Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese filling
This super soft and moist Red Velvet Cupcake is the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert. In truth, this dessert can be made for any occasion, but because of its beautiful red color, I decided to include it in this dessert series. I hope you’ll love it!
Red Velvet Cake is one of my partner’s favorite desserts. Since my partner is American, this dessert is a staple for him. I didn’t know about this dessert before meeting him, so he introduced it to me. Since then I’ve made it several times, but for some reason it still hasn’t made it into my top 5 favorite desserts. It’s delicious, but personally it’s not my favorite.
This dessert isn’t overly sweet, making it perfect for those who don’t have a very sweet tooth. The texture is incredibly soft and moist. The best frosting to pair with this dessert is a cream cheese filling. Besides that, raspberries are also a great match. However, you can pair it with whatever you think works well. There are so many possibilities.
In this recipe, I’ll be using my cream cheese filling recipe. I’ll pipe whipped cream on top, but it won’t be just plain whipped cream, it will be whipped together with cream cheese. The purpose of this is to stabilize the whipped cream.
What is Red Velvet cake?
Red Velvet Cake dates back to the 19th century, originating from the "velvet" cakes of the Victorian era, prized for their soft and tender crumb. Its signature red hue originally came from a natural chemical reaction between cocoa powder and acidic ingredients like buttermilk and vinegar. During World War II, bakers began using beet juice to enhance the color due to food shortages. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York helped popularize the cake in the 1930s, but it remains a beloved Southern classic today. (Sources: Southern Living and Wikipedia)
Frequently asked questions
1. What does Red Velvet taste like?
It has a mild chocolate flavor from cocoa powder, but it’s not as rich as a traditional chocolate cake. The tangy elements (like buttermilk and vinegar) balance the sweetness.
2. Can I make Red Velvet without food coloring?
Yes, but the color will be less vibrant.
3. Is Red Velvet just chocolate cake with red dye?
No, Red Velvet has a unique flavor and texture due to ingredients like buttermilk and vinegar. It’s less chocolatey and more tangy than chocolate cake.
4. What can I use instead of Buttermilk?
If you don’t have it, you can make a substitute by mixing 1 teaspoon of lemon juice with the milk.
Ingredients you will need for this recipe
For the cupcake batter:
Butter: Ensure it’s at room temperature. This makes creaming with sugar easier and more effective. Another important thing is to use unsalted butter.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the batter and contributes to the tender texture of the cake.
Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, provide structure, and contribute to the cake's richness. Eggs also help create a smooth and stable batter. If the batter looks curdled after adding eggs, don’t worry, it will smooth out when the dry ingredients are added.
Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor of the cake.
Buttermilk: Adds moisture, tanginess, and softness to the cake. If you don’t have it, you can make a substitute by mixing 1 teaspoon of lemon juice with the milk.
White wine vinegar: It contributes to the cake’s signature tangy flavor.
Sunflower oil: Use a neutral oil like sunflower or canola to avoid altering the cake’s flavor.
Red food coloring: Gives the cake its vibrant red hue, making it visually stunning.
All-purpose flour: Provides the structure of the cake. It forms the base and helps hold the ingredients together.
Baking powder: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the cake rise.
Cocoa powder: Adds a subtle chocolate flavor.
For the cream cheese filling:
Butter: Use butter that’s softened but not overly warm, room temperature butter is ideal. This ensures a smooth and lump-free texture when whipped with the cream cheese.
Cream cheese: The star of the filling, it provides the signature tangy flavor and creamy texture. It balances the sweetness and complements the richness of the butter.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens the filling and balances the tanginess of the cream cheese.
Vanilla: Enhances the overall flavor.
For the frosting:
Whipping cream: Use heavy whipping cream (with a fat content of at least 35%) for the best results. Whip the cream until soft peaks form, but be careful not to overwhip.
Cream cheese: Cream cheese stabilizes the whipping cream.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the frosting and balances the tangy cream cheese. Sweetens the frosting and balances the tangy cream cheese.
Step by step instructions with photos
1. First, you want to preheat your oven to 180C (fan).
2. Now, start making the batter for the cupcakes. Using an electric hand mixer, mix together the sugar with the softened butter until fluffy.
3. Then mix in both of the eggs. The mixture is going to look curdled, but that’s okay, don’t worry about it.
4. Once you mixed in the eggs, add the buttermilk, vinegar and vanilla extract, mixing until everything is fully incorporated.
5. Now, time for the color. Mix in the red food coloring until you get a beautiful vibrant red batter.
6. Sift in all the dry ingredients, the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Whisk everything together until just combined, try not to overmix it.
7. Pour the batter into your cupcake tin lined with cupcake liners and bake int he preheated oven for 15 minutes.
8. Once ready, take the cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
9. While the cupcakes cool, you can prepare the filling and the topping.
10. For the filling beat the softened butter with the sugar until fully combined, then add the cream cheese along with the vanilla and keep mixing until smooth. Once ready, transfer it o a piping bag. (For the piping bag, make sure to use a round tip) Set aside.
11. To make the topping, mix together the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth, then pour in the whipping cream and keep beating until stiff peaks form. Transfer this to a piping bag as well.
12. Once the cupcakes have cooled down, fill them with the filling. All you have to do is press the piping tip into the cupcakes and fill.
13. Lastly, top them with the whipped cream.
14. Enjoy.
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese filling
Ingredients
- 115g unsalted butter, softened
- 180g granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 120g buttermilk
- 60g sunflower oil
- 2 teaspoons (7g) white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp red food coloring (adjust for desired color)
- 155g all-purpose flour
- 4g baking powder
- 15g cocoa powder
- 80g unsalted butter, softened
- 175g cream cheese
- 180g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 230g whipping cream
- 80g cream cheese
- 50g granulated sugar
Instructions
- First, you want to preheat your oven to 180C (fan).
- Now, start making the batter for the cupcakes. Using an electric hand mixer, mix together the sugar with the softened butter until fluffy.
- Then mix in both of the eggs. The mixture is going to look curdled, but that’s okay, don’t worry about it.
- Once you mixed in the eggs, add the buttermilk, vinegar and vanilla extract, mixing until everything is fully incorporated.
- Now, time for the color. Mix in the red food coloring until you get a beautiful vibrant red batter.
- Sift in all the dry ingredients, the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Whisk everything together until just combined, try not to overmix it.
- Pour the batter into your cupcake tin lined with cupcake liners and bake int he preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Once ready, take the cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the cupcakes cool, you can prepare the filling and the topping.
- For the filling beat the softened butter with the sugar until fully combined, then add the cream cheese along with the vanilla and keep mixing until smooth. Once ready, transfer it o a piping bag. (For the piping bag, make sure to use a round tip) Set aside.
- To make the topping, mix together the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth, then pour in the whipping cream and keep beating until stiff peaks form. Transfer this to a piping bag as well.
- Once the cupcakes have cool down, fill them with the filling. All you have to do is pres the piping tip into the cupcakes and fill.
- Lastly, top them with the whipped cream.
- Enjoy.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
501Fat
34 gSat. Fat
18 gCarbs
47 gFiber
1 gNet Carbs
46 gSugar
36 gProtein
5 gSodium
131 mgCholesterol
106 mg
