Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and America's Test Kitchen.
Made in the same tin and oven as the classic vanilla cupcakes, but with a whisked oil-and-buttermilk batter tinted red and flavoured with cocoa and vinegar instead of a creamed butter cake. Topped with tangy cream cheese frosting.
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Method
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Equipment
- 12-hole muffin tin lined with paper cases
- 2 large bowls
- balloon whisk
- stand mixer or electric hand whisk
- piping bag with a large star nozzle
- wire rack
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 377 kcal |
| Protein | 3.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 41.6 g |
| of which sugars | 30.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 28.9 g |
| Fat | 22.4 g |
| of which saturates | 8.5 g |
| Fibre | 0.5 g |
| Salt | 0.51 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
0.9 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 12 servings
Cupcakes
- 160 g cake flour (or plain flour; see note) plain flour works with a slightly firmer crumb
- 150 g caster sugar
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¼ tsp
- 8 g natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
- 110 g neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed)
- 120 g buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tsp red gel food colouring (carmine-free)
- ½ tsp distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Frosting
- 225 g full-fat cream cheese (block), at room temperature
- 85 g unsalted butter, softened but cool
- 200 g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 g fine sea salt or table salt a pinch
- 1
Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan) for at least 20 minutes with a shelf in the middle, and line the muffin tin with paper cases.
- 2
Sift the dry mix. Sift the flour, caster sugar, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cocoa into one of the large bowls. Sifting removes lumps of cocoa and spreads the bicarbonate evenly so every cake rises the same.
- 3
Whisk the wet mix. In the other bowl, whisk the oil, buttermilk, egg, yolk, colouring, vinegar and vanilla until evenly coloured. Oil keeps the crumb moist and soft, even straight from the fridge.
- 4
Combine and fill. Add the dry mix to the wet and whisk just until smooth. The buttermilk and vinegar start reacting with the bicarbonate straight away, so fill the cases about two-thirds full and get them into the oven promptly.
- 5
Bake and cool. Bake for 17-21 minutes until springy and a skewer comes out clean. Leave them in the tin for 5 minutes, then cool completely on the wire rack before frosting.
- 6
Make the frosting. Beat the butter until smooth, add the cream cheese and beat just until combined, then add the icing sugar, vanilla and salt and mix on low until smooth. Over-beating cream cheese breaks down its structure and makes the frosting runny. Chill for 15 minutes if it feels soft.
- 7
Pipe and serve. Pipe swirls of frosting onto the cold cupcakes using the star nozzle and keep them chilled. Take them out 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens and the flavour comes through.
Storage
Because of the cream cheese frosting, keep the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Unfrosted cupcakes freeze for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before frosting.
