Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
These classic mini red velvet cupcakes are one of my go-to desserts for Christmas, Valentine's Day, or basically any get-together! I mean, who doesn't love red velvet? And the whipped cream cheese frosting is rich, tangy, and so fluffy. I dream of these cupcakes!
Ingredients
Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 200 grams all-purpose flour, sifted (1 2/3 cups)
- 12 grams Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted (2 Tablespoons)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 114 grams unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
- 200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 60 grams neutral oil (1/4 cup)
- 15 milliliters vanilla extract (1 Tablespoon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red gel food coloring
- 180 milliliters whole milk buttermilk (3/4 cup)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 114 grams unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
- 228 grams full-fat cream cheese, softened (8 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- 480 grams powdered sugar, sifted (4 cups)
- Sprinkles, for decorating (optional)
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Mini muffin pan (24-cup or 48-cup)
- Mini cupcake liners
Instructions
Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 24-cup mini muffin pan with mini cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the unsalted butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Using beaters or a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl every minute or so, until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined. Stir in the neutral oil followed by the vanilla extract and red gel food coloring.
- Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk and stir just until the batter starts to come together. Then, add the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk. Mix the batter just until there are no more streaks of flour. Don't over-mix!
- Using a #60 cookie scoop, divide the batter between the mini cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. (If you only have one 24-cup mini muffin pan, you will have to bake the cupcakes in batches.) Bake the cupcakes for 10-11 minutes, just until an inserted toothpick has a few moist crumbs on it.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the softened unsalted butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a whip attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until it's well-mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
- Mix the vanilla extract and salt into the cream cheese mixture. Then, sift half of the powdered sugar into the cream cheese and mix until combined. Repeat with the remaining powdered sugar. Turn the speed to medium and whip the frosting until it's very light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
Frost & Decorate
- Fit a piping bag with a decorative tip. Then, fill the piping bag with the cream cheese frosting. Pipe the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and decorate the tops with sprinkles, if desired. Serve the cupcakes immediately or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
As a trained pastry chef, I always recommend weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale instead of using measuring cups. It's the only way to make sure the recipe comes out perfect every time! If you don't have a scale, make sure to fluff the flour with a whisk, spoon it into a measuring cup, and level it off without packing it in. You'll also want to do this with the cocoa powder.
Bring any cold ingredients (butter, eggs, buttermilk, etc.) to room temperature for about 30 minutes before you start baking. This will help the batter come together more consistently!
You can also make homemade buttermilk! Just measure out 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) of whole milk. Remove 3/4 Tablespoon (12 milliliters) of milk and add 3/4 Tablespoon (12 milliliters) of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Whisk and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until curdled.
Use no-taste red food coloring if you can find it. Some food colorings give baked goods a chemically, bitter taste.
Don't over-mix the batter or the cupcakes will come out dry and dense. Mix in the flour just until the batter comes together.
Serving: 1mini cupcake, Calories: 137kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 47mg, Sugar: 14g, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 0.3mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @sundaytable.co on Instagram!