Description
Delicious and classic red velvet cupcakes that are soft, sturdy, and perfectly domed, perfect for any occasion. These cupcakes feature a tender crumb with a subtle cocoa flavor and a vibrant red color, topped with smooth Ermine frosting or your favorite frosting alternative.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon red gel food coloring
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 1 batch Ermine frosting (see recipe or notes for alternatives)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners. Set aside.
- Prepare milk mixture: In a large measuring cup, combine the whole milk, white vinegar, and red gel food coloring. Stir well and set aside to let the milk curdle slightly.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, natural cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until fully combined.
- Add fats: Add the melted unsalted butter and neutral oil to the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly until the mixture is thick and well combined.
- Add egg and vanilla: Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract into the batter by stirring until completely combined.
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the prepared milk mixture into the batter and stir gently until everything is incorporated and the batter is smooth.
- Fill cupcake liners: Spoon the batter into the lined cupcake pan, filling each liner about two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
- Bake: Place the cupcake pan in the preheated oven and bake for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- Cool: Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost and serve: Once cooled, frost the cupcakes with Ermine frosting or your preferred frosting choice and enjoy.
Notes
- If you don’t have Ermine frosting ingredients or prefer alternatives, frost with cream cheese frosting, chocolate cream cheese frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, or American buttercream.
- Do not substitute all-purpose flour with cake flour or other flours as it affects the cupcake texture and structure.
- Use gel food coloring for the best vibrant red color without thinning the batter.
- Filling liners two-thirds full prevents cupcakes from collapsing during baking.
- Discard or bake separately any leftover batter to avoid overfilling the cupcake pan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
