Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Vibrant, moist, and topped with homemade Cream Cheese Frosting, this Red Velvet Cupcake recipe is the decadent treat you’re looking for. It’s the perfect Valentine’s Day treat to share with your sweetie! Magnolia-Star Pure Vanilla Extract adds a hint of warm, inviting taste – it balances out the sweetness with a nice earthy flavor.
Why We Love Adding Buttermilk to Cupcakes
Buttermilk is kind of the secret weapon in cupcakes —it quietly fixes a lot of common cupcake problems.
Why buttermilk makes cupcakes better
1. Extra moisture (without heaviness)
Buttermilk adds moisture but stays light, so cupcakes come out:
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Soft
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Tender
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Not oily or dense
It’s especially clutch for cupcakes that dry out easily (vanilla, red velvet).
2. Super tender crumb
The mild acidity in buttermilk:
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Breaks down gluten strands
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Gives cupcakes that fine, bakery-style crumb
Translation: no rubbery texture.
3. Better rise
Buttermilk reacts with:
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Baking soda
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Baking powder
That reaction = better lift and a softer dome, not a flat cupcake.
4. Balanced flavor
Buttermilk adds a subtle tang that:
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Cuts sweetness
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Makes vanilla taste richer
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Makes chocolate taste deeper
You won’t taste “buttermilk”—just better flavor.
5. Keeps cupcakes moist longer
Cupcakes made with buttermilk stay soft into the next day, which is huge if you’re baking ahead.
When to definitely use buttermilk
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Vanilla cupcakes
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Chocolate cupcakes
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Red velvet
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Lemon or citrus cupcakes
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Anytime you want soft + tender + moist
No buttermilk? Easy swap
Mix:
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1 cup milk + 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
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Let sit 5 minutes
Boom—DIY buttermilk.
Bottom line
Buttermilk =
✔ softer crumb
✔ better rise
✔ richer flavor
✔ longer-lasting moisture
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For Cupcakes
- 1 1/3 cups Cake flour spooned & leveled
- 2 tbsp Natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp Clabber Girl® Baking Soda
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter softened to room temp
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 cup Oil Canola or vegetable
- 1 tbsp Liquid red food coloring
- 1 tsp Magnolia-Star Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Distilled white vinegar
- 2/3 cup Buttermilk
For Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter softened
- 1 8 oz block of cream cheese softened
- 1 tsp Magnolia-Star Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
For cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two standard 12-count muffin pans with 16 cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the cake flour and cocoa powder together, then whisk in the baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and mix until fully combined, then mix in the oil, red food coloring, vanilla extract, and vinegar, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Make sure to mix in each addition until just combined and be careful not to over mix the batter.
- Evenly distribute the batter between all 16 cupcake liners in the prepared muffin pans, only filling each one about halfway full.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For frosting:
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe the frosting on top.
Notes
- When measuring your cake flour, avoid scooping it from the container with your measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
- We recommend using cake flour in this recipe, as it will produce the softest and fluffiest cupcake.
- You can freeze both the cupcakes and the cream cheese frosting in separate containers. Be sure to store both in airtight, freezer-safe containers to prevent freezer burn.