Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe

Most people think of Red Velvet Cupcakes as a Valentine's staple, but the blood-red cupcakes and plain white cream cheese frosting make these a perfect canvas for all your Halloween treats! Splatter the tops with red food colouring to make them look like bloody-perfection, add a sugar shard on top for a broken glass look, or pipe the buttercream into silicone moulds to look like brains! The possibilities are endless!

❤️ Red Velvet Cupcakes (makes 16 cupcakes) 🔪

Red Velvet Cupcakes Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
1 egg
2 tablespoons egg whites (about 1 egg)
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons red liquid food colouring
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Cream Cheese Buttercream Ingredients:
3/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Method:
Red Velvet Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 2 cupcake pans with 16 cupcake liners.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt on low speed for 1 minute. Add the butter and mix for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture has the texture of wet sand. Do not overmix. Add the egg and egg whites and mix until combined.
3. In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, food colouring, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the buttermilk mixture into the bowl and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. in a small bowl, whisk together the baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Pour into the batter immediately and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for 10 to 15 seconds. The batter will look a little lumpy.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each three-quarters full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans before transferring the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Buttercream

1. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl every minute, until smooth. Add the butter and shortening and mix on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl every minute, until smooth.
2. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the icing sugar and mix for an additional 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and mix for 3 minutes, until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix for an additional minutes.

Assembly

1. For a classic buttercream look: Transfer the Cream Cheese Buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a No. 8B tip. Pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake with an even pressure, starting from the middle swirling in a circular motion until you round the cupcake twice. Release pressure from the piping bag and pull it away for a clean finish. OR. Pipe into a brain design in silicone half-circle moulds to make a brain.
   
2. For maximum freshness and deliciousness, serve cupcakes on the day they are mad. If you want to bake the cupcakes a day in advance, store the baked, undecorated cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to decorate and serve.

Find more recipes in our cookbook, Jenna Rae Cakes and Sweet Treats, over 100 recipes for the modern baker, and  Jenna Rae Cakes At Home, featuring our favourite recipes to make for family and friends.