Red Velvet Cupcakes from Scratch
Today we're sharing the BEST recipe for red velvet cupcakes! It works wonderfully for red velvet cake layers as well- this recipe is guaranteed to please any crowd! Yum!
Ahhhh... Red Velvet Cupcakes! This is a classic southern cake recipe that everyone needs in their recipe box.
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The PERFECT Red Velvet CupCakes
For the longest time, I didn't realize how amazing red velvet cupcakes and layer cakes could be. The problem was, I just hadn't found the PERFECT recipe yet. The good news is that we've found it. The BEST Red Velvet Cupcake and Cake recipe! I'm hooked.
This favorite Red Velvet Cupcake recipe is moist, delicious, and has just the right amount of cocoa. With a generous swirl of cream cheese frosting, there's just nothing better! It's a classic.
The scratch recipe that I'm sharing today focuses on Red Velvet Cupcakes but could absolutely be used for Red Velvet cake layers also. We already have a Red Velvet Cake recipe from Scratch on the site, and the recipe is the exact same as today's recipe...with one exception. The mixing method is different.
Conventional vs. Traditional Mixing Method of Mixing
Our other scratch Red Velvet Cake recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing, yielding a cake with a tighter crumb and velvety texture. It's amazing, but for cupcakes, I prefer a fluffier texture. For more details on this method of mixing, hop over to our video tutorial on the Reverse Creaming Method.
For today's red velvet recipe, we're using the Conventional (also known as creaming) Method of mixing. This conventional method gives us cakes and cupcakes that are lighter and fluffier.
This is likely the mixing method that you are used to already, which involves creaming the butter, adding sugar, eggs, and alternating between wet and dry ingredients (starting and ending with the dry).
In addition to cupcakes, if you prefer Red Velvet cake layers that are a bit fluffier, this is the recipe for you! Give it a try, you will not be disappointed!
Find our recipe below, as well as a link to our favorite Cream Cheese Frosting recipes! YUM. Red Velvet and Cream Cheese frosting are a match made in heaven.
More Classic Cakes
We have many classic cakes in our Recipes section that you absolutely must try! Keep these in mind (along with this red velvet cake recipe) for birthdays, holidays, or just because!
More Red Velvet Cake Recipes
If you love red velvet cakes, we have more to share with you! Some of our favorites are our Red Velvet Layer Cake from Scratch, Red Velvet Cake Mix Recipe, Red Velvet Pound Cake, and Red Velvet Coconut Cake.
We also have a really fun cake decorating tutorial for a Semi Naked Red Velvet Layer Cake with Chocolate Sail.
Red Velvet Cupcakes from Scratch
Moist and Delicious Red Velvet Cupcakes! This recipe is always a favorite (and can be used for cake layers as well!)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ sticks (12T) (170g) unsalted butter - slightly softened
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups (285g) cake flour .....**See note below on how to make cake flour
- 4 Tablespoons (19g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) baking powder
- 1 cup (242g) sour cream
- ⅓ cup (73g) milk
- ¼ cup (54g) vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (24g) red liquid food coloring
- TO MAKE CAKE FLOUR : Flor each cup of all-purpose flour in a recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons of the all purpose flour and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. For this recipe, measure out 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour and remove 5 Tablespoons of the flour and replace with 5 Tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk to blend.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Grease and flour two 8 x 2 inch pans or three 8 x 2 inch pans, check for doneness a bit sooner if using 3 pans/ Or, for cupcakes, add cupcake liners to your cupcake pans.
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, sifted cocoa, salt and baking powder. Whisk to blend. Set aside
- In another bowl, add the milk and sour cream. Blend with a fork and set aside.
- In the bowl of the mixer and at medium speed, beat the butter until lightened in color and smooth. Gradually add the sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy ( 4 to 5 minutes).
- Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing after each just until the yellow disappears, add the vegetable oil, vanilla, and red food coloring and blend in.
- Alternately, add the flour mixture (3 additions) and the milk (2 additions) beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined. Pour into the prepared pans, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon.
- When using the recipe for cake layers, bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes (for cupcakes, see below. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only a few crumbs attached, it is done. Let the cake cool in the pans about 10 minutes then turn out.
- FOR CUPCAKES: Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. This will make 2 dozen plus cupcakes.
- Makes 7 cups batter
You can see from the photos that our red velvet cupcakes bake up with just a slight dome. We hope that you love this recipe as much as we do! Enjoy!
*Notes:
**If you don't have cake flour on hand, don't worry! You can easily make it yourself. To make cake flour, for each cup of all purpose flour remove 2 Tablespoons of flour and replace with 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch. For this recipe, measure out 2 ½ cups all purpose flour, remove 5 Tablespoons flour and replace with 5 Tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk to blend.
This recipe is great with cream cheese frosting. We have two recipes: Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting, which pipes very easily and holds it's shape very well, and also a softer version of Cream Cheese Frosting . Both taste amazing!
If you prefer to work with doctored cake mix recipes, we have the perfect Red Velvet doctored cake mix recipe which is perfect for both cakes and cupcakes! You can find it here: Red Velvet Cake (Doctored Cake Mix) Recipe.
Instead of cupcakes can i bake this as a sandwich cake? If so, what size pans do i use at what temp and for how long?
How to make eggless red velvet cup cak??
Hi Mary, The recipe can be made as a layer cake. You could use three 8x2 round pans or two 9 inch round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
Hi Apeksha, I am sorry but I have not tested any egg substitutes with our cakes.
I would just like to say that beetroot is a good replacement for food colouring. Pulp out 1 and half beetroot of regar size and you are good to go.
The best egg substitute you can find is add baking soda to milk and sqeeze half a lemon. And add dry mixture to it. You will be amazed by the results
Hi, thank you for the recipe for the 2 Red Velvet cakes. I have not made either one yet but will be starting soon. I have a question about them both. In all of your recipes that I have made from you, you always said that butter, eggs and I believe milk should be at room temp.In both of these recipe I do not see this noted.Maybe I am reading the recipe wrong. Also should the sour cream be at room temp also. I love all your recipes and so do my friends. I only made one recipe that did not turn out right and it was my on fault. Thank you again
Hi Claudia, Thank you for you nice comment on the recipes. I usually say butter to be slightly softened. The butter should still feel cold I don't say have it at room temperature because I don't want the butter to be too soft. It should be softened to the point that you can make, not just a fingerprint but an indentation with your finger with little to no resistance from the butter. If the butter becomes too soft your cake will not be ruined but it will be more dense and may not rise as high as it should. About 20 minutes before I begin I put the amount of sour cream I need into a bowl so the chill will be off but it is not a room temperature. I do put my eggs in a bowl of very warm water (not so hot as to cook the eggs) for about 5 minutes or so. Hope this helps and I hope you will enjoy the recipe.
Thank you for getting back to me so soon. That was my mistake about the butter. I always follow your recipe to a T and am so glad I found your wonderful site. I always tell people to go to your website for your recipes when they are looking for wonderful cakes. The problem is they want me to do their cakes for them. I just have to learn how to say no but it give me great joy to see the look on their faces when they taste your wonderful cakes. Thank you
Hi Claudia, I am glad you asked the question because there are always others who want to know the answer also. I am so happy you are enjoying the recipes, you post makes our day.
Hi. How much food coloring should you use if you are using red gel coloring (like americolor) instead of liquid?