Name: Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 48 mini cheesecakes
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 200 grams all-purpose flour; 12 grams Dutch process cocoa powder; 1.5 teaspoons baking powder; 0.25 tsp Kosher salt; 114 grams unsalted butter; 200 grams granulated sugar; 2 eggs; 60 grams neutral oil; 15 milliliters vanilla extract; 1.5 teaspoons red gel food coloring; 180 milliliters whole milk buttermilk; 114 grams unsalted butter; 228 grams full-fat cream cheese; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 pinch Kosher salt; 480 grams powdered sugar; sprinkles

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting cover

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Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

Instructions

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Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 24-cup mini muffin pan with mini cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

Add the unsalted butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Using beaters or a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl every minute or so, until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined. Stir in the neutral oil followed by the vanilla extract and red gel food coloring.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk and stir just until the batter starts to come together. Then, add the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk. Mix the batter just until there are no more streaks of flour. Don't over-mix!

Using a #60 cookie scoop, divide the batter between the mini cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. (If you only have one 24-cup mini muffin pan, you will have to bake the cupcakes in batches.) Bake the cupcakes for 10-11 minutes, just until an inserted toothpick has a few moist crumbs on it.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Add the softened unsalted butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a whip attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until it's well-mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.

Mix the vanilla extract and salt into the cream cheese mixture. Then, sift half of the powdered sugar into the cream cheese and mix until combined. Repeat with the remaining powdered sugar. Turn the speed to medium and whip the frosting until it's very light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.

Frost and Decorate

Fit a piping bag with a decorative tip. Then, fill the piping bag with the cream cheese frosting. Pipe the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and decorate the tops with sprinkles, if desired. Serve the cupcakes immediately or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Room Temperature Ingredients for Perfect Crumb 🌡️
Bring cream cheese, eggs, and buttermilk to room temperature before mixing to ensure smooth batter and even rising, preventing dense or unevenly baked mini cupcakes.
Dutch Process Cocoa Color Secret 🎨
Dutch process cocoa powder is essential for authentic red velvet—it's been treated with alkali to deepen color and reduce bitterness, so don't substitute with regular cocoa or your signature red hue will be compromised.
Gel Coloring Over Liquid 💧
Use red gel food coloring instead of liquid, as liquid coloring adds moisture and can throw off your batter consistency, resulting in overly wet cupcakes that bake unevenly.
Cream Cheese Frosting Whipping Technique ✨
Whip softened cream cheese and butter together for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy before adding powdered sugar—this incorporates air for a cloud-like frosting that's fluffy rather than dense and heavy.
Mini Cupcake Timing Precision ⏱️
Reduce baking time to 12-15 minutes for mini cupcakes (versus 18-22 for standard), checking doneness at 11 minutes with a toothpick to prevent overbaking, which dries them out quickly due to their smaller size.