Red Velvet Cupcakes

Name: Red Velvet Cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 38 min
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Cuisine: Baking
Ingredients: 1¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; ½ cup (109 g) vegetable oil; ½ cup (123 g) buttermilk; 1 large egg; 1 tbsp cocoa powder; 1 tbsp red food colouring; 1 tsp white vinegar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp fine salt; 1 cup (232 g) cream cheese, for frosting; 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, for frosting

Soft, lightly cocoa-tinged sponge with tangy cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time18 mins

Total Time38 mins

Yield12 cupcakes

Before You Start

Red velvet is not just coloured chocolate cake. It is a soft, buttery sponge with just a whisper of cocoa and a tang from buttermilk and vinegar, which also brightens the red. Oil keeps the crumb moist, and the cream cheese frosting is the classic, non-negotiable finish.

Instructions

1
Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and line a 12-hole tin with paper cases.
2
Whisk the oil, sugar and egg until smooth. Whisk in the buttermilk, food colouring, vanilla and vinegar.
3
Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and whisk gently just until smooth and evenly red.
4
Fill the cases two-thirds full. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the tops spring back.
5
Cool completely. Beat a little softened butter into the cream cheese if you like, then beat in the powdered sugar until smooth and thick.
6
Pipe or swirl the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

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💡 Baker's tips

Use gel food colouring rather than liquid for a deeper red without thinning the batter.
Frost only once fully cool, and keep frosted cakes chilled, since cream cheese frosting is soft.

🔀 Make it your own

Bake as a two-layer cake, adding about 8 to 10 minutes to the time.
Skip the colouring for a naturally pale cocoa 'velvet' cupcake.

📦 Storing & freezing

Keep frosted cupcakes airtight in the fridge for 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

❓ Frequently asked

What makes red velvet different from chocolate cake?

Only a small amount of cocoa, plus the tang of buttermilk and vinegar and a very soft, oil-based crumb. It is milder and more tender than chocolate cake.

Do I have to use food colouring?

No. The flavour is the same without it; the cake will just be a natural pale brown rather than red.

Baking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.

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