Valentine’s Day may be over, but it’s never too late to enjoy red velvet cupcakes.

Speaking of red velvet, did you know that “red velvet” isn’t its own flavor? Nope, it’s chocolate (deceptive, I know!). And while the red color used to be caused by a chemical reaction in the ingredients, today it’s mostly done by plain ol’ food coloring.

But let’s not split hairs. Know what we should be talking about? How versatile it is. Red Velvet cakepops? You bet. Red Velvet sheet cake? Of course. Red Velvet whoopie pies? Why Not! So while the following recipe is for cupcakes, I encourage you to find some other red velvet recipes and give them a try. The only requirement? You’ve gotta use cream cheese frosting. Don’t settle for vanilla buttercream.

What You Need

Cupcake Batter

• 2 cups of flour
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) of salted butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups of sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice
• Enough milk to create 1/2 cup when combined with lemon juice
• 1 ounce of red food coloring

Frosting

• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 block (8 ounces) of cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of salted butter, softened

How You Do It

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine milk and lemon juice into a small bowl or cup. Let set at least 5 minutes. Note: small clumps will appear as the milk and lemon juice thicken.
3. Beat the sugar, butter, and vanilla until fluffy.
4. Add in eggs one at a time.
5. By hand, stir in the milk and lemon juice, sour cream, and food coloring. The batter should be runny, but will have little clumps.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder.
7. In three batches, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
8. Pour the batter into lined cupcake tin, filling about 2/3 way full.
9. Bake for 17-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. If you’re going to use the same cupcake tin, wipe it out between uses before putting in the second batch. Cool completely before frosting.
10. 

Frosting

1. Combine the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla.
2. A cup at a time, add in the powdered sugar.
3. Frost your cupcakes. I use a star tip, but the choice is yours.
4. If you’re piping, start from the outside and work your way in.

That’s it! Put them in the fridge when you’re done, and take them out 5-10 minutes before you’re ready to eat.

Look at them.

Have you ever seen such beauty?

They’re great for any holiday or special occasion, but, c’mon do you really want to wait for something special to enjoy these?

I didn’t think so.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes. Until next time,

♥Danielle

Mix it up: These cupcakes have a little bit of leeway for adjusting the amount of chocolate, so feel free to add a bit more. You know what else you could do? Decorate with little chocolate curls!