Description
These Red Velvet Cupcakes are soft, sturdy, and perfectly domed, making them an ideal treat for any occasion. Featuring a rich red hue enhanced by red gel food coloring, a balanced cocoa flavor, and finished with classic Ermine frosting or your choice of cream cheese frostings, these cupcakes are both visually stunning and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon red gel food coloring
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup neutral cooking oil (avocado, canola, or vegetable oil)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 1 batch Ermine frosting (or alternative frostings like cream cheese frosting, chocolate cream cheese frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, American buttercream)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350F (175C) and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners. Set aside.
- Prepare milk mixture: In a large measuring cup, combine the whole milk, white vinegar, and red gel food coloring. Stir to mix well and set aside to let the mixture curdle slightly.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, natural cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add fats: Pour the melted unsalted butter and neutral cooking oil into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined; the mixture will be thick.
- Add egg and vanilla: Add the large egg and vanilla extract to the batter and stir until smooth and combined.
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually pour the milk mixture into the batter, stirring continuously until the batter is smooth and homogenous.
- Fill cupcake liners: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Avoid overfilling to prevent collapsing.
- Bake: Place the cupcake tin in the preheated oven and bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Cool: Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost and serve: Once cooled, frost cupcakes with Ermine frosting or your preferred frosting and enjoy.
Notes
- Ermine frosting is the traditional frosting for red velvet cupcakes, but cream cheese, chocolate cream cheese, Swiss meringue buttercream, or American buttercream are all excellent alternatives.
- Do not substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour to maintain the right texture and structure.
- If any batter remains after filling the liners to two-thirds, discard or bake separately to avoid overflowing cupcakes.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant red color without adding extra liquid to the batter.
- Room temperature egg helps achieve a smoother batter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
