Pink Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream (Print version)

Airy blush-pink cupcakes with tender crumb, crowned with dreamy vanilla buttercream swirls featuring balanced sweetness and tang.

# What You Need:

→ For the Cupcakes

01 - 1¼ cups cake flour
02 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
06 - ½ cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 large egg, at room temperature
08 - ⅔ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 - 1 teaspoon white vinegar
11 - ½ teaspoon pink gel food coloring

→ For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

12 - ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
13 - 2 to 2½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
15 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
16 - Pinch of salt
17 - Optional: pink food coloring for tinted frosting

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
04 - Lightly beat egg in a small bowl. With mixer on low, slowly add egg and mix until fully incorporated. Blend in vanilla extract.
05 - On low speed, add one-third of dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add half the buttermilk, mix, then repeat with another third of dry mix, remaining buttermilk, and finish with final third of dry ingredients. Scrape down bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
06 - In a small cup, stir together white vinegar and pink gel food coloring. With mixer on low, pour into batter and mix until evenly tinted.
07 - Divide batter evenly among 12 liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Tap pan gently to release air bubbles.
08 - Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
09 - Let cupcakes rest in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
10 - In a clean bowl, beat butter on medium speed until creamy for about 1 minute. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar on low, then increase to medium and beat until smooth for about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, cream, and salt. Beat on medium-high for 1–2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add more sugar for stiffness or more cream for softness. Mix in pink food coloring if desired.
11 - Transfer buttercream to piping bag with preferred tip or use small offset spatula. Frost each cooled cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, edible pearls, or pink sanding sugar if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like real cake, not a science experiment, with a crumb so tender it almost melts on your tongue.
  • The buttermilk and vinegar create a subtle tang that keeps the sweetness in check and makes you reach for a second one.
  • That buttercream is dangerously good, the kind you'll catch yourself eating straight from the bowl with a spoon.
  • You can dial the pink up or down, or skip it entirely and still have a perfect vanilla cupcake.
02 -
  • Room-temperature butter and eggs are the difference between light, fluffy cupcakes and dense, sad ones, so don't skip that step.
  • Don't overmix once you add the flour or you'll develop the gluten and end up with tough, rubbery cupcakes instead of tender ones.
  • Let those cupcakes cool completely before frosting, I learned this the hard way when my beautiful swirls melted into a sticky mess.
  • If your buttercream is too stiff, add cream a teaspoon at a time, and if it's too loose, add more powdered sugar until it holds a peak.
03 -
  • Sift your powdered sugar before you add it to the buttercream or you'll end up with lumps no amount of beating will smooth out.
  • If you're making these in a warm kitchen, pop your frosted cupcakes in the fridge for 10 minutes to set the buttercream before you add sprinkles or decorations.
  • For mini cupcakes, fill the liners only halfway and start checking for doneness at 10 minutes, they bake much faster than full-size ones.
  • Gel food coloring is stronger and more stable than liquid, so start with less and add more until you hit your perfect shade of pink.
Return