Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These Ultimate Red Velvet Cupcakes are made entirely from scratch using LorAnn® Better Than Extracts™ Red Velvet Bakery Emulsion for vibrant color and rich, bakery-quality flavor. Each cupcake is finished with a creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting made with LorAnn Organic Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste, creating the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Watch the full step-by-step video below to see how to bake these moist, flavorful red velvet cupcakes at home. Whether you're preparing a dessert for a special occasion, adding to your dessert table, or simply satisfying a sweet craving, this recipe walks you through every step - from mixing the batter to piping the frosting - so you can achieve perfect results every time. Created in collaboration with Barb Green of The Daily Bake

Ingredients

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Bake Time: 18-22 minutes
Servings: 12-15
FOR RED VELVET CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose fl our (190 g)
1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
1 tsp baking soda (6 g)
1/2 tsp salt (3 g)
1 large egg (50 g), room temp
1/2 cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil (120 mL), room temp
1 cup buttermilk (240 mL), room temp
1 tsp white distilled vinegar (5 mL)
1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (11 g)
1 tbsp LorAnn® Better Than Extracts™ Red Velvet Bakery Emulsion (15 mL) *See notes for substitutions
1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar (2.5 mL)
FOR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
8 oz. full-fat cream cheese (223 g), cold
1/2 cup unsalted butter (113 g), slightly soft
4 cups powdered sugar (500 g), sifted
1 tsp LorAnn Organic Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste (5 mL) or 2 tsp of LorAnn Organic Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract (10 mL)
1 tbsp heavy cream (15 mL)
A generous pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter + 2 tablespoons, separated

Recipe PDF

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cupcake pan with liners. This recipe makes 1 dozen.

FOR CUPCAKES:

In a large bowl, combine fl our, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine egg, oil, buttermilk, and 1 tsp of vinegar. Whisk and set aside.

In a small bowl or ramekin, add cocoa powder, LorAnn Red Velvet Emulsion (or vanilla and coloring), and the 1/2 tsp reserved vinegar. Stir until smooth and combined.

Add the red slurry to the wet ingredients. Whisk until combined.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk or stir by hand until just combined and smooth. Do not overmix.

Scoop the batter into liners, making sure to only fill 2/3 full. They will rise up quite a bit.

Bake 18-22 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with only a few moist crumbs.

Let them sit in the baking pan for 5 minutes, and then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

FOR FROSTING:

Cream the butter and cold cream cheese together on medium-high speed for about 2-3 minutes until completely smooth and pale. Make sure you see no lumps before adding sugar.

Add LorAnn Vanilla Bean Paste (or vanilla extract) and salt.

Turn the mixer speed to the lowest setting and add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Once it is incorporated, turn the speed to medium and mix for 1 minute. Repeat with the rest of the sugar until it is all incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, hand mix the frosting for 30 seconds at the very end of the mixing. This will eliminate any large air bubbles so your frosting is smooth for spreading or piping.

Notes

For cupcakes, use 3-4 drops of red gel color, or liquid color, use 1 1/2-2 tbsp for the desired color.

For cupcakes, use 2 tsp of Vanilla extract (10 mL)

#20 cookie scoop - 3 tbsp (45 mL)