The Best Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
These red velvet cupcakes are the kind of treat people don’t forget. I’ve had folks try one and immediately ask for the recipe! They’re soft, super moist, with signature red velvet flavor and a little twist. The secret ingredient? Coconut extract! It’s a tiny addition that makes a huge difference—bringing a subtle sweetness that plays so well with the cocoa and tangy cream cheese frosting.
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Whether you’re baking for Valentine’s Day, Juneteenth celebrations, or just because, this red velvet cupcake recipe is the one to keep in your back pocket. Skip the buttermilk and vinegar and use sour cream and lemon juice for a smooth & bright tang then top these decadent cupcakes with a cloud-like, luscious cream cheese frosting.
These red velvet cupcakes are what your sweet tooth dreams are made of! Bake them once but be prepared for them to be your new favorite too!
Key Ingredients
All-purpose flour. The sour cream, cocoa powder & lemon juice are all acidic ingredients which help to tenderize the crumb of this red velvet cake so there’s no need for cake flour.
Sour cream. Used as a buttermilk replacement in this recipe since cultured buttermilk can be difficult to find
Cocoa powder. Keep things simple with regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
Unsalted butter. Added to make a flavorful cake
Oil. Used to make a soft cupcake. Also, since the cupcakes need to be refrigerated it helps them stay soft even when cold. Opt for a neutral flavored oil like canola or other vegetable oil.
Granulated sugar. Sweetens the cake without affecting the texture.
Eggs. Whole eggs are incorporated. They don’t need to be separated.
Lemon juice. Used instead of white vinegar for a smoother tangy flavor.
Red food coloring. Use your preferred coloring. Natural colorings will typically be less vibrant than the fake stuff.
Coconut extract. Unconventional but it complements the tangy flavor and the cocoa powder perfectly!
Tips for the Best Red Velvet Cupcakes
Spoon the flour into the measuring cups. This helps to prevent adding too much flour which can happen when flour is packed tightly into the measuring cups if its scooped directly from its container.
Cream the butter and sugar until extremely pale. This is important to incorporate air into the batter. This is part of what makes the cupcakes soft. It also contributes to the rise as the air bubbles trapped during the creaming stage will expand as the cupcake bakes.
Add the extracts at the creaming stage. Flavor follows fat so adding the coconut and vanilla extract with the butter and oil allows you to get the most out of them!
Use an oven thermometer. These cupcakes bake at a much higher temperature compared to my cake recipes. This is to encourage a strong rise with some gentle doming. Using an oven thermometer takes out the guess work since your oven can run higher or lower than the displayed reading or even have hotspots.
Is red velvet cake just chocolate cake with red food coloring?
No! Firstly, red velvet cake only has a fraction of the cocoa powder used in a chocolate cake. Secondly, the other ingredients incorporated in the cake create an entirely new flavor. It gets a slightly tangy flavor from sour cream since we make these red velvet cupcakes without buttermilk. Plus the lemon juice adds an extra layer of brightness to these cupcakes so they’re not overwhelmingly rich like in true chocolate cupcakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do these red velvet cupcakes have coconut extract? Coconut extract is admittedly an unconventional ingredients for red velvet cupcakes but trust me on this one – you won’t turn back. The coconut extract complements the cocoa powder and the tangy flavor and contributes its own sweet flavor. Once you finish decorating the cupcakes you can also sprinkle with grated coconut!
Do I have to refrigerate these cupcakes? Yes, since the frosting is essentially whipped cream with cream cheese it should be refrigerated after 2 hours as per USDA guidelines. Take the cupcakes out of the refrigerator 10 minutes before you are ready to serve again.
Can I make red velvet cupcakes without buttermilk? Yes! This recipe uses sour cream as a substitute for cultured buttermilk since that ingredients can be difficult to find for some. Opt for the full-fat option for optimal flavor and texture.
Can I pipe with cream cheese frosting? You can with this cream cheese frosting. Since cream cheese has a high water content, when it is whipped with sugar, some frosting can be too loose to pipe with. For the cream cheese frosting used on these red velvet cupcakes, the cream cheese is combined with mascarpone first. Since mascarpone has a high fat content it coats the cream cheese molecules and prevents the frosting from getting soupy.
What food coloring should I use? If you’re looking for a natural alternative I have tried this one from Watkins. It has a vibrant color but the hue unfortunately leans more purplish so it may be disappointing if you are looking for a deep red color. Otherwise, opt for a gel food coloring over a liquid food coloring. The pigment will be concentrated so you won’t have to use as much.
How to Make the Red Velvet Cupcake Batter
Step 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. The higher baking temperature is perfect for these cupcakes since it encourages a stronger rise with gentle doming.
Step 2. Add the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder & salt to bowl and mix to evenly incorporate. Set aside.
Step 3. Add the red food coloring to a separate bowl along with the lemon juice. Mix to incorporate then add the sour cream & whole milk then mix again. Set aside.
Mixing the red food coloring with something acidic, in this case lemon juice, will intensify the pigment. This is especially true for natural & vegetable based pigments.
Step 4. Add the unsalted butter, oil, granulated sugar, vanilla extract & coconut extract to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. You can also use a handheld electric mixer. It is best to add the extracts at this stage since flavor follows fat.
Step 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add all the eggs to the butter mixture. Mix again on low speed until completely incorporated.
Step 6. Add the dry ingredients along with the wet ingredients set aside earlier and mix on low speed until there are no more dry spots.
Step 7. Scoop the red velvet cupcake batter into a cupcake pan prepared with cupcake liners. Fill each cupcake about ⅔ the way with the batter.
Step 8. Bake the cupcakes at 400°F for 8-12 minutes or until the cupcake spring back when lightly pressed. If using a toothpick to check doneness the cupcakes are ready when one comes out with a few crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting your finished red velvet cupcakes.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting & Frost the Red Velvet Cupcakes
Step 1. Add the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium high speed until the mixture is easily spreadable. Transfer to another bowl/container and set aside. There’s no need to clean the mixing bowl for the next step.
Step 2. Add the heavy cream & powdered sugar to the mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment, start on low speed slowly bringing up to high speed & whipping until the heavy cream reaches soft peaks. When the whisk is inverted the peak should flop over easily like a Santa’s hat .
Step 3. Add the beat mascarpone/cream cheese from earlier and whip again on high speed until the mixture stiffens and forms firm peaks.
Step 4. Transfer the frosting to piping bag affixed with your favorite piping tip. Pipe the frosting onto the red velvet cupcakes in the desired patterns/shapes.
Serve at room temperature. Since the frosting contains dairy, they should refrigerated in an airtight container after 2 hours at room temperature as per USDA guidelines. While the cupcakes can be enjoyed cold, the texture will seem firmer because of the butter. Take the red velvet cupcakes out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving for them to soften as intended.
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Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 7¼ oz or 200g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 8¼ oz or 235g
- 1½ TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup neutral-flavored oil 5 oz or 142g
- ¼ cup unsalted butter ½ a stick or 2 oz or 57g
- ½ cup sour cream 4 oz or 113g
- ¼ cup whole milk 2 oz or 57g (can substitute skim milk)
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- red food coloring
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese 1 block or 226g
- 4 oz mascarpone cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
How to Make the Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 400°F. That’s not a typo – The higher baking temperature encourages a stronger rise with gentle doming.
- Add the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder & salt to bowl and mix to evenly incorporate. Set aside.
- Add the red food coloring to a separate bowl along with the lemon juice. Mix to incorporate then add the sour cream & whole milk then mix again. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the unsalted butter, oil, granulated sugar, vanilla extract & coconut extract. Beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. You can also use a handheld electric mixer.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add all the eggs to the butter mixture. Mix again on low speed until completely incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients along with the wet ingredients set aside earlier and mix on low speed until there are no more dry spots.
- Scoop the red velvet cupcake batter into a cupcake pan prepared with cupcake liners. Fill each cupcake about ⅔ the way with the batter.
- Bake the cupcakes at 400°F for 8-12 minutes or until the cupcake spring back when lightly pressed. If using a toothpick to check doneness, the cupcakes are ready when one comes out with a few crumbs.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting your finished red velvet cupcakes.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium high speed until the mixture is easily spreadable. Transfer to another bowl/container and set aside. There’s no need to clean the mixing bowl for the next step.
- Add the heavy cream & confectioner’s sugar to the mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment, start on low speed slowly bringing up to high speed & whipping until the heavy cream reaches soft peaks. When the whisk is inverted the peak should flop over easily like a Santa’s hat .
- Add the beat mascarpone/cream cheese from earlier and whip again on high speed until the mixture stiffens and forms firm peaks.
- Transfer the frosting to piping bag affixed with your favorite piping tip. Pipe the frosting onto the red velvet cupcakes in the desired patterns/shapes.
- Serve at room temperature. Since the frosting contains dairy, they should refrigerated in an airtight container after 2 hours at room temperature as per USDA guidelines. Take the red velvet cupcakes out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving again for them to soften as intended.
Notes
- Spoon the flour into the measuring cups. This helps to prevent adding too much flour which can happen when flour is packed tightly into the measuring cups if its scooped directly from its container.
- Use an oven thermometer. These cupcakes bake at a much higher temperature compared to my cake recipes. Using an oven thermometer takes out the guess work since your oven can run higher or lower than the displayed reading or even have hotspots. Too low a temperature and the cupcakes won’t rise enough. Too high and you risk burning/drying out your cupcakes!
