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Red velvet cupcakes are true classics: soft, airy, with a subtle hint of cocoa and a beautiful deep red color. Paired with a creamy white chocolate buttercream, they’re absolutely irresistible. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, baby showers, or simply whenever you’re in the mood for something festive.
Table of contents
Why I Love These Cupcakes
I rarely bake cupcakes (with the exception of these chocolate cupcakes or the Halloween-style pumpkin cupcakes at the end of the year). But these red velvet cupcakes don’t just look amazing, thanks to the white chocolate buttercream they’re insanely delicious too. I just can’t get enough of them! (And these red velvet cookies are definitely worth trying as well!)
Recipe Ingredients
- Buttermilk – adds lift and makes the cupcakes tender. You won’t taste it, so don’t panic if you’re not a buttermilk fan.
- Butter – at room temperature
- Sugar – granulated sugar
- Flour – all-purpose
- Red food coloring – natural food dyes work, but they won’t give you that intense deep red color
- Baking soda – for extra lift
- Cocoa powder – raw cacao also works and has a slightly more intense flavor
For the buttercream, you’ll need unsalted butter, powdered sugar, and white chocolate. You’ll also need a mixer, a piping bag, and a cooling rack to let the cupcakes cool fully.
How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes
The batter comes together the same way as most cupcake recipes.
Step 1: Make the batter
Beat until light and fluffy – this takes a little time, so be patient. Add the egg, vanilla, oil, and food coloring. Sift the dry ingredients separately and combine.
Step 2: Bake the cupcakes
Divide the batter among the cupcake liners in a muffin tin and bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.
Step 3: Let them cool completely
Let the red velvet cupcakes cool completely. Meanwhile, make the buttercream. Make sure the white chocolate isn’t too warm when you add it to the butter.
Step 4: Pipe the swirls
Now for the fun part. Pipe pretty swirls onto the cupcakes. I used a 1M piping tip, but feel free to use whatever you like.
Extra Tip for Perfect Swirls
Cupcakes can for a dome while baking. Trim off the top for a flat surface – this makes piping prettier and you can use the crumbs as decoration. Win-win! Totally optional, but it makes the cupcakes even more beautiful.
FAQ Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red velvet cupcakes have a subtle cocoa flavor, a soft crumb, and their signature red color. Originally, the color came from a reaction between cocoa, buttermilk, and baking soda, but today food coloring is usually added for a more intense shade.
Yes, but they’ll turn out more reddish-brown than bright red. Beetroot powder can be used as a natural alternative, but the color won’t be as vibrant.
Buttermilk creates a tender texture and helps the cupcakes rise when combined with baking soda. That’s what gives red velvet its “velvety” crumb.
Yes. Mix ½ cup (120 ml) milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes. Thinned Greek yogurt also works.
Gel or paste food coloring gives the best bright red color without thinning the batter. Liquid dye works but you’ll need more, which can affect the texture.
Traditionally: cream cheese frosting. In this recipe we use white chocolate buttercream, which is sweet, creamy, and pairs beautifully with the cocoa flavor.
More delicious sweet recipes
Dutch Butter Cake with Dulce de Leche (Boterkoek)
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 60 grams butter
- 150 gr granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 60 ml neutral oil
- 150 grams all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 125 ml buttermilk
White chocolate butter cream frosting
- 150 gr white chocolate
- 250 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment
- 12 cupcake pan
Titel
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and beat briefly.
- Add the vanilla, oil, and food coloring to the butter and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa.
- Add the buttermilk and flour mixture in batches until just combined. Do not mix too long.
- Divide the batter between 12 cupcake liners and bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before piping buttercream on top.
White chocolate butter cream
- Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a double boiler. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Mix the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until creamy and fluffy. This takes about 10 minutes, so a food processor is most convenient. But a mixer will work just as well.
- Stir in the cooled and melted white chocolate. Fill a piping bag with the buttercream and pipe it onto the cooled cupcakes in nice swirls. Crumble some red velvet crumbs on top for decoration.
Notes
With frosting: refrigerate and enjoy within 1-2 days. You can also freeze them unfrosted.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
