How to make the best homemade red velvet cupcakes with a silky smooth cream cheese frosting. These beautiful cupcakes are easy to make, and they’re so fun to decorate! They’re perfect for holidays, weddings, parties, potlucks or any other large gathering.
It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for a good red velvet cake. Recently I decided to try making red velvet cupcakes instead for a crowd. I may be partial to my favorite dark chocolate cupcakes, but these red velvet cupcakes have become a new favorite!
You might be reading this and asking, “Isn’t red velvet cake just a chocolate cake dyed red?” While as red velvet cake is technically a chocolate cake, it uses a much smaller amount of cocoa powder for a milder cocoa flavor. Traditional red velvet cake uses a combination of both buttermilk and vinegar for a softer, more tender crumb and texture.
Ingredients & Substitutions Notes
- Cake Flour – I always recommend using a good cake flour for the lightest and fluffiest cakes and cupcakes, but all-purpose flour will work just fine if that’s all you have on hand. You can also make gluten free red velvet cupcakes by using a cup for cup gluten free all-purpose flour. Just be sure to check all of your other ingredients over to ensure that they are all truly gluten free.
- Cocoa Powder – Natural cocoa powder works best for red velvet cupcakes. Stay away from Dutch-processed cocoa powder, as this will impart a brownish-red color that just isn’t desirable for this recipe!
- Vegetable Oil – This recipe calls for vegetable oil, but canola oil will also work just fine. If you don’t have any oil on hand, melted butter will do the trick!
- Whole Milk – I find that whole milk works just fine for these cupcakes, but you can also substitute with buttermilk if you’re looking for an ultra-tender crumb and texture!
- Sour Cream – Sour cream adds a touch of moisture, richness and flavor to any cake or cupcake. The extra fat results in a more tender, fluffier texture! In addition, I’ve found that using sour cream eliminates the need for both buttermilk and vinegar in this cupcake recipe.
- Red Food Coloring – Of course, you’ll need just a small amount of red food coloring to give off that vibrant red color we all know and love in red velvet cake!
- Cream Cheese Frosting – For the sake of ease, I just used a tub of cream cheese frosting from the grocery store for these cupcakes. Feel free to make your own homemade cream cheese frosting instead!
How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes
Before getting started, preheat your oven to 350ºF, and line your cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
Mix Up the Cupcakes
- Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder and baking soda to a large mixing bowl, whisking ’til thoroughly mixed together.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add all of the wet ingredients, whisking everything together ’til well combined.
How to Bake Homemade Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Add about 1/4 cup of the cupcake batter to each liner in the cupcake tin. This recipe should make 11 big cupcakes and 1 small cupcake by the time all liners are filled.
- Bake at 350ºF for 20-23 minutes, or ’til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before decorating.
Decorating Your Cupcakes
Before decorating your cupcakes, start by crumbling the smaller cupcake into a small bowl. Set aside for later.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or by using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese frosting to make it lighter and fluffier for piping onto the cupcakes.
- Pipe your cream cheese frosting onto the cupcakes as desired, and then sprinkle the cupcake crumbs on top.
Your homemade red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are ready to serve and enjoy! I recommend moving uneaten cupcakes to the refrigerator as soon as possible, or else the frosting will start to sink and melt rather quickly. Serve up red velvet cupcakes for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Halloween, church potlucks, parties, birthdays or any other large event where you need to feed a crowd.
Expert Recipe Tips and FAQ’s
Assuming that you followed the instructions to a tee, this is most likely because you over-mixed the cupcake batter. Remember that you only need to mix everything together until just well combined. Don’t worry if there’s still a few lumps in the mix.
Yes, you can make dairy free red velvet cupcakes. To start, you’ll need a dairy free milk substitute, like soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk or cashew milk. You’ll also need to use a dairy free sour cream, and don’t forget about the frosting! You’ll probably need to make a homemade dairy free cream cheese frosting. Other than that, you should be good. As always be sure to check all of your ingredients labels over to ensure that everything is truly dairy free.
Leftover red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. After that, they’ll start to go stale, although sometimes you can refresh them by popping them into a microwave for a few seconds before eating!
Yes, you can freeze unfrosted red velvet cupcakes. To do so, I recommend wrapping each cupcake individually with plastic wrap in an airtight container or freezer bag. Stored this way in the freezer, they should last up to 3 months before going bad. Simply let them thaw out in the refrigerator overnight before frosting and serving.
Recipe Variations
Looking for a way to change things up? Here are a few ideas…
- Instead of making cupcakes, divide your batter up into 2 9-inch round cake pans to make a layered red velvet cake instead! Spread your cream cheese frosting and enjoy!
- I think it would be really cool to make a homemade red velvet cake mix, just like my homemade yellow cake mix recipe.
- Stuff your red velvet cupcakes with a cream cheese filling or frosting. It’s so good!
- You don’t have to use cream cheese frosting. I think these cupcakes would go great with this milk chocolate buttercream frosting!
- Top with fresh strawberries or raspberries. You can also add chopped walnuts, coconut flakes, chocolate shavings, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce or even sprinkles. Be creative!
More Cake and Cupcake Recipes
- Best Yellow Cake Recipe
- Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- Strawberry-Filled Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Moist and Delicious Chocolate Cake
- Raspberry Poke Cake
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Red Velvet Cupcakes
Equipment
- Electric Hand Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup Cane Sugar
- 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/4 cup Whole Milk
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream
- 1/2-1 teaspoon Red Food Coloring
- 16 ounces Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
- Before getting started, preheat your oven to 350ºF, and line your cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
- Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder and baking soda to a large mixing bowl, whisking 'til thoroughly mixed together.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add all of the wet ingredients, whisking everything together 'til well combined.
- Add about 1/4 cup of the cupcake batter to each liner in the cupcake tin. This recipe should make 11 big cupcakes plus 1 small cupcake by the time all liners are filled.
- Bake at 350ºF for 20-23 minutes, or 'til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before decorating.
- Start by crumbling the smaller cupcake into a small bowl.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or by using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese frosting to make it lighter and fluffier for piping onto the cupcakes.
- Pipe your cream cheese frosting onto the cupcakes as desired, and then sprinkle the cupcake crumbs on top.
- Serve and enjoy!
