Watch me make these easy red velvet cupcakes from start to finish!
My red velvet cake recipe is one of the most popular recipes on this blog. Recently I used my red velvet cake recipe to make red velvet cupcakes and wasn’t too thrilled with the texture anymore. (I get bored quick with a lot of things) They were too light and fluffy, yes that’s totally possible.
Great for a cake, not so good for cupcakes baked in paper liners. It could have been a user error since I know so many of you guys have raved about how good of a cupcake that batter makes. If you are content with it then, by all means, continue using that recipe.
Hoooowever, I like my cupcakes to be light, fluffy yet have some density to them so that they don’t tear apart at all when you pull off the paper. I remedied this situation easily with the one-bowl mixing method, reducing the amount of oil and changing the ingredients ever so slightly. I also made sure I didn’t overfill the cupcake liners.
The results: Perfectly soft yet sturdy, super moist and delicious red velvet cupcakes with the perfect “is this is a box cake?” texture and classic, southern red velvet taste.
These red velvet cupcakes are finished off with a super easy 3-ingredient cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of pecan pieces. Easy, peasy, delicious!
Easy Red Velvet Cupckes
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 oz red food coloring
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- FROSTING
- 1 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter softened at room temperature (do not melt)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F
- In a large bowl mix together sugar and oil until well combined.
- Beat in eggs until mixture is uniform in color.
- Add in buttermilk, vanilla extract and food coloring.
- Mix until well combined.
- Mix in hot water and distilled vinegar.
- Add flour.
- Mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and add to bowl.
- Add in cocoa powder.
- Mix to combine all ingredients.
- Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Pour 1/4 cup of batter into each liner.
- Bake to 18-20 minutes or until tops are spongey to the touch. (do not over cook. SEET NOTE*)
- Remove from oven and let cupcakes sit in pan for 5 minutes.
- Place cupcakes on a cooling wrack to finish cooling.
- Make the frosting by creaming together cream cheese and butter. Slowly add in powdered sugar and beat until creamy.
Video
Notes
Hi I made these cupcakes the only word I have is HEAVEN. My question to you is I used Watkins red food coloring 1oz but my cupckes turned brown. This product is made with 100% natural vegetable juice. Should I use less food color. Thanks
I made these cupcakes yesterday. I am not a baker. I have never baked anything from scratch before making these cupcakes. The recipe is PERFECT!!! The cupcakes are moist and absolutely delicious. My husband is a diabetic, so I substituted the two cups of sugar for one cup coconut palm sugar and one cup swerve sugar substitute. The cupcakes are so delicious that we didn’t even need the cream cheese frosting. The key is to follow the directions and do not over bake!!!!
This icing recipe is different than the one for the cake. Could you share why you modified it for the cupcakes?
I love, love, love these cupcakes! I have made them many times, but have been having trouble with them separately from the liners. I use hot coffee instead of hot water in this recipe (like in your cake recipe) — do you think that would make the liners pull away? I know it’s not my liners, because I use them for all my other cupcakes flavors and this is the only one that pulls away. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!
Love these red velvet cupcakes. I made them multiple of times and we’re always an hit. I woud like to make mini cupcakes using this recipe. For what time should they bake for, for mini cupcakes? Would it be half the time?
Can i use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
First time making the cupcake recipe – in the past I always used the cake recipe. If they taste as good as they look straight out of the oven, then we are in for a big treat! I imagine this recipe is just as wonderful. My family loves your recipe so much they make me bring these to every occasion! Thank you so much!
Does this taste good as a cake too?
this sounds perfect!