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Bite-sized piece of red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting in the foreground

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Soft, tender red velvet cupcakes with a light cocoa note, finished with tangy cream cheese frosting and a quick fridge rest before baking.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
chill time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 43 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 395
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Video Notes

Ingredients
  

Cupcakes (dry)
  • 1 1/3 cups cake flour about 160 g
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder about 6 g
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder about 6 g
  • Pinch of salt
Cupcakes (wet)
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened (60 g)
  • 2/3 cup caster sugar about 135 g
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk 120 ml
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil 80 ml
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 ml
  • 1 tbsp red food coloring 15 ml
  • 1/2 tsp white vinegar 2.5 ml
Cream cheese frosting
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened (about 75 g)
  • 170 g cream cheese softened (about 6 oz)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2.5 ml
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar about 300 g

Equipment

  • Muffin tin
  • Paper liners
  • Mixing bowls
  • Hand mixer
  • Fine-mesh sieve (optional for dry ingredients)
  • Rubber spatula
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Wire rack
  • Piping bag and tip (optional)

Method
 

  1. Sift or whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt until evenly combined.
  2. Beat softened butter with caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth.
  4. Mix in buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, red food coloring, and white vinegar until fully combined.
  5. Add the dry mixture and mix just until no dry flour remains (don’t overmix).
  6. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the batter (assumption: 20–30 minutes) — this is the corrected Step 4.
  7. Preheat oven (assumption: 350°F / 175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners and fill each about 2/3 full.
  8. Bake (assumption: 17–20 minutes) until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely.
  9. Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and salt. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.
  10. Pipe or spread frosting on fully cooled cupcakes and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 12cupcakesCalories: 395kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 44gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 156mgPotassium: 64mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 500IUCalcium: 43mgIron: 0.6mg

Video

Notes

  • Assumptions used: oven temperature (350°F/175°C), bake time (17–20 minutes), and yield (12 cupcakes). Adjust to match your exact bake results.
  • For thicker frosting, use full-fat block cream cheese and keep ingredients cool-but-soft.
  • If frosting gets too soft while piping, chill it 10–15 minutes, then continue.
  • DIY buttermilk option (assumption): 1/2 cup milk + 1 1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice, rest 5 minutes.

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