Ina Garten’s red velvet cupcakes pair a cocoa-tinted buttermilk batter with cream cheese frosting at about 450 calories per cupcake. Her Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? cookbook makes 15 per batch in 55 minutes, since the bake does most of the work.
Ina’s frosting combines cream cheese, butter, and confectioners’ sugar but she warns you not to whip it, because overbeating breaks the cream cheese down. That one instruction separates a frosting that pipes cleanly from one that slides off the cupcake, and most recipes never mention it.
Everything rides on adding the dry and wet ingredients in three alternating rounds, because dumping them in at once overdevelops the gluten. Start and finish with the dry mixture so the flour coats the butter before the liquid hits, which keeps the crumb tender instead of tough.
Source: Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? (2010, Clarkson Potter), also featured on Barefoot Contessa (Best of Barefoot: Dessert and Afternoon Tea To Go episodes), verified from foodnetwork.com
Ina Garten Red Velvet Cupcakes
Course: DessertsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy15
servings25
minutes30
minutes450
kcal55
minutesButtermilk batter tinted red with cocoa and food coloring fills paper-lined muffin tins for a 25-minute bake. A cream cheese frosting mixed just until smooth goes on after the cupcakes cool completely.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Pernigotti recommended)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- For the cream cheese frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (3/4 pound)
Directions
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then line muffin tins with paper liners.
- Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Combine the buttermilk, red food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in a large measuring cup.
- Cream the butter and sugar: Beat the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 1 minute until light.
- Add the eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, and beat until each one is fully combined before adding the next.
- Alternate the dry and wet: With the mixer on low, add the dry and wet ingredients in three alternating rounds, and begin and end with the dry mixture.
- Check the batter: Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and stir until the batter is evenly mixed.
- Fill the muffin cups: Scoop the batter into the lined cups with a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop or a large spoon.
- Bake: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely: Let the cupcakes cool completely in the pans before frosting, since warm cupcakes melt the frosting on contact.
- Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on medium speed just until combined, and do not whip or overbeat.
- Add the sugar: Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low until the frosting is smooth.
- Frost the cupcakes: Spread the frosting on each cupcake with a butter knife, or pipe it on with a large star tip.
FAQs
Can I skip the red food coloring?
You can leave it out and the cupcakes will taste exactly the same, since the coloring adds no flavor at all. Without it, the batter bakes into a light brown chocolate cupcake, which still tastes great but loses the signature red velvet look.
If the color matters but you prefer natural options, beet powder mixed with a tablespoon of water gives a deep red without artificial dye. Use the same tablespoon measurement, because too much beet powder adds an earthy taste that competes with the cocoa.
Why does the recipe call for both baking powder and baking soda?
Baking soda reacts with the acid in buttermilk and vinegar, which creates the initial rise and gives the crumb its tender, open texture. Baking powder adds a second lift during baking, so the cupcakes hold their dome shape instead of falling flat in the center.
Leaving out either one changes the result noticeably, because they handle different parts of the rise. Without baking soda the cupcakes taste slightly metallic from unreacted acid, and without baking powder they come out dense and flat.
What goes well with these cupcakes at a party?
Coffee or espresso is the strongest pairing, because the roasted flavor echoes the cocoa in the batter without fighting the cream cheese frosting. espresso martini takes that match further, and it doubles as a cocktail for an evening event.
For a dessert table, set these next to something with contrasting texture and flavor. Ina’s salted caramel brownies bring a fudgy bite against the fluffy cupcake, and the salt-sweet contrast keeps the spread interesting.
How do I store leftover frosted cupcakes?
The cream cheese frosting means these must go in the fridge, where they keep well for up to 3 days in a sealed container. Place them in a single layer so the frosting does not stick to the lid or to each other.
Bring them to room temperature for 15 minutes before serving, because cold cupcakes taste denser and the frosting loses its creamy texture. You can also freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months, then thaw and frost them the day you need them.
Can I make the cupcakes ahead and frost them later?
The unfrosted cupcakes hold well at room temperature for a day when wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. The frosting takes 10 minutes to make, so preparing it fresh on serving day gives you the best texture.
You can make the frosting up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container. Let it come to room temperature and give it a gentle stir before piping, because cold frosting cracks instead of spreading smooth.
