Description
Soft, sturdy, and domed red velvet cupcakes featuring a classic red hue and tender crumb, perfect for any celebration or dessert craving. These cupcakes are made with buttermilk, natural cocoa powder, and a hint of vanilla, paired traditionally with Ermine frosting or other creamy frostings.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon red gel food coloring
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 1 batch Ermine frosting
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and line a 12-count cupcake pan with paper liners.
- Prepare Milk Mixture: In a large measuring cup, combine the whole milk, white vinegar, and red gel food coloring, stir thoroughly and set aside to allow the vinegar to slightly curdle the milk, creating buttermilk.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add Fats: Stir in the melted unsalted butter and neutral cooking oil into the dry ingredients until the mixture becomes thick and well incorporated.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the large egg and vanilla extract to the batter and stir until fully combined.
- Incorporate Milk Mixture: Gradually add the prepared milk mixture into the batter and stir until smooth and fully combined.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners filling each about two-thirds full, avoiding overfilling to prevent collapsing.
- Bake: Place the cupcake pan into the preheated oven and bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- Cool: Allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost: Once cooled, frost the cupcakes with your choice of Ermine frosting or any other recommended frosting.
Notes
- Ermine frosting is the traditional frosting used with red velvet cupcakes and cakes.
- Alternative frosting options include cream cheese frosting, chocolate cream cheese frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, and American buttercream.
- Use gel food coloring for the most vibrant color without thinning the batter.
- If you have leftover batter, bake it separately but do not overfill cupcake liners to avoid collapsing.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting the frosting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
