Easy Red Velvet Cupcakes
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!
Get the Recipe: 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
They turned our great…. They were light and fluffy and really moist.
DELISH! I meant to say they turned out great … this recipe is a definite hit. I was thinking at 18 mins. are they done? I tested with a toothpick – came out pretty clean so I took them out. I read not to over bake them. I was hesitate because the bottom of the cupcake felt really soft, almost like they weren’t done. So I just had to trust that they would continue to cook while cooling. Even my husband was impressed. Thanks for another outstanding recipe. I’m glad I recipe the difference between the cake recipe and cupcake recipe. Because the cake recipe is really good as well with the coffee.
These cupcakes are delicious!!! First from scratch recipe I cupcakes I have ever made. I made these cupcakes for my daughter birthday dinner and I also baked the red velvet cake recipe. Two different recipes and I am glad I went with your recommendation and used the cupcake recipe instead of the cake recipe for the cupcakes. I am also equally proud of myself for baking both recipes. I am never gonna buy red velvet cupcakes again. Followed recipe exactly. Thank you
These cupcakes turned out perfect! I made them for a Christmas party for the aero club I fly with so I made little fondant aircraft cake toppers to finish them off!!
They were a hit and the recipe makes heaps of cupcakes so my whole family got some! My boyfriend’s nanna even asked me for the recipe!!
I accidentally used light cream cheese frosting which tastes no different but struggles in an Australian summer! Definitely don’t use it in a humid environment! A little bit of lemon juice in the cream cheese frosting adds a bit of zing and cuts through the sweetness too 🙂
hello, thanks for this recipe. I tried other red velvet recipe but it didnt turned out great. But your recipe is perfect for me..Thank you for sharing..more powers..
Made these for Thanksgiving and they turned out great. I have never been a red velvet fan. But these were very good. One thing you can do if you don’t want 24 cupcakes is use the larger cupcake liners. I did that and had 14 cupcakes.
The other recipe that incorporates the coffee is to die for. Can that recipe be used for the cupcakes? Why use two different red velvet cake recipes?
I made both recipes on the same day. Cupcakes for my daughters birthday dinner at a restaurant and used the other recipe for the cake. They are both delicious. I agree with her recommendation for using the cupcake recipe for cupcakes because the cupcakes would be too moist. Trust me the cupcake recipe is perfect.