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Red Velvet Cupcakes are the dessert I make when I want something that looks bakery-fancy but is secretly simple, with that gorgeous red crumb and tangy cream cheese frosting my whole family fights over. If you love our chocolate poke cake, these moist little cakes are the perfect handheld treat for any celebration.
They are soft, moist, lightly cocoa-kissed, and crowned with the fluffiest cream cheese frosting.
Red Velvet Cupcakes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 45 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 cupcakes
- ⚡ Calories: 309kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Moist, tangy, lightly chocolate
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a fun bake like our chocolate poke cake
Quick Answer
Mix oil, butter, egg, vanilla, and sugar, then beat in sour cream, vinegar, buttermilk, and red gel food coloring. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then fold the dry into the wet in batches. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 18 minutes. Top with whipped cream cheese frosting.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Oil and butter together keep them moist. Oil locks in moisture for a tender crumb while butter adds rich flavor, so the cupcakes stay soft for days.
- Buttermilk and vinegar add tang. The classic red velvet tang comes from buttermilk and a splash of vinegar, which also help the cupcakes rise light and fluffy.
- Just a touch of cocoa. Red velvet is not chocolate cake. A small amount of cocoa gives it that signature subtle flavor without overpowering it.
- Gel food coloring keeps the color vivid. Red gel coloring gives that deep, classic red without thinning the batter the way liquid coloring would.
- Whipped frosting is the crown. Beating the cream cheese frosting until light and airy makes it easy to pipe those beautiful swirls.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They have that classic moist, tender red velvet crumb with the perfect tangy cream cheese frosting.
- They are portioned perfectly for parties, bake sales, and Valentine’s Day treats.
- They are easier than a layer cake but just as impressive as our chocolate poke cake.
Key Ingredients
A handful of baking staples come together for these moist red velvet cupcakes. Here is what each one does.
- Oil and butter: The combination gives you a cupcake that is both moist and rich.
- Buttermilk and vinegar: They create the signature red velvet tang and a tender, fluffy crumb.
- Cocoa powder: Just a little gives red velvet its mild, classic flavor.
- Red gel food coloring: Use gel, not liquid, for that vivid red color without thinning the batter.
- Cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar: Beaten together into the fluffy frosting that makes red velvet unforgettable.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These red velvet cupcakes are a classic, but here are a few fun ways to switch them up.
- Fill them: Core the centers and pipe in extra cream cheese frosting for a surprise inside.
- Add mini chips: Fold mini chocolate chips into the batter for little melty pockets.
- Make a cake: Pour the batter into round pans for a red velvet layer cake.
- Go festive: Top with red, pink, or holiday sprinkles to match any occasion.
- Pair the frosting: Use the same cream cheese frosting on our chocolate poke cake.
How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes
- In a large bowl, mix the vegetable oil, butter, egg, vanilla, and sugar until well combined.
- Beat in the sour cream, vinegar, buttermilk, and red gel food coloring until the batter is evenly red.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then fold into the wet batter in batches.
- Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full with the red velvet batter.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely.
- Beat the cream cheese frosting until light and fluffy, then pipe generous swirls onto the cooled cupcakes.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use room temperature ingredients so the batter mixes smoothly and the cupcakes bake up even.
- Do not overfill the liners. Two-thirds full gives you a nice domed top without overflowing.
- Cool completely before frosting or the cream cheese frosting will melt and slide off.
- Use gel food coloring for the deepest red without changing the batter consistency.
- Do not overmix once you add the dry ingredients, or the cupcakes can turn dense and tough.
- Chill the frosting for 10 minutes if it is too soft to pipe clean swirls.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These red velvet cupcakes are a showstopper on any dessert table, with their bright red crumb peeking out beneath swirls of white frosting.
They are made for celebrations: Valentine’s Day, birthdays, Christmas, and Fourth of July spreads all welcome a tray of red velvet cupcakes.
Serve them alongside our chocolate poke cake and a few other treats for a dessert spread that has something for everyone.
A glass of cold milk or a cup of coffee is the perfect partner for that tangy cream cheese frosting.
Red Velvet Cupcakes FAQs
The classic red color comes from red gel food coloring. A little cocoa and the buttermilk reaction also deepen the color, but the gel coloring does most of the work.
No. Red velvet uses only a small amount of cocoa, plus buttermilk and vinegar for tang. The result is its own unique, lightly chocolate flavor, not a full chocolate cupcake.
Yes. Bake the cupcakes up to 2 days ahead and store them covered at room temperature. Frost them the day you plan to serve.
Because of the cream cheese frosting, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving.
Absolutely. Pour the batter into round cake pans and adjust the bake time, checking with a toothpick for doneness.
Sinking usually comes from overmixing or opening the oven too early. Mix just until combined and wait until the cupcakes are set before checking.
Want more to bake? Our chocolate poke cake is another easy, crowd-pleasing dessert.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons red gel food coloring
For the frosting:
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ⅛ cup whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F and line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- To prepare the cupcake batter, take a large bowl and add vegetable oil, butter, egg, vanilla extract, and mix until well incorporated. Then add in the sugar and mix well.
- To the same mixture, add sour cream, vinegar, buttermilk, and food color. Mix well.
- In another bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) and mix well.
- Add the dry mix (in 2-3 batches) to the already prepared wet mixture and ensure a consistent mix.
- Evenly fill each liner (up to 2/3rd) with the batter.
- Bake for 15-18 mins or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- For the frosting, take a bowl, add in all the ingredients and beat with an electric hand mixer for 4-5 mins until the frosting becomes light and airy. Decorate as you like!
Nutrition
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