Red Velvet Cupcakes for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day and classic red velvet cupcakes – a match made in heaven? There’s something about the red and the white that is perfect for celebrating this most loving of occasions. If you’re not into Valentine’s Day, why not celebrate Galentine’s Day by whipping up a batch of these easy red velvet cupcakes? They’re rich, soft, and just a little bit decadent, with a hint of cocoa that pairs perfectly with the tangy cream cheese frosting. And the best part? They’re easier to make than you’d think, but they taste like you spent hours in the kitchen. Perfect for impressing without the stress!

This recipe makes 15 deep-filled cupcakes but you can make 18 if you fill the cases slightly less full. I like to make a big cupcake!

Red Velvet Cupcakes Without Buttermilk

A classic red velvet cupcake recipe calls for buttermilk, but you can make these red velvet cupcakes without buttermilk – simply use milk with some lemon juice added to it! I never have buttermilk in and this substitute works really well.

Ingredients for Red Velvet Cupcakes

• Unsalted Butter – Adds richness and moisture to the cupcakes, helping to create a soft, fluffy crumb.
• Caster Sugar – Provides the sweetness you need for the perfect balance in these cupcakes.
• Red Food Colouring – Gives the cupcakes their iconic deep red hue. It’s what makes red velvet, well, red velvet!
• Vanilla Extract – Enhances the flavour, adding that lovely background note that makes each bite feel just right.
• Buttermilk – Adds a slight tang, which balances out the sweetness and makes the cupcakes even more tender.
• Self-Raising Flour– Ensures the cupcakes rise beautifully, giving them that perfect light and airy texture.
• White Wine Vinegar – A small amount of vinegar helps the baking soda activate and gives the cupcakes that slight tang that red velvet is known for.

For the cream cheese frosting:

• Icing Sugar – This is the base of your frosting, making it sweet and fluffy.
• Unsalted Butter – Brings creaminess and richness to the frosting, making it smooth and easy to spread.
• Full-Fat Cream Cheese – The star of the frosting! It provides the perfect creamy, tangy base that pairs beautifully with the sweet cupcake.
• Heart Sprinkles – Because a little sprinkle of love is always the finishing touch!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

• Perfect Red Velvet Flavour – These red velvet cupcakes are soft, moist, and perfectly balanced in sweetness, with just a touch of tang from the buttermilk and vinegar. They’re everything you love about red velvet!
• Cream Cheese Frosting Heaven – The cream cheese frosting is a showstopper! Rich, creamy, and slightly tangy, it’s the perfect match for the sweet, soft cupcakes. Every bite is irresistible.
• Vibrant Red Colour – With the perfect amount of red food colouring, these cupcakes have that striking red hue that screams ‘special occasion’ without being over the top.
• Fluffy and Tender – Thanks to the perfect balance of ingredients like buttermilk and self-raising flour, these cupcakes have a light, fluffy texture that practically melts in your mouth.
• Fun and Festive – Top them with heart sprinkles or any festive decoration for a treat that’s just as fun to look at as it is to eat. Perfect for birthdays, Christmas, or anytime you need a sweet treat.
• Easy to Make – No complicated techniques here! Just a simple process that results in beautiful cupcakes with a smooth, creamy frosting. It’s the perfect recipe for both beginners and experienced bakers alike.

Psst…see those links? They’re Amazon affiliate links! If you click them and purchase something, I may get a tiny commission (enough for a cuppa, maybe? ☕️) at no cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely love, so you’re in good hands!

How to Make Classic Red Velvet Cupcakes

These cupcakes are so easy to make! Here’s how to make them:

• Preheat the oven to 170 ºC (325ºF).
• Prepare your cupcake wrappers in the baking tin(s).
• Make your buttermilk (if required). Add the milk to a jug and then add half a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Allow it to stand for at least 5 minutes before using.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and sugar and mix until light and fluffy. If you don’t have a stand mixer you could use a handheld mixer.
• Crack the eggs into a separate cup or jug and add them to the bowl, one at a time. Make sure the eggs are well mixed in.
• Add the vanilla extract, food colouring and cocoa powder.
• Add half of the flour to the bowl and incorporate well, and then half of the buttermilk and mix well. Add the vinegar.
• Add the rest of the flour and buttermilk and make sure it’s all mixed in, but take care not to overmix or your cupcakes will become tough.
• Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the mixture into the cupcake cases. This recipe will give you 15 deep-filled red velvet cupcakes but you could get up to 18 if you filled the cases a little bit less.
• Put the cupcake tray in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Our cupcakes needed 25 minutes as they were quite deep.
• When firm to the touch and you can insert a toothpick into the cupcakes and it comes out clean, the cupcakes are ready. Allow to cool in the tin slightly, before taking them out and putting them on a wire rack to cool completely before you decorate (or the frosting will melt into the cupcakes and make a right mess).
• In the bowl of a freestanding mixer, sift the icing sugar and add the butter. Beat until well combined. You might want to cover your mixer with a tea towel if it doesn’t have a lid to stop it throwing icing sugar all over!
• Stir in the cream cheese. Beat for about 5 minutes on medium-high speed until the frosting is nice, light and smooth. Be careful not to overmix or the frosting could split and go runny.
• Put the Jem 2D piping nozzle in a piping bag, and snip off the end. Fill the piping bag with cream cheese frosting.
• Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cupcake. I like to imagine the cupcake is a clock face. Starting in the middle, I pipe from the centre down to 6 o’clock and then round anticlockwise, working my way into the centre of the cupcake with a spiral.
• Add sprinkles, and voila! The easiest Valentine’s Day cupcakes ever are finished.

How to Store Red Velvet Cupcakes

As these cupcakes have cream cheese frosting on they need to be stored in the fridge, and should keep in an airtight container for 3 days. They don’t last that long in our house because they’re delicious!

Alternative Frosting Ideas

If you didn’t want to store these cupcakes in a fridge you could make a simple vanilla buttercream. Buttercream is fine left out at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also buy cream cheese flavouring to add to buttercream so you can get more of the taste, although it won’t be quite the same as the real thing.

For more red velvet recipes you might like:

Red Velvet Mini Cakes

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies