Chef John’s Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients

• Dry ingredients:
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Wet ingredients:
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl until combined.

Place butter and sugar into the work bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape down attachment and bowl. Add eggs into butter-sugar mixture, one at a time, mixing the first egg in thoroughly before adding the second. Scrape down sides of bowl as you work.

Beat buttermilk and vinegar into moist ingredients, followed by vanilla extract and red food coloring. Mix until color is even.

Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and gently whisk by hand until batter is smooth. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit in the pan for 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting. Unwrap cupcakes before frosting.