Happy Tuesday! We are so close to celebrate Halloween that I was in the mood of making some spooky treats. These soft red velvet cupcakes are topped with a vanilla cream cheese frosting. They are decorated with red food gel and scary eye sprinkles.

Let’s start with the recipe.

Yield one dozen regular size cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

Dry ingredients

1 and 1/4 cup cake flour (I prefer to use cake flour but if you can’t get cake flour, just use all-purpose flour)
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Wet ingredients

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg at room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 tbsp. liquid red food coloring. For me this amount was enough because I get a nice dark red color. If you like it brighter, you can add some more drops.
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. distilled white vinegar

For the frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, chilled

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature but not super soft

2 cups confectioners sugar, SIFTED (we don’t want a lumpy frosting)

2 teaspoons CLEAR vanilla extract

To decorate

red food gel. I used this one. Click HERE

eyes sprinkles/candies or you can use any other spooky decoration

For the cupcakes

1.- Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside. 

2.- In a medium bowl, mix cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

3.- In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix egg, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar.  Beat on medium speed until well blended.  Mix in dry ingredients on low speed and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

4.- Pour the batter into each cupcake liner just until 2/3 full. Do not over fill them because if you do, they won’t have a nice rise. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. , rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. 

5.- Let cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting

1.- In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese for a couple of minutes. Then, add the butter and mix on medium-high speed for about 3-4 minutes (until light and fluffy).

2.- Add powdered sugar and mix until everything is well combined about 3-4 minutes. Add in vanilla and mix for a minute.

3.- Frost cupcakes. Use a pastry bag and a piping tip. I used tip Wilton 1 M.

4.- Decorate with red food gel and sprinkles.

These cupcakes should be storage in the fridge.

Enjoy!