp means teaspoon ;*
Can I use icing sugar instead of powdered sugar?
Hi Lulu,
TBSP means tablespoon :)
Hi Lulu,
Icing sugar and powdered sugar are the same thing – Yes.
hi great news Betty! my red velvet cupcakes taste so delicious! thankyou so muchh for the recipe :D xx
Hi Teresa! So exciting to hear it! Thanks a million for letting me know :)
My redvelvets tastes awesome thanks betty for the receipe,
LOTS OF LOVE :** <3
WooHoo! So happy to hear it, Lulu!!
Hi Betty!
Can I use lemon juice instead of distilled vinegar? Thanks so much!
Hi Betty!
Was just wondering, can I use lemon juice instead of distilled vinegar? Thanks so much!
Hi justine, Are you wondering about making a buttermilk substitute or in the cake itself? If you are making a buttermilk substitute you can use lemon instead of vinegar… but I’m not too sure about subbing the vinegar in the cake for lemon juice. It may give it a lemon flavor… or it might work just fine. If you give it a try, either way, I’m dying to know how your red velvets turn out. Happy baking!