Red Velvet Cupcakes with Peppermint Frosting
This is a terrific recipe for birthdays and holidays, as it is always a people-pleaser and eye-catching. To color it red, you must use a tablespoon of red food coloring. You can also bake this cake in 8-inch layers, frost, and top with crushed peppermints and shaved chocolate.
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Peppermint Frosting
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 package (18.25 ounces) Cake Mix Doctor Simply Yellow mix
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring, if desired
For the Peppermint Frosting:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Crushed peppermint candies, if desired, for topping cupcakes
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place 20 paper liners in two cupcake pans and set the pans aside.
- For the cupcakes, place the cake mix, cocoa, milk, oil, eggs, and red food coloring in a large mixing bowl and blend on low speed of an electric mixer until just combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend until smooth, 1 minute. Scoop the batter into the liners, filling them three-quarters of the way full. Place the pans in the oven.
- Bake the cupcakes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 16 to 20 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.
- For the frosting, place the butter in a large mixing bowl, and blend with an electric mixer on low until creamy. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, the milk, and extracts, and blend until smooth. Add the remaining 1 cup sugar and blend on medium-high until the frosting is creamy and fluffy. Set aside.
- When the cupcakes are cool, spread frosting over each one. Garnish with crushed peppermint, if desired.
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