Ultimate Red Velvet Cupcakes

Credit:http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.in/

These are rich chocolate cakes characterized by their distinctive red colour, originally given when unprocessed cocoa reacted to the acid in the buttermilk. Today, red food colouring is used. You can however substitue the synthetic red colour for beetroot juice. Don't use too much though or you will end up with Red Velvet Beetroot Cupcakes!


This is a popular cupcake flavor, so naturally there are millions of recipes out there. It took me a lot of bad cupcake batches to finally zero in on the perfect recipe. Believe you me...I have tried every conceivable ingredient combination and  recipe out there...and this one is spot on. It makes the cake so moist and at the same time crumbly...its so delicious and now my mouth is watering!


2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1tsp baking powder
2 tblsp unsweetened cocoa powder
50ml red food colouring or 125 ml beetroot juice
1/2 cup unsalted softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt


Per-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together the flour, baking powder & salt in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl mix food colouring* & cocoa to form a paste and set aside.


In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Be careful as it will fizz so don't do it in a shallow bowl. Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. 


Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill cupcake cups with cake batter until they are a little under 3/4 full. Place muffin tins in your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 20mins, rotating pans halfway through. The cupcakes are done when you are able to pat the tops and the cake springs back up. If it sinks down they are not yet complete. Or you can insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake in the center of the tin and if it comes out clean they are done.

Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting. Serve with Cream Cheese Frosting 

*If you are using food coloring powder, mix about a teaspoon of the powder to the buttermilk, stir so that no lumps are formed, and add to the cake mix.