Description
Delicious and classic Red Velvet Cupcakes with a soft, sturdy, and domed texture, perfect for any occasion. These cupcakes are made with cocoa and buttermilk and topped with traditional Ermine frosting or your choice of frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon red gel food coloring (Americolor “red red” or “super red”)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil (avocado, canola, or vegetable oil)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 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 (or cream cheese frosting, chocolate cream cheese frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, American buttercream as alternatives)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-count cupcake tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- Make Milk Mixture: In a large measuring cup, combine the whole milk, white vinegar, and red gel food coloring. Stir together and set aside to allow the milk to slightly curdle and develop flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Add Butter and Oil: Pour in the melted unsalted butter and neutral cooking oil. Stir well until the mixture is thoroughly combined and thick.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the large egg and vanilla extract to the bowl. Stir until fully incorporated.
- Incorporate Milk Mixture: Gradually add the prepared milk mixture to the batter, stirring continuously until smooth and fully combined.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Avoid overfilling to prevent collapsing. Discard any leftover batter or bake separately.
- Bake: Place the cupcake tin in the preheated oven and bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs—but no wet batter.
- Cool: Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack until completely cooled before frosting.
- Frost: Once cooled, frost the cupcakes with your choice of frosting, traditionally Ermine frosting.
Notes
- Use Ermine frosting for a traditional red velvet flavor pairing.
- Alternatives to Ermine frosting include cream cheese frosting, chocolate cream cheese frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, or American buttercream.
- Do not substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour as it affects texture and structure.
- Ensure egg is at room temperature for better batter emulsion.
- Fill cupcake liners only two-thirds full to avoid cupcake collapse during baking.
- If leftover batter remains, bake it separately or discard to maintain cupcake quality.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
