Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

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Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes are the perfect treat for Valentines Day or whenever you’re craving a little bit of sweetness without having to eat the whole cupcake.

» You might also like these Pink Champagne Cupcakes or Winter White Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream.

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

These little treats are smaller than a regular cupcake, so you don’t feel like you’re over indulging in sweetness when you have one. They’re just the right size for sharing at the office or making for a party.

I love red velvet cake, but I never make it because I don’t want the whole cake sitting around tempting me. I will eat it all. That’s why I like making these cupcakes instead. They’re just a little bite, but they totally satisfy my craving for cupcakes. If you love red velvet like I do you should try these Red Velvet Truffles and these Red Velvet Kiss Cookies.

Ingredients You Need

For the Cake

  • All-purpose flour – sifted so it doesn’t have lumps
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter – at room temperature
  • Granulated sugar
  • Eggs – at room temperature
  • Red food coloring – buy a natural coloring that doesn’t have any flavor. Gel works best because it’s more concentrated.
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Cocoa powder – sifted so it doesn’t have lumps. Go for a Dutch process high-quality cocoa powder. It’s worth it!
  • Buttermilk – at room temperature
  • Baking soda – sifted
  • Apple cider vinegar – it works as a rising agent alongside the baking soda. Acid also helps balance out the sweetness also. You won’t taste it in the cake at all.

For the Frosting

  • Unsalted butter – room temperature
  • Cream cheese – at room temperature. Always use full-fat cream cheese for this recipe. It adds the wonderful rich creaminess that you won’t get with low-fat versions.
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Confectioners’ sugar – sifted
Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

Equipment You Need

How to Make Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

Step One: Prepare the Oven & Cupcake Pan

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a standard cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Step Two: Make the Batter

Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held electric mixer). Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until well incorporated.

Add the eggs and beat on low. Add the red food coloring, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder to the bowl. Mix on low until blended.

eggs going into the batter

Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and slowly pour in half the buttermilk, beating until well incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the rest of the flour and buttermilk. Beat just until fully combined.

In a small bowl, mix together the apple cider vinegar and baking soda until dissolved. Add to the batter and mix in on low speed, until fully incorporated.

Mixing batter with electric mixer

Step Three: Fill the Cupcake Pan & Bake

Fill each well of the cupcake pan with the batter to two-thirds full. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (start checking at 10 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely.

Batter in a cupcake tin

Step Four: Make the frosting

Place the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held electric mixer). Beat on medium speed to combine. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated.

Then beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes. Put the frosting in the refrigerator until you’re ready to ice the cupcakes. When ready, transfer the frosting to a plastic piping bag fitted with a plain round metal tip and frost each cupcake.

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

What is Red Velvet Cake?

Red Velvet Cake is somewhere between a white and chocolate cake batter with red food coloring mixed in, and a bit of baking soda and apple cider vinegar to add a slight tanginess. It’s not quite a chocolate batter because there isn’t as much cocoa powder added.

Can I Freeze These Cupcakes?

You can freeze the cupcakes after they’ve been completely cooled. It’s always best to freeze them without the frosting because that will be the first to get freezer burned or lose its shape. If you freeze the cupcakes in an air tight bag or container, they will keep for up to 2 months.

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

How Do I Make Them Really Red?

The cocoa powder and red food coloring will somewhat counteract each other, so you may end up with a more brown or more red cupcake. If you want your cupcakes to be more red, use more food coloring and less cocoa powder. I prefer to use gel food coloring because it’s more intense than liquid and you can use a lot less to get a bright red color.

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mini red velvet cupcakes

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

These cute little red velvet cupcakes are just the right sized bite of sweetness.
4.94 from 43 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 402kcal
Author: Laura Lynch

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons red food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sifted cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda sifted
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

For the frosting

  • 3 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a standard cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
  • Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl and set aside.
  • Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held electric mixer). Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
  • Add the eggs and beat on low. Add the red food coloring, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder to the bowl. Mix on low until blended.
  • Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and slowly pour in half the milk, beating until well incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the rest of the flour and milk. Beat just until fully combined.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the apple cider vinegar and baking soda until dissolved. Add to the batter and mix in on low speed, until fully incorporated.
  • Fill each well of the cupcake pan with the batter to two-thirds full. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (start checking at 10 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely.
  • Mix together the frosting ingredients and whip until smooth and stiff. Transfer frosting to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe onto the cupcakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 723IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

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4.94 from 43 votes (43 ratings without comment)

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