Red Velvet Cake & Cupcakes Recipe
What Makes Red Velvet Cake So Special?
Welcome, bakers! If you’ve ever wondered what makes Red Velvet cake and cupcakes so irresistible, you’re not alone. With its bold crimson crumb, creamy frosting, and hint of cocoa, it’s a bake that feels both nostalgic and indulgent. Perfect for birthdays, weddings, Valentine’s Day, or just a Saturday treat, Red Velvet has earned its place as one of the world’s most iconic cakes. I mean who doesn’t love red velvet? I bet your loved ones and costumers enjoy it.
Where Does Red Velvet Cake Come From?
The story of Red Velvet cake goes all the way back to the early 1900s in the US. When bakers started adding cocoa powder to cakes, they noticed it gave a finer “velvet” texture. Mixed with acidic ingredients like buttermilk and vinegar, the cocoa sometimes took on a natural reddish tone.
By the 1920s, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York was serving it to stylish diners, and by the 1940s it had become a home-baking staple. During WWII, when ingredients were scarce, beetroot juice was even used for colour! Today, we often reach for food colouring to get that signature rich red. Have you ever tried using beetroot?
Fun Facts About Red Velvet Cakes
🍫 Red Velvet is technically a chocolate cake but with a lighter cocoa flavour.
🥕 Beetroot was a common wartime substitute for food colouring.
🍰 The original frosting wasn’t cream cheese at all, but a fluffy “ermine” cooked frosting.
🧁 Red Velvet cupcakes are just as popular these days as the full layer cake easier to share and decorate!
🍓 The best red velvet cupcakes I have ever had are the ones from Peggy Porschens!
♥️ The Best Easy Red Velvet Recipe Cakes & Cupcakes
Red velvet is a timeless favourite – soft, moist, with a hint of cocoa and that gorgeous deep red crumb. The best part? This recipe works beautifully for both cakes and cupcakes. Whether you’re baking a layer cake for a celebration or a batch of cupcakes to share, you’ll get deliciously consistent results every time.
Ingredients
For the cake:
250g (2 cups) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
200g (1 cup) caster sugar
120ml (½ cup) vegetable oil
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar
240ml (1 cup) buttermilk*
2 tsp red food colouring (gel recommended for best colour)
TIP: If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 240ml milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes.
For the cream cheese frosting:
250g full-fat cream cheese (cold)
100g unsalted butter (softened)
400g icing sugar (sifted)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Step 1: Preheat
Heat your oven to 170°C (150°C fan) / 340°F.
Line two 8-inch cake tins or a 12-hole cupcake tray with cases.
Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa powder, and salt.
Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients
In another bowl, beat sugar, oil, and eggs until smooth.
Add vanilla and vinegar. Stir in the buttermilk and food colouring.
Step 4: Combine
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined (don’t overmix).
Step 5: Bake
For cupcakes: divide batter evenly between cases and bake for 18–22 minutes.
For cakes: pour batter into tins and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Step 6: Make the frosting
Beat butter until light and creamy.
Add cream cheese and vanilla, then sift in icing sugar gradually, mixing until smooth and fluffy.
Step 7: Decorate
Spread or pipe frosting over cooled cupcakes or cake layers.
Optional: crumble one cupcake or a little cake trimmings to sprinkle over the top for that classic red velvet look.
Serves: 12 | Prep: 20 mins | Bake: 25–30 mins
✨ For Red Velvet cupcakes, divide the batter into 12 cases and bake for 18–20 mins.
The Best Frostings for Red Velvet Cakes…
Classic Cream Cheese Frosting – tangy and sweet (the modern favourite).
🍥 Traditional Ermine Frosting – light, fluffy, and less sweet.
🤍 White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting – richer, indulgent, and perfect for special occasions.
WHAT IS EEMINE FROSTING?
Ermine frosting (sometimes called boiled milk frosting) is the original topping for Red Velvet cake, long before cream cheese frosting became popular. It’s made by cooking flour, milk, and sugar into a thick paste, then whipping it with butter and vanilla until it’s light, fluffy, and silky smooth. The result is a frosting that’s less sweet than buttercream, with a delicate flavour and cloud-like texture that pairs beautifully with the gentle cocoa notes of Red Velvet.
💡 When to Choose Ermine vs. Cream Cheese Frosting
🎂 Weddings & Special Occasions → Ermine frosting is perfect. It’s lighter, pipes beautifully, and won’t overwhelm other flavours.
🧁 Cupcakes for Kids → Ermine is less tangy and less sweet, making it ideal for little tastebuds.
🍰 Everyday Bakes & Family Cakes → Cream cheese frosting gives that rich, comforting flavour most people expect with Red Velvet.
💝 Valentine’s Day or Decadent Treats → Cream cheese wins for indulgence — especially paired with chocolate or berry fillings.
Filling Ideas for Extra Flair
Why stop at just frosting? Try these inside your cakes or cupcakes:
🍓 Raspberry jam for tartness
🍫 Chocolate ganache for chocoholics
🧂 Salted caramel for a sweet-salty hit
🍒 Fresh berries for freshness and colour
🥄 Mascarpone cream for added luxury…yum!
Fun Red Velvet Variations with the best red colouring!
💝 Valentine’s Red Velvet Hearts – bake cupcakes in heart shaped cases ( by adding those little balls of tin foil) and top with white chocolate drizzle.
🎄 Christmas Red Velvet Wreaths – Place cupcakes in a circle on a cake board, pipe cream cheese frosting in a circle and add fondant holly and berries.
🎂 Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies – marble cheesecake batter into your red velvet mix.
🥞 Red Velvet Pancakes – stack them high with cream cheese glaze for brunch.
Final Baking Tip ♥️
To achieve that super luscious deep red use gel food colouring so it’s vibrant without altering the cake’s texture. Red Velvet should be perfectly balanced: light cocoa, tangy buttermilk, and creamy frosting. Get that right, and you’ve got a bake that never fails to impress! Enjoy!
So whether it’s a towering two-layer cake or a batch of cupcakes for friends, Red Velvet will always steal the show. ❤️
Whether you make these for your loved ones or for your customers, Im sure they will love them! Don't forget to treat yourself with an extra large Cupcake with a healthy dollop of cream cheese frosting lol ♥️
Don’t forget to share your results with me over at:
