Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are a moist and flavourful cake paired with the best cream cheese frosting. It’s a classic and rich dessert recipe.

A close up of cupcakes on a plate

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

 
Wait, do you love cupcake recipes? Other homemade cupcakes that I think you’ll enjoy are:

Now, let’s get back to these lovely beautiful ones.

This recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting is the ultimate example of my preferred taste in holiday baking. It’s not an over the top in valentine’s day theme, yet elegant and most importantly, incredibly delicious.

These cupcakes are the most moist cake paired with the best cream cheese frosting ever. It’s quite the impressive combination.

A close up of a slice of cupcakes on a plate, with Cupcake and Cream

Very soon, the fall season will turn into winter; and while I resist the colder temperatures and shortened daylight hours, I do fully embrace the many comforts of the season.

The excitement over the upcoming holidays has already begun – and for many including myself, one of the biggest holiday comforts baking; for family, entertaining and baking exchanges.

My typical holiday baking includes classic dessert recipes, and making small changes to our favourites – in order to fit in with the theme. One constant through the years is to focus on red and white desserts, as these classic holiday colours are rich, bold and timeless. A popular go-to is red velvet recipes, they are ideal for valentine’s day and during the Christmas season.

A close up of a slice of red cupcakes

This red velvet cake recipe is moist and flavourful, with vanilla and cocoa. It’s paired simply perfectly with a smooth cream cheese frosting to make the most delicious cupcakes.

While these are perfect for valentine’s day, I admit to loving on these cupcakes any time of year. From a special occasion to no occasion at all, these are the best cupcakes ever. I love the deep red color.

A frosting such as this is my go-to for icings, because it’s not too sweet when compared to a full-bodied buttercream icing. It’s an easy and tangy cream cheese frosting that I turn to many times.

A close up of a slice of cake on a plate, with red velvet cupcakes

How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

You’ll need the following simple ingredients to make this homemade red velvet cupcakes and frosting recipe. The full detailed instructions are below in the printable recipe card.

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

  • unsalted butter, softened
  • oil
  • granulated sugar
  • whole eggs
  • red food coloring
  • buttermilk
  • white vinegar
  • vanilla extract
  • all purpose flour
  • cocoa powder
  • salt
  • baking soda

FOR THE FROSTING:

  • softened cream cheese
  • butter, softened
  • icing sugar / powdered sugar
  • vanilla extract

To Make:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line muffin tins with paper liners. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, oil and sugar into the large bowl of a stand mixer, and on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix well (you can use a hand mixer or handheld electric mixer as well, if preferred).

Add in the food colouring, buttermilk, vinegar and vanilla – and allow to mix once again. In a separate medium bowl combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda – then in small batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients to make the batter. Mix on low speed until well combined.

Divide the batter into the cupcake liners, and bake for 14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Using a mixer on medium speed – beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Gradually add in the icing sugar until combined and then add the vanilla and mix again until fluffy. Frost these perfect red velvet cupcakes, decorate as desired – and enjoy!

A close up of a slice of cupcakes on a plate, with red velvet cupcakes

Variations on the recipe:

  • This mouthwatering cream cheese frosting can be made with light cream cheese spread if you prefer. The texture might change somewhat.
  • If you’d rather use whole milk instead of buttermilk, you can as well.

To Store:

  • Place frosted cupcakes in an airtight container and store up to 5 days. To keep the frosting from melting, they are best placed in the refrigerator than at room temperature.

Enjoy this classic red velvet cupcake recipe, my friends. I hope you love these best red velvet cupcakes and homemade cream cheese frosting as much as we do.


A close up of a piece of red velvet cupcakes on a plate
A close up of a slice of cupcakes on a plate, with red velvet cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, moist and flavourful cake paired with the best cream cheese frosting. It's a classic and rich dessert recipe

Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 yolk eggs, divided
  • 2 Tablespoon red food colouring
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 Tablespoon cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda

FOR THE FROSTING:

  • 8 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3 cups icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tins with cupcake liners
  2. Using a mixer, cream together the butter, oil and sugar
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix well
  4. Add in the food colouring, buttermilk, vinegar and vanilla - and allow to mix once again
  5. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda - then in small batches, add the dry mixture to the batter
  6. Divide the batter into the cupcake liners, and bake for 14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean

FOR THE FROSTING:

  1. Using a mixer on medium speed - beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
  2. Gradually add in the icing sugar until combined and then add the vanilla and mix again until fluffy
  3. Frost the cooled cupcakes, decorate as desired and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 24 cupcakes
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 278Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 308mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 0gSugar: 27gProtein: 3g

Did you make this recipe?

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18 Comments

  1. These cupcakes look divine and adding cream cheese frosting to anything is always a great call because it tastes so good.

  2. I love red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting is always sooooo good!! They also look so pretty at the holidays to dress up with Xmas sprinkles on top of the icing. 🙂

  3. Now if you smashed them up and mix in the icing to make cake balls with a chocolate coating they are so good. I used to make them for my daughters classes. Now that they are in Highschool some of the kids are still bugging her for them. LOL They are a big hit.

  4. They do look really good, have never tried Red Velvet Cake. But would definitely be nice for around Christmas.

  5. These look amazing! Will definitely have to try this recipe over the holidays! (Love cream cheese frosting!)

  6. Mmmmm, they look so pretty, I have never tried red velvet, and I think I want to start, yummm!!!

  7. My daughter would LOVE these!! She loves red velvet and her B-Day is this friday!! I’ll be checking the ingredient list and making these for a cupcake tower for her classmates!!

    Thanks!

    Mishelle

  8. I will definitely have to give these a try, cream cheese icing is my favourite and the cupcakes look so good!

  9. My very favourite is cream cheese icing. On red velvet cake, carrot cake or in many other desserts.

  10. Hi, I made these cupcakes over the weekend, and they were delicious!! I would like to use the recipe to make cookies n cream cupcakes so I will be adding in Oreos to the batter. I will exclude the red food coloring also. Can I leave everything else the same or would I need to make other adjustments?

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