Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Cupcake
- 3 1/3 cup cake flour
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tbsp liquid red food coloring
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 Tbl. milk, plus more if needed
Cupcake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar and mix on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a small bowl, whisk the food coloring, cocoa powder and vanilla together; add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix well.
- Stir the salt into the buttermilk and add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the cake flour, starting and ending with flour.
- In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar and baking soda; add to the batter and mix well.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter and bake in preheated oven for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Do not over bake. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. Cool completely and top with Cream Cheese Frosting. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cupcakes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, mix together butter, cream cheese, salt and vanilla until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
- If frosting is too thick, add a little milk. If you are planning to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, you want it thick enough to hold its shape.
- If you do not want to pipe a large swirl onto each cupcake and prefer to spread a small layer on top instead, the amount of frosting could be cut in half.