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    Home » Muffins and cupcakes

    Red velvet cupcakes

    Published: Jan 22, 2023 by Anna

    Jump to Recipe

    Extremely easy to make, this red velvet cupcakes recipe with cream cheese frosting and melt-in-your-mouth texture is a delicious, portioned dessert you can make within one hour and decorate for any occasion.

    Red velvet cupcakes frosted with cream cheese frosting and decorated with heart-shaped sprinkles.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients and substitutes
    • Cooking tips
    • Step by step directions
    • Flavor and decoration variations
    • FAQ
    • More related recipes
    • Recipe card

    Ingredients and substitutes

    Flour - You can use all-purpose flour or cake flour if you want your cupcakes to be even more tender and soft.

    Cocoa powder - Use unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed).

    Baking powder and baking soda - We need both leveling agents because the kefir is very acidic. If we add only baking powder, it will burn down too soon and we might have a problem with our cupcakes rising in the oven.

    Salt and vanilla extract - Vanilla is a part of the original recipe and I use it every time I make my Red velvet cake. Of course, I had to include it as well as salt in this red velvet cupcake recipe too. Additionally, I add some vanilla to my frosting.

    Egg - You should always use eggs at room temperature. If you forgot to take it out of the fridge in advance, you can always place it in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes before using it.

    Sugar - I use white granulated sugar for the cupcakes and powdered sugar for the frosting.

    Red food coloring - You will need water-soluble coloring, whether it's liquid food coloring or in gel form.

    Butter and oil - There are three different types of red velvet recipes - the ones that use only butter, the ones that use a mix of oils and butter, and the ones that use only oils. I find that unsalted butter is a crucial part of any red velvet recipe. The purpose is not only to soften the texture and make it moister but to bring a buttery flavor to it. I really want to keep my cupcakes soft even if they're stored in the fridge, which isn’t possible without adding some vegetable oil. I also use unsalted butter for the frosting (it should be at room temperature).

    Kefir (fermented milk) - You can replace it with buttermilk or make your own buttermilk out of whole milk and lemon juice or white vinegar.

    Cream cheese - I use Philadelphia original cream cheese at room temperature. 

    Freshly baked red velvet cupcakes on a cooling rack.

    Cooking tips

    Sift the dry ingredients. Cocoa powder is known to be lumpy and those lumps won't break easily once they are in the wet ingredients. Most likely, they will stay unbroken inside your cupcake batter. Don't be surprised if you take a bite of a cupcake a find a piece of dry, raw cocoa powder in it. To avoid this situation, you must sift your dry ingredients into the wet mixture instead of dumping everything in at once.

    Fill the liners so they're only ⅔ full. Overfilling the liners will make the cupcake batter spill over the edges during baking, while the batter is still liquid. You'll end up with burned cupcake paddles on top of your muffin pan.

    Don't open the oven too early. It takes at least 20 minutes for the cupcake structure to set. If you open the oven too early, the middle of your red velvet cupcakes may sink, so you’ll want to perform a toothpick test after the 20-minute mark.

    Step by step directions

    For the cupcakes

    1. Preheat the oven to 160C (320F) and line the muffin pan with 9 cupcake liners.

    2. In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

    3. In another bowl, add the egg, sugar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring. Whisk well to a homogenous consistency.

    4. Add the kefir, butter, and oil and whisk to combine.

    Collage image showing six steps to make batter for red velvet cupcakes.

    5. Sift in the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula just until no dry ingredients are left.

    6. Fill the paper liners ⅔ full and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake in the middle of the pan comes out clean.

    7. Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes rest for 5 minutes in the pan. Then, transfer onto a cooling rack to cool down to room temperature before decorating with the cream.

    For the frosting

    1. Place the butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip until fluffy and white. Then, add the cream cheese in several parts and whip on medium to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl and whip on medium until stable and fluffy.

    2. Place the cream into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle of your choice and decorate completely cooled cupcakes.

    Collage image showing six steps to make bake and decorate red velvet cupcakes.

    Flavor and decoration variations

    Berry filling - You can make my Raspberry coulis and fill the center of your cupcakes with it before decorating them with frosting.

    Another type of cream cheese frosting - Replace the unsalted butter with heavy whipping cream and make lighter frosting, like in my Best vanilla cupcakes recipe. One thing you have to know about this frosting - it's not that stable, so you don't want to keep it at room temperature for more than 30-40 minutes.

    Any other frosting - If you're not a big fan of cream cheese, any frosting that you like will work.

    Add some color - You can color the cream you use to decorate your red velvet cupcakes and make your dessert fit the occasion. 

    Sprinkles - As you can see, I used heart-shaped sprinkles to decorate my cupcakes for Valentine's Day, but you can use whatever sprinkles are out there. 

    Red velvet cupcake frosted with cream cheese frosting and decorated with heart-shaped sprinkles, one bite taken.

    FAQ

    How to store red velvet cupcakes?

    Unfrosted, the cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. Frosted cupcakes should be stored covered in the fridge for 4 days.

    Can you freeze the cupcakes?

    Tightly wrap each unfrosted cupcake in plastic wrap and then a piece of foil. Freeze for up to one month.

    Can you store the cupcake batter in the fridge?

    The batter should be used right away and can't be stored in the fridge.

    More related recipes

    Best vanilla cupcakes

    Easy chocolate cupcakes

    Christmas cupcakes

    Recipe card

    Red velvet cupcakes frosted with cream cheese frosting and decorated with heart-shaped sprinkles.

    Red velvet cupcakes

    Extremely easy to make, this red velvet cupcakes recipe with cream cheese frosting and melt-in-your-mouth texture is a delicious, portioned dessert you can make within one hour and decorate for any occasion.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 9 cupcakes
    Calories: 527kcal
    Author: Anna

    Equipment

    • Digital kitchen scale
    • Rubber spatula
    • Muffin pan
    • Muffin liners
    • Stand mixer or hand mixer and a large mixing bowl

    Ingredients

    For the cupcakes

    • 160 g all-purpose flour
    • 10 g cocoa powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 large egg at room temperature
    • 160 g white granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Red food coloring
    • 150 ml kefir or buttermilk
    • 25 ml vegetable oil such as canola oil
    • 50 g butter melted

    For the cream

    • 200 g unsalted butter at room temperature
    • 70 g powdered sugar
    • 400 g cream cheese at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Sprinkles for decoration optional

    Instructions

    For the cupcakes

    • Preheat the oven to 160C (320F) and line the muffin pan with 9 cupcake paper liners.
    • In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    • In another bowl, add the egg, sugar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring. Whisk well to a homogenous consistency.
    • Add the kefir, butter, and oil and whisk to combine.
    • Sift in the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula just until no dry ingredients are left.
    • Fill the paper liners ⅔ full and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake in the middle of the pan comes out clean.
    • Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes rest for 5 minutes in the pan. Then, transfer onto a cooling rack to cool down to room temperature before decorating with the cream.

    For the cream

    • Place the butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a hand mixer and a bowl) and whip until fluffy and white. Then, add the cream cheese in several parts and whip on medium to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl and whip on medium until stable and fluffy.
    • Place the cream into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle of your choice and decorate completely cooled cupcakes.

    Notes

    Store unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature for up to 4 days. Frosted cupcakes should be stored covered in the fridge for 4 days.
    Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to one month.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Red velvet cupcakes
    Serving Size
     
    1 cupcake
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    527
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    37
    g
    57
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    21
    g
    131
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    10
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    114
    mg
    38
    %
    Sodium
     
    378
    mg
    16
    %
    Potassium
     
    116
    mg
    3
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    43
    g
    14
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    28
    g
    31
    %
    Protein
     
    6
    g
    12
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1222
    IU
    24
    %
    Calcium
     
    96
    mg
    10
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    Hey there! My name is Anna, and I am here to share with you my sweet and savory baking recipes and show you how to make beautiful cakes.

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