Last year, I was so excited to finally post the recipe for the very best red velvet cupcakes I’d ever had, courtesy of my sister-in-law, Asunta. Turns out, the recipe is really just a kicked up version of Paula Deen’s recipe for red velvet cupcakes.
I’ve made several versions of this recipe in an effort to make them turn out as to replicate the taste and texture of Asunta’s cupcakes – and I finally got it!
I used a cream cheese frosting which is the perfect topping to this rich cupcake, but if that sounds too rich you can try my lighter frosting creation (below) using greek yogurt. It was an experiment that was very tasty.
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Servings: 24
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons extra dark cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk, plus 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- Or
- Light Yogurt Frosting
- 3/4 cup vanilla or plain Greek yogurt I prefer FAGE
- 6 tablespoons butter room temperature
- about two cups confectioner's sugar sifted, add more or less for desired texture
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins (about 2/3 full). Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness, making sure that the center is not wet. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
- For the cream cheese frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Beat in vanilla. Add confectioner’s sugar and beat on medium until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth. Spread on cooled cupcakes, or use a pastry bag with a Wilton Star Tip (1M).
- To make the yogurt frosting (instead of the cream cheese frosting), beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
- Enjoy!
Yum is right! I love cream cheese icing, also looks moist.
How could you go wrong! Thanks for sharing, I will have to try this winning desert!
These are wa—y better than Starbucks.
Yes, you're right! But then again I don't even like Starbucks coffee. I'm all about Philz Coffee right now.
love the colour of these cupcakes!
Is that all you are about?
Jodi,
The recipe Asunta gave you is the same recipe she gave me. It is the right recipe, but she does a few baking method “tricks”. I do my own tricks with the recipe and I think mine are pretty good too. We need to have another bake-off.
I really liked yours too. By the way, those little “trick” made all the difference in the world (glad I had a few up my sleeve). Maybe the next bake-off could be July 4th.