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Get the Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe

Servings: 24 cupcakes
Author: Michelle Lopez
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Ingredients

For the Red Velvet Cupcakes

  • 2 cups (8 ounces) cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ⅓ cups (9.35 ounces) granulated sugar
  • Zest of 1 small to medium orange (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 6 tablespoons 3 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (2.65 ounces) canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon red food coloring
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

For the Orange Blossom Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

  • ⅔ cup (6 ounces) egg whites, from about 5 large eggs
  • a scant 1 ⅔ cup (11 ounces) granulated sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 2 ½ cups (20 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
  • maroon food coloring, I one from this Americolor kit

Equipment

  • Special Equipment: a candy thermometer (preferably digital)

Instructions
 

For the Red Velvet Cupcakes

  • Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two muffin tins with paper liners.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar—this will infuse the sugar with oils from the zest. Add the butter and oil and beat on medium until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, adding the next egg only after the previous one has been fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the food coloring and vanilla and beat until the batter is a uniform red color.
  • With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until the last of the dry ingredients are just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more and beat for 30 seconds.
  • Working quickly, place the baking soda in a small ramekin, add the vinegar, and whisk—the mixture will start to bubble and fizz almost immediately. With the mixer on low, pour the vinegar mixture into the cake batter and increase to medium, beating for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Use a cookie dough scoop to fill each paper liner two-thirds of the way. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. When done, the top of the cake should bounce back when gently pressed and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake should come out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely in the pan(s) on a wire rack before frosting.

For the Orange Blossom Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

  • Fill a medium sauce pot with at least 1 ½ inches of water and place over medium-high heat until steaming hot, then adjust the temperature to maintain a gentle simmer.
  • Combine the egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium, heatproof glass bowl and whisk to combine. Place the glass bowl over the medium sauce pot to create a homemade bain-marie, ensuring that the bottom of the glass bowl does not touch the steaming water. Fix a candy thermometer to the side of the bowl and use a rubber spatula to occasionally stir and scrape down the egg white mixture from the sides of the bowl as it warms to 185°F. This should only take around 10 to 12 minutes, so if the mixture is moving slowly, don't be afraid to turn up the heat!
  • Once the egg white mixture reaches 185°F, transfer immediately to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn on the mixer to its highest setting and whip the egg whites for 10 minutes to create a glossy, stiff meringue that is cool to the touch (around 90°F).
  • Once you've made the meringue, turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape any excess meringue off the whisk attachment and back into the bowl. Swap out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment and turn the mixer back on to a medium speed. Add the butter slowly, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons to the mixture at a time. Initially, the volume of the meringue will decrease dramatically and it will seem like the mixture is too liquidy — but as you add more butter, the mixture will thicken and cool. In the end, the buttercream should be thick, creamy, and soft but not runny.
  • Reduce the mixer speed back to its slowest setting and add the orange blossom water. Use the buttercream right away; even though the buttercream will look like it's too soft, it's actually a dream to pipe with. Unless it's a super hot day (above 85°F), there's no need to refrigerate it for it to stiffen—doing so will just make it harder to work with.
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