Red-White-and-Blue Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
I love these cupcakes for their balance of light chocolate flavor and buttermilk tang. They bake up with a nice dome and a fluffy, springy crumb.
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer Fitted with a paddle attachment for both batter and frosting.
- 2 Standard 12-cup Cupcake Tins With cupcake liners.
- 1 Rubber Spatula For scraping bowls and ensuring even mixing.
- 1 Wire Rack For cooling cupcakes completely before frosting.
- 3 Piping Bags with Large Star Tips For decorating with distinct colors of frosting.
Ingredients
Main
- 2 1/4 cups 280 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups 260 grams granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup 110 grams lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup 35 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process or natural)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk at room temperature
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons white or apple cider vinegar
- 2 sticks 8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 12 ounces full-fat cream cheese at room temperature for 20 minutes (softened but still cool to the touch)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch fine salt
- 1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar about 6 1/2 cups
- Blue and red gel food coloring
- White star sprinkles for decorating, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 standard 12-cup cupcake tins with liners.
- For the cupcakes: Add the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for 1 minute to combine.
- In a large bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar. Add to the dry ingredients and mix on low to combine. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Raise the mixer speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl then mix on low for 1 minute.
- Use a 1/4-cup scoop to fill each cupcake liner two-thirds of the way full. (If any batter is leftover, bake in a second batch.) Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with moist crumbs attached, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store unfrosted cupcakes covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- For the cream cheese frosting: Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula. Add the cream cheese and mix on low to combine. Raise the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add the vanilla, salt and half the confectioners' sugar and beat on low until you no longer see any sugar. Add the remaining sugar and blend on low to combine. Scrape the bowl and paddle well. Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat until the frosting is smooth and lightened, about 1 minute. Test the consistency of the frosting by lifting a small portion out of the bowl with a rubber spatula: if it holds its shape and doesn’t drip off the spatula, it is ready. If it is loose and doesn’t hold its shape, place the frosting in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Transfer half of the frosting to a small bowl and use gel food coloring to tint blue. Transfer half of the remaining frosting to a separate small bowl and use gel food coloring to tint red. Place the blue, red and white frostings in separate piping bags fitted with large, open star tips. Decorate half of the cupcakes with the blue frosting and sprinkle with the white star sprinkles if using. Decorate the remaining cupcakes with three layers of alternating red and white stripes.
- Enjoy the frosting on cupcakes the day that they are frosted or store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Achieving the perfect Red Velvet texture hinges on ingredient temperature; ensure buttermilk and eggs are at room temperature for a smooth, emulsified batter. For the frosting, butter should be at room temperature, and cream cheese softened but still cool to the touch, which helps maintain stability and prevents a runny frosting. Avoid overmixing the cupcake batter after adding wet ingredients to prevent gluten development, ensuring a tender, springy crumb. Do not overbake; a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs attached, preserving the cupcakes' signature moisture. If the frosting becomes too soft while working, a brief chill in the refrigerator will firm it up to a pipeable consistency.