Classic soft, moist Red Velvet Cupcakes topped with creamy Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: Not specified
  • Cook time: Not specified
  • Total time: Not specified
  • Yield: 12 cupcakes
  • Category: Recipes
  • Cuisine: Kitchen notes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1.25 cups all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2.5 teaspoon cocoa powder (unsweetened)
  • ½ cup canola oil [or vegetable oil]
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg (at room temperature)
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ½ teaspoon white vinegar
  • ½ tablespoons red food color

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 6 tablespoons butter (unsalted, at room temperature)
  • 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
  • 3-3.5 cups powdered sugar (sifted [adjust sweetness to taste])
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Red Velvet Cupcakes

  1. Line a 12 cup muffin tray with cupcake liners or spray with a nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
  3. In a bowl whisk together all purpose flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
  4. In the steel bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or using your hand mixer beat together oil and granulated sugar till smooth on medium speed.
  5. Once smooth, add in the egg, vanilla extract and sour cream and mix till well combined.
  6. Add in the white vinegar and food color. The amount of color you need to add depends on the brand of food color you are using, add till your batter turns nice red in color. I used around 1/2 tablespoon. Mix till combined.
  7. Start adding the flour mix, alternating with buttermilk, starting and ending with flour.
  8. Mix till flour and buttermilk are well combined and batter is smooth.
  9. Fill the cupcake liners with the batter till 2/3 rd full.
  10. Bake at 350 F degrees for 20-22 minutes. Do not overbake.
  11. Take out of the oven and transfer the cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. In the steel bowl of your stand mixer beat together softened cream cheese and room temperature unsalted butter.
  2. Beat till cream cheese and butter mixture is smooth and fully.
  3. Now add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Mix at low speed and once sugar is incorporated beat at high speed for 30 seconds.
  4. Add in the vanilla extract and mix till smooth and creamy.
  5. Pipe the frosting on cooled cupcakes.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.