Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting — If you’ve ever wanted to make red velvet cupcakes from scratch that are as good as those you’d find in a bakery, try this hassle-free recipe!
Homemade Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red velvet cake and cupcakes are so popular, but so many problems tend to plague them. They’re either from a box, which feels like cheating, or they’re from scratch but are horribly dry, and you need a mixer and will dirty every bowl in your kitchen in the process.
These are the best red velvet cupcakes I’ve ever had, and the easiest recipe you’ll ever find. If you’ve ever wanted to make red velvet cupcakes from scratch that are as good as those you’d find in a bakery, try this hassle-free recipe. You’ll come out looking like a superhero baker to anyone you serve them to.
They’re made in one bowl, no mixer, no creaming ingredients, and it’s a cupcake batter that’s more like a muffin batter. Whisk together wet ingredients, fold in the dry, pour into liners, and bake. Five minutes of active work never tasted so good.
My issue with most red velvet cakes and cupcakes is that they’re dry, and dry anything just isn’t worth the calories. Why bother?
These are incredibly moist from the trifecta of moistening and tenderizing ingredients: oil, buttermilk, and Greek yogurt. I stopped at nothing to make sure they weren’t dry.
It took me quite a few batches of cupcakes to perfect this recipe. When people think that recipe development isn’t a big deal and you just throw things in a pan and it’ll work out, well, sometimes you get lucky, but most times it’s not that easy, especially for a recipe like this.
The same can be said for questions I get along the lines of, “Can I substitute coconut sugar for granulated sugar,” or “Can I use whole wheat pastry flour for all-purpose?” Well, maybe you can, and please let me know how that works for you.
Determining if I should use 1 egg, one egg plus yolk, or two eggs; butter or oil and if butter, should it be melted or creamed; buttermilk or just regular milk/cream; to include Greek yogurt or sour cream and if so, how much; how much cocoa powder gives enough pop of chocolate; what kind of leavener to use (baking soda or powder); one of each, or only one or the other, and which one; cake flour or all-purpose.
The choices can be overwhelming, but I’ve done the legwork, and the cupcakes and red velvet cake frosting are total keepers.
For baked goods that I want to soft, springy, and bouncy, like cakes, cupcakes, and muffins, I generally prefer using oil to butter because oil does a better job keeping things soft and moist.
The same can be said for buttermilk. It does a fabulous job of tenderizing and softening the texture and crumb of breads and cakes, and when in doubt, I always opt for buttermilk over plain milk or cream.
I added a couple hearty dollops of vanilla Greek yogurt. You could probably use a bit more buttermilk if you don’t keep Greek yogurt on hand, but yogurt is thicker and sweeter than buttermilk, so it makes the batter a little thicker and sweeter, and helps the cupcakes stay sweet and soft.
Many recipes for red velvet aren’t chocolaty enough. While these aren’t as chocolaty as chocolate cupcakes, the chocolate flavor is pleasantly noticeable.
They rise beautifully to the point I was worried they were rising a little too well. I filled my liners to a solid three-quarters full (this is a non-issue if you only fill to 2/3-full), but thankfully they stay contained, and the resulting cupcakes and hearty and full, not skimpy, wimpy, little cupcakes that no one reaches for.
I also made a one-bowl, no-mixer vanilla cream cheese frosting for the red velvet cake cupcakes that I simply spread on.
These homemade red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are soft, tender, springy, and moist. There’s just enough chocolate flavor to satisfy your chocolate cravings, without being overdone.
The smooth, rich homemade cream cheese frosting is the perfect complement to the cupcakes, and adds the right amount of zip and tang.
So good, so easy, so soft, fluffy, and moist. Perfect for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or any old Tuesday.
What’s in Red Velvet Cupcakes?
To make the red velvet cupcakes, you’ll need:
- Egg
- Granulated sugar
- Buttermilk
- Canola oil
- Vanilla Greek yogurt
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Red food coloring
And to make the red velvet cake frosting, you’ll need:
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Milk
How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes
Simply whisk together the wet ingredients, then stir in the dry ingredients. Add in just enough food coloring to turn the batter red.
Fill your muffin cups 3/4 full, then bake the red velvet cupcakes until risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
While the red velvet cupcakes cool, make the homemade cream cheese frosting. If your frosting is too thick, add a splash of cream or milk to gradually thin it out.
Frost the cooled cupcakes with the red velvet cake frosting and optionally garnish with sanding sugar.
Is There a Buttermilk Substitute I Can Use?
If you’re the type of person who doesn’t tend to keep buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by adding about 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup regular milk, letting it stand 10 minutes to curdle, and then use as indicated.
Or, you can buy a tub of Powdered Buttermilk and it’s shelf stable for years. It’s the perfect solution for that once-in-a-blue moon recipe you make that calls for buttermilk.
Can I Make a Red Velvet Cake Instead of Cupcakes?
Although I haven’t tried it, I surmise this cupcake batter could be used as cake batter. I’m guessing a 9-inch square cake (not a 9-inch round pan because they’re smaller and it could overflow) would be about right.
Can I Freeze Cupcakes?
Yes, you can bake these red velvet cupcakes and freeze them for later. I recommend freezing just the cupcakes and making a fresh batch of cream cheese frosting when you’re ready to thaw and enjoy them.
How to Store Red Velvet Cupcakes
The homemade red velvet cupcakes will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. I personally am comfortable storing cream cheese-frosted items at room temperature, but if you prefer to store in the fridge, that’s fine. Just note that the fridge will dry the cupcakes out much more quickly.
Tips for Making Red Velvet Cupcakes
The batter makes enough for about 14 cupcakes, but because I have a small oven, I can only fit one 12-cup muffin pan in my oven at a time. The remedy is to either lick the bowl (I’m still alive after a lifetime of raw dough and batter eating); discard the batter (that’s criminal), or bake an adorable mini loaf in a mini loaf pan that fits on the same oven rack as the muffin pan (score!).
I use my mini pans all the time for a 13th or 14th cupcake, extra muffin batter, or for mini cakes. Best money you’ll spend this year and you get 4 mini pans for $10 bucks.
I used light cream cheese, which makes frosting softer and runnier. If you want to pipe your frosting on, use full-fat. However, given that this is an easy, breezy, one-bowl, no-mixer cupcake batter, to break out a piping bag seems like a cruel trick.
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Red Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup buttermilk, or Powdered Buttermilk, use 2 1/2 tablespoons + 2/3 cup water
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 tablespoons vanilla Greek yogurt, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream may be substituted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons red food coloring, or as needed
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened (I used Trader Joe’s soft spreadable light)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, or as necessary
- splash cream or milk, only if necessary
- sanding sugar or sprinkles, optional for garnishing
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a Non-Stick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan with paper liners; set aside. You will likely have batter for a 13th or 14th cupcake, and I baked it in this cooking-sprayed mini loaf pan because my oven is small and that setup works; discard extra batter if that’s easier.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients, through vanilla, until smooth.
- Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, optional salt, and whisk until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Carefully whisk in the food coloring, making sure to add only as much as necessary to color the batter a deep shade of red; adding more than necessary can leave an aftertaste.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, place about 2 heaping tablespoons of batter per cupcake into each of the 12 cavities so they’re solidly 3/4-full. I poured the excess batter into a mini loaf pan.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until domed, set, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter; don’t overbake. My cupcakes were on the large side of normal because I generously filled liners to 3/4-full, and they took exactly 20 minutes. If yours are filled more shallow, start checking at 18 minutes.
- Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before removing. I baked the mini loaf for 20 minutes. While cupcakes cool, make the frosting.
- Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine first 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl, add about 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, and whisk to combine or beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Continue adding sugar until desired frosting consistency is reached. If you add too much sugar and need to thin frosting out, add a splash of cream. Because I used light cream cheese, the frosting stayed on the runnier side. If you want frosting thick enough to pipe, do not use light cream cheese.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting to the top of each cupcake and smooth with a knife. Optionally transfer frosting to a piping bag and frost the cooled cupcakes. I like the Wilton 1M tip for cupcakes.
- Optionally, garnish each cupcake with a sprinkle of sanding sugar or pinch of sprinkles.
Notes
- You may have a small amount of frosting left over. It will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Cupcakes will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. I personally am comfortable storing cream cheese-frosted items at room temp, but if you prefer to store in the fridge, that’s fine, but note the fridge will dry cupcakes out much more quickly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Valentine’s Day Recipes:
Red Velvet Chocolate-Swirled Brownie Bars — These easy, no-mixer brownie bars are in between a bar and a brownie. Not supremely fudgy to give them true brownie status, but much fudgier and richer than your typical bar, and not cakey!
Easy Chocolate Pots de Creme – No-bake, no-cook, and made in a blender in 5 minutes!! The PERFECT dessert! Rich, decadent, a chocolate lover’s dream, perfect for special occasions, and guaranteed to impress!!
Red Velvet Poke Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — The cake is fast, easy, and it’s a poke cake so it’s automatically super soft and moist.
Soft Frosted Valentine’s Heart Cookies — These easy cookies are soft, chewy, dense, made in one bowl, and you don’t have to roll them out.
Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies — These chocolate chip red velvet cookies have a secret ingredient — cake mix! These cookies are super ooey gooey and ultra rich!
Valentine’s Day Vanilla Pudding Sugar Cookie Bars – A sugar cookie crust topped with creamy vanilla pudding, whipped topping, and sprinkles!! A luscious and EASY Valentine’s Day dessert that will put everyone in festive spirits!!
The Best and Easiest Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes — One bowl, no mixer, so easy! The warm, gooey, fudgy chocolate lava cake center is heavenly! Better than any restaurant versions! Best chocolate cake EVER!!
Valentine’s Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars – Sugar cookie bars are so much FASTER AND EASIER than making sugar cookies!! The sprinkles and tangy cream cheese frosting help to make the bars a PERFECT Valentine’s Day treat!!
Recipe originally published November 18, 2013 and republished January 29, 2020 with updated text.
I haven’t tried baking red velvets before. But am wondering why your recipe doesn’t use distilled vinegar? Is it because of the greek yogurt/sour cream?
Yes.
Hi! If I bake this in a 9×9 or 8×8 square pan, how long should I bake it? I have a small oven so it’s easier for me to just put it in a big pan.
I haven’t tried it that way so not sure. I would guess 20-30 minutes in that range, but that’s a big range, so just bake until done.
I really have no idea what happened, but these were terrible. They tasted tangy and bad. I have never had or made a bad cupcake before, so I was really taken aback by this. I followed the instructions exactly–they were moist, but had a very strange flavor. Not sure if this was because of the small amount of cocoa (other chocolate recipes I use usually call for 1/3 c. of cocoa) or what, but I was disappointed. The frosting, however, was delicious.
There’s really not tons of difference between 1/3 cup and 3 tablespoons cocoa in an entire batch of cupcakes, it’s about 3 tablespoons worth. I don’t really think that was it.
I’m almost wondering if your buttermilk or Greek yogurt/sour cream were a little past their prime, which could contribute to the tangy taste and tasting bad. The more I think about it, I would almost bet this is where the culprit is.
Hi!
This recipe looks amazing, and since it’s my friend’s birthday in two days, I want to surprise her with delicious cupcakes, but I have one question – is your food coloring in liquid form, or is it powdered? I know that powdered food coloring usually gives a more intense color than liquid food coloring, but the latter is the only one that’s available to me at the moment, so I guess my question is: should I keep the two tablespoons you mentioned in the recipe because it was already written with liquid food coloring in mind, or should I increase the amount?
Thanks!
I used gel (liquid) food coloring. I would use any type or brand you have that’s red, red, red. Unlike other recipes where a couple drops can really make a difference, with this, literally tablespoons of it don’t even do that much. In order to color dark chocolate brownies red, you have to add tons!
Hi! Your recipes and photos are outstanding …just a quick question. I’m in South Africa and all purpose flour isn’t available at stores. Instead cake flour is the popular thing here… so pls tell me if using cake flour instead of all purpose flour is okay…thanks!
Cake flour and AP flour are NOT the same thing. In this particular recipe, cake flour wouldn’t be the worst thing because after all you’re making ‘cake’. It has less gluten so things rise a bit less and are more light, delicate. You may need to increase the amount by up to 1/2 cup or so, but this is just guesswork on my part. If you have any other flour options, I would research those and then use cake flour as a last resort since the recipe wasn’t written for it.
Hi there, these look amazing. Was just wondering if you think it would be ok to substitute the canola oil for macadamia oil to make a little healthier? And also, would you think it’s ok to use beet juice instead of food colouring? Thanks! Cannot wait to make them! :)
Honestly, I would really just make this recipe as written. They’re totally perfect and it’s a cupcake so it’s not meant to be healthy per se. I would do extra cardio this week :)
And definitely no on the beet juice. It would take cups worth to get the color you need, obviously rendering the batter beet soup at that point!
No worries, thought I’d give healthy cup cakes a shot but I should prob just stick to the recipe! Thanks for getting back to me :)
Hi Averie!
Not the first time I’m doing one of your recipes (my kids and even the hubby are addicted to the no-boiler fudge of yours!) but this is the first time I am taking the plunge to comment. :)
I made these cupcakes today and they were absolutely delicious! I swapped melted butter for the oil, though, as all the guys here are very picky about the taste of something not-butter in their cakes. Still turned out like a dream, though! And yeah, I also used cake flour, and that worked, too (been trying to go less-gluten/gluten-free where possible). Just thought I’d point out that I made those swaps and your recipe still worked like a charm. Best ever red velvet cupcakes I tasted – this one’s definitely a keeper!
Thanks for all your recipes – I always fall back on your website because you give such detailed descriptions and instructions, it’s like having a baking chef right next to you to direct you through the recipe! xoxo
Glad to hear cake flour and butter worked great, thanks for sharing!
And so glad they’re the best red velvet cupcakes you’ve ever had – that’s what I think, that they’re bakery-worthy (okay, better than a bakery if I do say so!)
I am so glad to hear you like all my details and feel like it’s like having a baking chef right next to you to direct you :) That’s great!
These were great. My toddler had them for her school party and then begged to have them (frosting-free) for breakfast the next day (of course my ego could not tell her no). Thank you
Glad they were great for you and cupcakes for breakfast (hey there’s a muffin at that point, right!) sounds perfect :)
I would like to make a cake with your recipe. Is it enough batter for that or should I double it? Can’t wait to try it! Also, what are your thoughts about using a regular sized bundt pan? (PS, Despite the name I am a woman)
Hmmm, haven’t tried any of the above so sure, go ahead double it, bake in a Bundt, and see what happens! I’m sure it will be fine but I haven’t personally tried it.
I always make dry red velvet cupcakes.Just made these cupcakes and is the best red velvet cupcake I tasted. It’s super moist and very easy to make. I’m from the Phippines and buttermilk and greek yoghurt is not readily available in regular supermarkets. Substituted milk with vinegar and sour cream. Thank you for sharing this excellent recipe. And your tips are so helpful!
Glad these are the best rede velvet cupcakes you’ve ever tasted! Great call to sub the buttermilk with vinegar and sour cream. Perfect! Glad they came out great for you!
Hi Averie, the recipe calls for Greek yogurt, but they don’t sell those in my local grocery. Is it okay to use plain yoghurt? Thanks. -Marie
You definitely want the yogurt to be THICK. If it’s thinner or more watery yogurt, then use sour cream. I’m not suer how thick what you call ‘plain yoghurt’ is but thicker is preferred or the batter will be too soupy.
hi……Averie…iam totally going to try this recipe…..all i want to know is can i half the recipe………..n make a batch………of 6 or something.
You probably can halve it but I haven’t tried personally.
Thanks Averie. It’s peach flavor. Can I use mixer to do it?
Hi, Averie, I bought the greek yogurt with fruit flavour, can it be done if i did not use plain yogurt instead? Pls reply me asap as I’m planning to do now.
I mean plain would probably be better but it depends on how fruity the yogurt is…if it’s a super strong banana, I’d say no. If it’s something fairly ‘mild’, sure. I mean they’re YOUR cupcakes. You have to do what you think you’ll like.
I just made these today for my boyfriend’s mom. It’s her birthday today so we dropped in while she was at work, the two of us armed with a batch of these cupcakes. She was surprised and looked very happy.
These turned out great with a gluten-free flour mix substituted for regular flour. I didn’t have any buttermilk, only Greek yogurt, so I added a bit of water as suggested.
I did find that mind did not dome at the top; they were slightly sunken in the centers even though they were definitely done. The cream cheese frosting hid any sunken centers. Any idea what happened? Baking soda too old?
Delicious, thanks for developing this!
did not dome at the top; they were slightly sunken in the centers even though they were definitely done. <--- that is a direct function of using GF flour. There is no gluten. Gluten makes things rise. So no gluten, and it's normal to have things sink. You have to find another way to compensate for it, probably would add more baking powder AND also add 1/4 more flour to thicken up the batter, but it's a delicate process you'd have to play around with. The fact that they even worked, at all, with GF is great :)
Thanks. That makes perfect sense. I guess I thought the gluten free “all purpose mix” had some level of compensation for that.
Sorry for the duplicate post.
They do have SOME level of compensation but this is the reason people tend to gripe about GF baking and GF mixes – because no matter what you do, it’s never just as easy as using flour with gluten in it. There’s always lots and lots of tweaking and research and experimentation needed to closely duplicate gluten-based recipes.
I just made these today for my boyfriend’s mom. It’s her birthday today so we dropped in while she was at work, the two of us armed with a batch of these cupcakes. She was surprised and looked very happy.
These turned out great with a gluten-free flour mix substituted for regular flour. I didn’t have any buttermilk, only Greek yogurt, so I added a bit of water as suggested.
I did find that mind did not dome at the top; they were slightly sunken in the centers, though they were definitely done. The cream cheese frosting hid any sunken centers. Any idea what happened? Baking soda too old?
Delicious, thanks for developing this!