Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen
Yield/Serves:
Makes 12 cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups (3 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Wilton red food coloring or 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugar; mix on medium speed until light and fluffy. With mixer running, add 1 egg at a time, stopping the machine to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
To a liquid measuring cup, add buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring; whisk to combine. Alternating, add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the creamed butter, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. To finish the batter, combine baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl. With the mixer running, add vinegar mixture into batter and stir until thoroughly combined.
Fill muffin cups three-fourths full of batter. Transfer to oven and bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire racks and cool completely.
To prepare frosting: To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter, cream cheese, and vanilla; beat on medium speed until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix until just incorporated. Increase speed to medium and beat until frosting is fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, filling it halfway for the ease of piping.
To decorate cupcakes: Holding disposable pastry bag with frosting just above the cupcake, squeeze bag to release frosting and form a star. When you reach the size of the star you wish to form, stop the pressure on the bag and pull it up and away to stop more frosting from coming out and form a perfect star top. Continue piping until the top of the cupcake is covered with desired amount of frosting.