The Easiest Red Velvet Cupcakes
You’re going to love these red velvet cupcakes, they’re soft, super moist, and that frosting. It’s pure magic.
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 365kcal
Ingredients
Cupcakes Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 1⅓ cups cake flour
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream thinned with 2 tablespoons milk
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1¾ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Frosting Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 2½ to 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your muffin pan with cupcake liners, this saves you from sticky messes later. In a big bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, and salt, then whisk to blend everything nicely.
- In another bowl, beat the butter until soft and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix until creamy, this step is what makes your cupcakes tender and light.
- Crack in the egg and pour in the vanilla, mixing until smooth. In another cup, whisk together the sour cream and red food coloring to achieve that iconic hue with a hint of tang.
- First, add a third of the dry ingredients, then gently fold in a third of the sour cream blend. Keep alternating until just combined, don’t overmix, you want fluffy cupcakes!
- Stir the baking soda into the vinegar (watch it fizz!) and quickly fold it into the batter to help them rise perfectly.
- Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full, no overfilling! Bake for17 minutes, then let the cupcakes rest in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set up nicely for frosting.
- For the frosting, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy. Blend cream cheese and vanilla until creamy. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, starting low to avoid a sugar cloud and then increasing speed until creamy.
- Taste and tweak with a little extra vanilla or salt if you like. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to loosen sour cream with a dash of milk.
- Never frost warm cupcakes, let them cool fully.
- If your frosting feels too sweet, add a little lemon juice for balance.
- You can drizzle a bit of melted dark chocolate or caramel for a fancy touch.