This is a classic recipe that you’ll fall for instantly. It’s incredibly moist, tender, and flavorful. The two unique ingredients in red velvet cupcakes are distilled vinegar and red food coloring. I highly recommend using apple cider vinegar, which gives it the best flavor.
Ok, you asked for it, a lot, so here it is—my favorite recipe for red velvet cupcakes. Just in time for Valentine’s Day.
I’ve tried quite a few recipes over the years that were ok, but not perfect, and you know how much I need everything to be perfect. But then a few weeks ago I met with my friend who makes these over-the-top desserts that kind of make you hate him a little bit. If you just met him you’d think he’s a pastry chef, but he’s actually a software engineer.
He always brings something sweet with him, and this time he brought the MOST AMAZING red velvet cupcakes. So naturally I begged him to meet with me for a baking day to make these red velvet lovelies, just for you. And they came out perfect!
How to make the best red velvet cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line muffin tin with liner papers. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add egg and mix to combine. Add vanilla, food coloring, and vinegar, and beat until combined. On low speed, beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions, starting and ending with the flour. Do not over mix.
- Divide batter evenly between liners, filling them about ⅔ full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this recipe link to you, so you can come back to it later!
How to make the cream cheese frosting
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add sugar in 2 additions, beating well after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla and keep beating until smooth and fluffy. You can add more sugar as necessary until desired consistency (thick enough to pipe). You can also add a pinch of salt to cut sweetness. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Frosting can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It doesn’t freeze well. Before using, bring to room temperature and whisk by hand for a few seconds until smooth.
Helpful tips
- Use apple cider vinegar for the absolute best flavor.
- The food coloring has no taste so you can leave it out if you prefer, but if you do use it, the amount is up to you. I used 1 tablespoon and got a dark red color which I find to be enough, but if you prefer a stronger red color, use 2 tablespoons.
- The cupcakes rise quite a lot, so fill your liners less than usual (as specified in the directions), that way you get 11-12 cupcakes.
- Frosted cupcakes can be kept for up to 3 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Unfrosted cupcakes can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months, then thawed overnight in the fridge.
More Delicious Red Velvet Recipes You’ll Love
Red Velvet Cupcakes
The perfect red velvet cupcakes. They are moist and flavorful, topped with the most delicious cream cheese frosting!!
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ cup (130g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons (10g) cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick/115g) unsalted butter, softened room temperature
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (170g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons red food coloring (liquid or gel)
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or distilled white vinegar)
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ⅔ cup (150g) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup (1 stick/115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, plus more as needed
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt , optional
Instructions
Cupcakes
-
Preheat oven to 350℉/180℃. Line muffin tin with liner papers. Set aside.
-
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt. Set aside.
-
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add egg and mix to combine. Add vanilla, food coloring, and vinegar, and beat until combined. On low speed, beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions, starting and ending with the flour. Do not over mix.
-
Divide batter evenly between liners, filling them about ⅔ full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Frosting
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add sugar in 2 additions, beating well after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla and keep beating until smooth and fluffy. You can add more sugar as necessary until desired consistency (thick enough to pipe). You can also add a pinch of salt to cut sweetness. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes.
-
Frosted cupcakes can be kept for up to 3 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Unfrosted cupcakes can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months, then thawed overnight in the fridge. Frosting can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It doesn’t freeze well. Before using, bring to room temperature and whisk by hand for a few seconds until smooth.
rona says
Thanks for this shiran! So does this mean you’re going to post red velvet cake recipe soon, too?
Shiran says
Yes 🙂 Not sure how soon, but someday for sure!
rona says
Thanks for this shiran! So does this mean you’re going to post red velvet cake recipe soon, too?
Shiran says
Yes 🙂 Not sure how soon, but someday for sure!
Erika says
Can i use milk instead of buttermilk and does cream cheese means mascarpone? Sorry, i am trying to compair products in my country 🙂
Shiran says
Hi Erika, for a classic red velvet cake you need to use buttermilk. Milk won’t give the same result. You can try making a buttermilk substitute: take a measuring cup and pour in 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Add milk until it reaches one cup. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes (it will look curdled and that’s fine), then use in the recipe. A well-known brand for cream cheese is Philadelphia. It’s not mascarpone (mascarpone is delicious too, but may be too sweet for this recipe).
Erika says
Can i use milk instead of buttermilk and does cream cheese means mascarpone? Sorry, i am trying to compair products in my country 🙂
Shiran says
Hi Erika, for a classic red velvet cake you need to use buttermilk. Milk won’t give the same result. You can try making a buttermilk substitute: take a measuring cup and pour in 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Add milk until it reaches one cup. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes (it will look curdled and that’s fine), then use in the recipe. A well-known brand for cream cheese is Philadelphia. It’s not mascarpone (mascarpone is delicious too, but may be too sweet for this recipe).
Sherri says
Hi Shiran,
Thank you sooooo much for sharing this recipe. I made a batch today, those little cupcakes are the best red velvet cupcakes that I have ever had! Will definitely make them again! 🙂
Shiran says
I’m so glad! Thank you so much Sherri!
Carly says
Can I use gel food colouring instead?
Shiran says
Yes you can!
diane says
hi! can I use this recipe for 8 inch cake pan? thank you! ?
Shiran says
Hi Diane, the recipe should work for a cake although my cake recipe is slightly different than this one, and I hope to share it soon. I’m not sure about the quantity though or what would be the best pan size.
Jennifer Vernia says
Hello,
Do you use natural cocoa powder or dutch process? Which brand do you use?
Shiran says
I use different brands, but just what whatever you have. It’s a small amount of cocoa powder, so both options are good for this recipe.
Nikki says
Hi Shiran, I absolutely dislike using a lot of powdered sugar . Can you please recommend how to substitute it? ?
Shiran says
Hi Nikki, I know exactly what you mean, but the only way to prepare many kinds of frosting is with powdered sugar, otherwise the frosting will be soft. Sometimes I use whipped cream instead, but it can be too soft for some layer cakes and it won’t hold its shape.
Keri Gunter says
Hi Shiran,
Making cupcakes for our son’s wedding. I made my 1st red velvet cake last year and remembered putting coffee in it. Thought it was weird but OMG turned out amazing. Can that be done here? If so, how much? Thanks. Keri
Monei says
Hie can I use black vinegar
Trinette Cordeiro says
Turned out so delicious! Thanks
Alice says
The base cupcake was great! Perfectly soft and fluffy and just the right flavour balance.
However, the cream cheese frosting was extremely runny, nowhere near pipable and in danger of sliding off the cupcakes if I had tried. I added around an extra 10 heaped tablespoons of icing sugar and even then it only ever got to soft peak stage – I gave up at that because adding any more would have made it too sweet. Spooned it on top of the cupcakes and put them straight in the fridge to try and keep it manageable. Not sure why this would have happened, followed the recipe exactly and it wasn’t even a hot day or anything like that.
I think I will definitely keep the cupcake base, but might look elsewhere for the frosting.
Patricia says
I think the problem is the type of cheese. Most probably you need Philadelphia block cheese and not the one you can spread. It has happened twice when I make American recipes. But I can’t find the block type in Spain and if I use spreadable Philadelphia I think you need to change the amount of it
Helen says
I’ve made this recipe twice, and both the cupcakes and the frosting turned out fantastic… I always start with a full 16 oz box of confectioner’s sugar and use as much as I need to get the consistency I require. For this recipe, I may have used 3 cups but I was not watching closely. For St. Patrick’s Day, I used green color in the cake and flavored the frosting with Bailey’s instead of vanilla extract. So good! Your blog is amazing, and is one of my go-to sources for reliably delicious and beautiful cakes and cupcakes. It all started with your vanilla cupcakes… the best!
Shiran says
Thank you so much, Helen! It makes me super happy 🙂
Kel says
Hi Shiran! Do you think this recipe would work ok with gluten free flour? Thanks!
Shiran says
I’m sorry but I have no experience baking with gluten free flour.
Iris says
Omg… Just tried these cupcakes… Delicious.. They look sooo perfect! Can’t wait to taste them.. Still warm…
Thank you for the recipe!
THERESA GABRIEL says
Why is the cupcake recipe so different than the cake recipe? I made the cake recipe but made cupcakes and they didn’t rise at all. Turned out flat on top.
Shiran says
Hi Theresa. They shouldn’t rise a lot, and it’s easier to frost the cupcakes this way.
Patricia says
Hi,
Do you use block cheese for the frosting or spreadable one?
Thank you
Shiran says
The block one is the best, that way the frosting would be more stable.
Musanjama says
Everyone loved them….thank you for sharing the recipe….I made your swiss meringue buttercream instead because I didn’t have the block cheese cream.
Daniella says
Hi Shiran, I want to make the cupcakes tomorrow and was wondering, this recipe actually yields 12 full-sized (not mini) cupcakes? From just 130 gr flour? Thank you! ❤️
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Daniella, yes, this recipe yields 12 full sized cupcakes, but if you like your cupcakes a bit on the bigger size and want to fill the cupcake pans a bit higher with batter multiple this recipe by 1.5 🙂
Nat says
I have been looking for a perfect red velvet cupcake recipe for a while. Yours is the absolute best!
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Thank you Nat!
Shu-Chun says
I love red velvet cupcake, I gonna replace buttermilk with vegan butter milk.
Personally, I don’t like artificial colouring.
Do you suggest to leave it out or there are alternatives to make natural food coloring?
Thanks
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Shu-Chun, originally, red velvet cake was actually colored red with beet juice! There are definitely natural food colorings on the market if you want to search for them. You could also try adding a bit of beet juice to the recipe and see what it does – however, you don’t want to add more than a teaspoon because the added liquid will alter the recipe. That’s why I think a natural food coloring is the best option:)