Small Batch Red Velvet Cupcakes
super soft 'red velvet' chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting: a small batch of 8
Servings 8 cupcakes
Equipment
- hand mixer
- cupcake tin
Ingredients
- 57g or ¼ cup butter unsalted and softened
- 100g or ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 85g or ½ cup plus 1 tablespoons cake flour sifted if lumpy
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 25g or ¼ cup dutch process cocoa sifted if lumpy
- Red gel food coloring
- 100g or 6 tablespoons buttermilk or kefir ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons boiling hot water
For the buttercream:
- 113g or ½ cup butter unsalted and softened
- 113g or ½ brick cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or paste
- 1-2 tablespoons sour cream this helps balance the sweetness of the buttercream
- 2 cups organic powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a cupcake tin with 7-8 muffin liners.
- Beat together the butter vanilla, salt and sugar in a bowl with a hand mixer for at least 5 minutes. The mixture should be very light and creamy. Add the egg and beat for 2-3 minutes, until it’s well combined.
- Add the baking soda, flour and cocoa on top. Then, with the mixer on medium, slowly pour in the buttermilk and hot water, and squeeze in the food coloring. Beat until you have an airy smooth batter but don’t overbeat (a minute at most).
- Divide the batter between cupcake liners (⅔ of the way) and bake for 20 minutes, until the tops spring back when pressed. Cool in the tin for a minute or two then remove the cupcakes and let them cool fully at room temperature. If you are making them days ahead of time, put them in an airtight container in the freezer.
Make the buttercream:
- In a bowl, use the back of a rubber spatula to press down and smooth out the lumps of cream cheese. Add the vanilla, salt and butter and start beating on low. Once there are no lumps, sift in the powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the sour cream and stir until the buttercream is smooth. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.
Video
Notes
2024 update: the recipe, now has 2 tablespoons of hot boiling water, this helps moisten the batter and keep the cakes tender.