My Favorite Red Velvet Cupcakes
Written by joythebaker on September 2, 2009 – 5:24 pm -
God sure does have a clever sense of humor, wouldn’t you say!?
Yes.
Here’s how I know: I’m dating a faaaaantastic man who… doesn’t know the difference between a pie and a cake… a muffin and a cupcake.
Funny, right? This has to be a joke… right?
Nope.
Ok. To be fair. It’s not that he doesn’t know the difference… it’s just that he mixes them all up all the time. Maybe it makes me a little crazy. Maybe it goes a little something like this:
Me: Simon, what do you want for your birthday?
Simon: A giant pie!
Me: A pie? You mean you don’t want a big ol’ chocolate cake?
Simon: Oh! Wait! No…. I want a cake. Wait… cakes are the big, multi-layered things with all the frosting. Yes. I want that.
Me: Cake. Not pie. Cake. Ok.
OR!
Me: Hey Simon! What do you want for breakfast?
Simon: Cupcakes!
Me: You mean muffins, right?
Simon: Ooh yea. Muffins. Yeaaaaah. They have the same shape! It’s confusing.
Me: I know.
Ok… maybe these two conversations are a bit of an exaggeration. But seriously friends… they’re not that much of an exaggeration. This happens to me, and I don’t see an end in sight. Very funny God. Luckily I have a very keen sense of humor too. Ha.
Perhaps making up for his mix-ups, Simon is one hell of a cupcake decorator. Seriously.
Now, I’d like to introduce you to my absolute favorite Red Velvet Cupcake recipe with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. Wait… muffins. No, cupcakes. No… definitely cupcakes. I know this.
Believe it or not, I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Red Velvet Cupcakes. I thought they always tasted, well… red.
This Red Velvet Cupcake recipe comes from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. All of the cupcakes I’ve tried from this book so far have been a tremendous success. What makes this recipe so lovely, is the hearty but not overpowering amount of cocoa powder. It’s just enough to tint the cupcake a sultry brownish-red and to tone down the red flavor that always turns me off. Buttermilk works to make the cupcakes just the right softness and combined with Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting… shut up… so good!
This recipe makes one dozen cupcakes. Double the recipe and you’ll have either two dozen cupcakes, or enough batter to make 2 9-inch layer cakes. Brilliant!
My Favorite Red Velvet Cupcakes
recipe from Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
makes one dozen cupcakes, double recipe to make 2 9-inch layer cakes
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons red food coloring (I using a dash less)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Turn mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.
In a separate bowl mix together cocoa, vanilla and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter, mixing thoroughly until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.
Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.
Turn mixer to low and add baking soda and white vinegar. Turn to high and beat a few more minutes.
Spoon batter into a paper lined cupcake baking pan and bake at 325 F for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean.
Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then place them of a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
double recipe to frost a 2 layer 9-inch cake
2 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, cold (I used room temperature)
scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Beat the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-slow speed until it comes together and is well mixed.
Add the cream cheese all at once and beat on medium to medium-high until incorporated.
Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes, or until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.
Do not over-beat as the frosting can quickly become runny.
Posted in Chocolate, Cupcakes, In the Kitchen, Recipes | 134 Comments »
Oooh… can’t I just make the frosting and eat it all from the bowl with a spoon? (and then feel a bit sick)
Kudos for the cake decorating, I reckon that’s more important than knowing the difference between pie and cake (he’s got you to help with that)
I ended up with WAY too much frosting! A couple of friends were over so we just sat there in a circle like little kids, eating it by the spoonful! It was agreed that it was WELL worth the belly aches!
It says to mix the vinegar with the baking soda, how much baking soda? I think that got lost on my page I’m viewing!
I see it now!
A little more time with you and he will start to see the difference, I’m sure!
Oh, totally cute! I wasn’t a fan of red velvet either, but it’s slowly growing on me
i’ve never hard red velvet cupcakes (fake coloring is weird), but this really makes me want to try them! and maybe i’ll get my boyfriend to decorate them, too!!
ps: so happy for your joy! he sounds super cute!
so, i can’t spell, but thanks to your name its ok!
a. so happy for your joy
b. so happy for you, joy!
I love the Hummingbird Bakery book and having recently eaten their cupcakes, I am really pleased with the results from all the recipes I have made. The black bottom cupcakes are just fabulous.
Love the cute piping on your red velvets Joy xx
I had never even heard of red velvet till I visited diners along the East Coast. Now, it’s one of my absolute favourite cake flavours!
I tried making them once, but it was a HUGE disaster.
Hi Joy, Just a quick question on what temperature you have the oven?
I can’t wait to make these!
Thanks
LOL OMG! I always thought the red velvet cupcakes tasted red too until I found a good recipe for them. I have to try this one.
I was laughing really hard in the beginning post….very cute.
These look amazing, and I love the addition of cinnamon! Yum!
I’m making these for my friend’s birthday in a few weeks. Red velvet cake is her favorite.
I don’t know if I am just now noticing, but thanks for the “print this recipe” and I really like that your URL prints at the top. I love the redesign! Thanks so much for going to all the trouble and pain!
omg looks delicious!! i love red velvet cupcakes…my sister once made magnolia’s but forgot an ingredient so individually stirred it into each cupcake they were poisonous. luckily im a better bakers
check out my blog pleasse!!!
cookteen.blogspot.com
Hummingbird Bakery cookbook ROCKS! I bought it last year at a cute little store in Berkeley right next to Rick and Ann’s restaurant (if you haven’t been there yet, you MUST go for brunch when you are in Berkeley!).
The pictures in this book are just divine! We made a bunch of the cupcakes with my campers this summer! The campers went bonkers over the chocolate cupcakes! http://figsinmybelly.blogspot.com/2009/07/crispy-chewy-ooey-gooey-chocolate.html
Your marshmallow cupcakes from the picnic were out of this world and look even prettier than the pics in this book!
I really want to make the Hummingbird brownies…all three versions look incredible–the traditional, the frosted, and the raspberry cheesecake brownies!
I’ve not tried baking red velvet but your photos inspired me to bake it soon. You’re so lucky to have a handsome assistant in your kitchen.
By the way, Joy, I have a comment with regards your set up, it’s beautiful but I’m having difficulty clicking the pages. It became so slow. The last set up you had was so fast whenever I click on something and wanted to look at something.
Oh,I am so glad I found this, I was looking for an excellent red velvet cake recipe for my son’s birthday cake. I am doing Elmo this year, so I wanted red velvet cake with a white frosting, I think I am doing Elmo with red jimmies. and fondant. Dont have a complete plan yet, but am getting there slowly, I still have 2 months.
haha! That’s so funny. I laughed so hard reading that, esp the ‘conversation’ even if exaggerated. That’s a few of my guy friends as well: ‘just give me anything baked, pie/cake what’s the difference? LOL As long as it looks and tastes good, who cares what you call it?’ Too funny…
those cupcakes look absolutely divine, I want to make them right now!! If I want to make them without the food colouring, would they pretty much taste like chocolate cupcakes? Or would they be missing anything..I know its just colour, but the recipe sounds good, I just don’t have any food colouring (and I’m a little afraid of it too lol)
Thanks for sharing
It is such a joy to visit your blog. There are so many sweet treats that I couldn’t resist. I visited your blog once before but I forgot to bookmark it but now I found you again through Paper Apron.
Enjoyed your site.
Regards,
Divina
I think I might make Red Velvet Black and White Cookies again (an earlier recipe from your site) but put the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting on them! Just because!
YUM! Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting lured me right in.
I have just bought a copy of the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook. Isn’t it gorgeous? Those pictures are fabulous. It’s the first recipe book I’ve ever bought where I’ve wanted to bake everything. Even the coconut cakes and I don’t like coconut! I’m going to have to try the Red Velvet cake, it looks so interesting. I’d never heard of it until I started reading American baking blogs. There’s always one thing that has put me off though, the vinegar. I really hate vinegar but can you even taste it in the cake? I’m not sure if just the thought that there is vinegar in there might put me off.
Take care
Beks
BTW I like the new layout of the blog. It’s very pretty.
i love recipes for only a dozen cupcakes … so do my coworkers who usually have to eat all the leftovers
also, any guy who can handle a pastry bag is definitely a keeper (and the cupcake/muffin confusion is so cute!!)
Oooh! I have to admit that I’m like the others, Joy. Red food coloring tends to scare me. lol. Still, these look good. Simon looks like a great catch and he’s funny! Love his comments. My hubby says “A cupcake without frosting is just a muffin.” (Too true!) Oh and Anita, I totally agree:
“Anita says:
September 3, 2009 at 4:11 am
It could be worse, he could say “that (from scratch) chocolate cake tastes almost as good as a mix”. That really drives me nuts.”
When I visited friends in Arizona, one of the guys decided to tease me by saying that my from scratch biscuits were “almost as good as the canned ones.” Yup. He got kicked for that one.
Oh and on another note, I tried the cinnamon cream cheese frosting on a spice cake the other day. My hubby devoured it. It made you want to eat it with a spoon. hehe!
Anyhow, enough of my rambling. I need to add food coloring to my grocery list.
haha that reminds me of my dad… i was racking my brain trying to figure out which chocolate cake he said he’d liked so dang much… turns out he was talking about a chocolate CHESS PIE!
whoa!! God really does have a sense of humor, but i personally think it’s a good balance. you bake and simon decorate your already yummy looking creations. win-win situation, if i do say so myself…
by the way, simon’s cupcake ising skills are the best ever!
sarah-anne catherine
YUMMY YUM, red velvet cupcakes! I think I’m going to attempt these for a bake sale next week!
Love your blog. love your new website. love red velvet. RV cupcakes with extra icing??? Let me at ‘em
Thanks for your beautiful pics, great recipes and sharing so much with us.
That’s not so bad. He’ll learn.
My bf wouldn’t let me experiment in the kitchen, he’d be happy with just spaghetti, pizza and tortillas. Now after almost five years, his repetoair has widended, he’s becoming critical about the food he eats, he’s enjoying in discovering new flavours (though i’m still working on him as far as parsley and cumin go, pointing out each time i use them that they were used and he still loved it 
, but that’s childhood no-no’s for you 
). Very nicely decorated cupcakes, btw! And to be frank, cupcakes are just muffins with frosting in my book. 
So cute! God definitely has a sense of humor…love your blog by the way! They should make a movie of your life like they did with “Julie & Julia”
So Delish! Love Red Velvet cupcakes. Fantastic pictures too.
Hi Joy, do you have any idea on the best substitute for the red food coloring? I’d like to replace it with something natural, if possible.
Hope to hear from you.
I’m about to try this recipe out, but just want to make sure I read right about beating the batter on high twice? I’m usually really careful about overmixing my cake batters, especially once the flour has been added. Doesn’t the beating on high make it dry or gluten-ous?
Thanks… love the photos
Hi Lorraine!
I was a little wary of beating the batter on high once the flour was added too. I did it, and the cupcakes turned out just lovely for me. Once the flour was added, I beat the batter for about 1 minute… maybe even a tad less on high. I then added the soda and vinegar and beat it for another minute… or just under a minute. I had success, I hope you do too!
Thanks for the quick reply, Joy! I just made them exactly like that… and they are shockingly good. I think I’ve found my RV recipe of choice.
Hi Joy,
Absolutely love your blog and your pictures are amazing! I have a question. Do you like this recipe better than Bright Red Velvet Cake recipe? I wanted to make some this evening for a colleague’s birthday, but wasn’t sure which recipe was better!
Thanks again!
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Hi there! I’m going to be trying this out in the cake version (doubled recipe for 2 9-in cakes) as you suggested. For the cooking time and temperature, does 350F for 20-25 minutes still hold true?
Thanks, love your blog!
Hi Joy – So happy that you found someone to share life with. What a blessing…
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Hi Joy, I love your site! I just made a batch of these for a birthday party and they look delicious! I can’t wait to tear into them! Just wanted to point out one thing I noticed while making them – your directions don’t reference adding the salt, which is on the ingredient list. I went ahead and added it at the same time I put in the baking soda, but I wasn’t sure if that was the correct spot or not. Just wanted to let you know so you can fix that. Thanks for all of the great recipes, keep up the great work! And happy baking!
I’m hoping these turn out WONDERFUl because I am attending a chocolate extravaganza tonight called Choctoberfest and I’m making these and your smores brownies! Any tips???
I made these for a party last week and they were delicious! Somehow I had written down that the frosting called for 3 tbs of cinnamon. The frosting came out quite cinnamony, but actually really delicious.
Which do you prefer: the red velvet cake with brown sugar frosting or this one?
I made these cupcakes for a group of my friends last night. People LOVED them! Especially the frosting. I combined your recipes for the brown sugar cream cheese frosting and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It was SO good. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these for my Halloween party last night. They were AMAZING! I quadrupled the recipe (yes, QUADRUPLED) and made over 100 mini cupcakes. ANNND I watered down some of the frosting and added red food coloring…to blood spatter the cupcakes. Yes.
It. Was. Awesome.
Thanks!
omgoodness! your post totally made me laugh!
)
i just discovered your blog today and soooooooo happy that i stopped by. i just finished making some cheesecake brownies, but i promise you, i’ll be whipping up some of your lemon cloud tea cookies or chocolate chip cookies soon. actually these will be perfect to ship off to my mom who is recovering from a surgery. i’m sure she’ll be grateful to you!
oh! i forgot to share… God totally does have a sense of humor. i LOVE to bake and the guy i’ve been dating doesn’t have a sweet tooth. he eats my sweets because he knows my feelings will be hurt if he doesn’t. lol
Oh my goodness, this sounds divine. My boyfriend specifically asked for red velvet cake for his birthday (next weekend) and this sounds like it fits the bill perfectly. I can’t wait!
i made these for a tea party last weekend – they were lovely. was a bit reluctant to try the cream cheese frosting as mine usually turns out runny, but this one was perfect! thanks for sharing