Red Velvet Cupcakes, Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.  A perfect dessert for Valentines Day, or any day as far as that goes.

It’s time for our February Bloggers Clue event…oh..and look…I baked. How much fun is this…each month we’re assigned to a blog and we’re given a clue. With that clue, we’re to sneak around, find a recipe, cook the recipe and blog about it. Since February is a very red month, our assignment was to find something “Simply Red.” I’m just as surprised as you that I didn’t choose a beautiful red meat steak to feature, but alas, there’s a red velvet cupcake. Heading over to Liz’s place, That Skinny Chick Can Bake, I started my red search.

• Since I know I can make biscotti, I bookmarked her Cherry Pistachio Biscotti recipe.
• Red with apples and cherries, the Apple Cherry Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing looked tempting.
• I thought about her Red Velvet White Chocolate Chunk Cookies as they just screamed February.
• But her Red Velvet Cupcakes with that Cream Cheese frosting, won out.

Liz is one of those top shelf bloggers that I’ve been following for a long time. She has a passion for baking rich, irresistible desserts and garnishing them to perfection. Her Chocolate Desserts will make anyone swoon, and she has a thing for Cookies! She also offers up Skinny Tips so we can keep those figures in check. You really owe it to yourself to head over to her Recipe Index, you’re in for a treat.  Oh, and did I mention … she’s in Chief Investigator around here? The Bloggers Clue group is her idea, thanks to Liz for putting this all together.

I love red velvet, but have never attempted to make it. I had no idea you need three bottles of red food coloring to get that rich red chocolate. I’m not a regular frosting fan, but I love a cream cheese version. This combination is divine and for step by step how-to, please head over to her post on these cupcakes. You’ll be glad you did. What a great treat for Valentine’s Day.

Recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I hope you give this recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating.

Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes. And if you have a favorite cupcake recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

And if you’re looking for more cupcake recipes you won’t want to miss:

Cheesecake Black Bottom Chocolate Cupcakes

or this one for Chocolate Chile Cupcakes

5 from 3 votes

Print

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Course: Dessert

Author: Liz, That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa not Dutch processed
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups canola oil
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 ounces red food coloring
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
• Frosting
• 16 ounces cream cheese cold
• 12 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 cups powdered sugar sifted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Put paper liners in three 12 count muffin tins.
2. Whisk flour, cocoa and salt together in bowl.
3. Beat oil and sugar in an electric mixer on medium till well blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Lower mixer speed to low (you don’t want any splashing!), and carefully add the red food coloring. Add vanilla, then alternate flour with buttermilk, starting with half the flour, then half the buttermilk, the rest of the flour, then ending with buttermilk. Scrape down the bowl, then mix just briefly till combined.
4. Place baking soda and vinegar in a dish and stir to combine. Add to batter with mixer running. Beat for just 10 seconds.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake 25-30 minutes or till cake tester comes out clean. Let cool slightly, then remove from pans. Cool completely before icing.
6. For frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla just till blended. Add powdered sugar slowly (2 cups at a time) and beat till frosting is smooth and at the correct consistency. You may find you prefer more or less powdered sugar than called for. Makes 4 cups.

Red Velvet Cupcakes …They’re what’s for Red Dessert.