Red velvet cupcakes recipe - Real Recipes from Mums

Red velvet cupcakes not only look luscious – they taste it too! Try this red velvet cupcakes recipe and find out for yourself!

Makes 12

Ingredients

Cakes

½ cup (90g) canned sliced beetroot drained
3 egg whites
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon red food colouring
3 tablespoons Nutella® spread
2 tablespoons (30g) Flora Light margarine melted
½ cup skim milk
1¾ cups self-raising flour
12 cupcake paper cases

Topping

2 tablespoons icing sugar sifted
90g light cream cheese 50% less fat (Select®)

Red sprinkles

2-3 drops red food colouring
1 teaspoon white sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 180ºC fan forced.
Cakes: Place beetroot into a small bowl and blend until fine using a stick blender. Leave to one side.
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and sugar for 1 minute using an electric beater.
Add beetroot, essence, red colouring, nutella, melted margarine and milk and beat until well-combined using a wooden spoon.
Sift flour into wet mix and gently fold using a wooden spoon. DO NOT BEAT as this will make the cupcakes tough. The less the mixture is moved, the lighter the cupcake.
Place each cupcake case into a 12-cup muffin pan. Spoon an even amount of mixture into each case.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until firm to touch in centre. Remove cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool.
Topping: In a small mixing bowl place sifted icing sugar and cream cheese, beating together until blended. Refrigerate until required. Either pipe or spoon equal amounts of topping in centre of each cupcake.
Sugar sprinkles: Stir red colouring into white sugar and mix until blended. Put topping and sugar sprinkles on cupcakes just before serving.

Variation

To make Red Velvet Cake, use a round 20cm cake tin coated with cooking spray. Bake 180ºC fan forced 35-40 minutes or until cooked to touch in centre. Turn onto a wire rack to cool. Then either ice with topping or make pink icing.

*Suitable to be frozen.

**Dietitian’s tip: Red cupcakes look fantastic, however, they are an occasional food as they contain very little nutritional value.

221 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 09 Sep 2022
    10:57 am
Dont you just love the vibrant colour

- - Ellen said
  - 02 Dec 2018
    7:52 am
Red velvet cupcakes can be made very natural and healthy.

- - tessie said
  - 30 Jun 2018
    1:35 am
I know red means stop but with these it will be green light all the way

- - rovermum said
  - 25 Jun 2018
    8:37 am
Whilst these look so red, I know when I bite into them they are going to taste so divine.

- - cherz said
  - 22 Jun 2018
    3:35 pm
WOW these really are a lovely bright red…go down so well for Valentines Day. thanks.

- - mom241861 said
  - 22 Jun 2018
    7:13 am
Thank you for this recipe. I am not much of a cook yet I am definitely going to try these as my grandkids will love them .xxx

- - mom64736 said
  - 27 Aug 2017
    7:50 pm
What kind of icing to cupcake blasphemy is happening in that photo?!

- - mom19782016 said
  - 25 Aug 2017
    8:14 pm
Just lovely! If you or your family are allergic or sensitive to the red food colouring, you can substitute with beetroot juice. It just won’t come out as brilliantly coloured.

- - mom101628 said
  - 25 Aug 2017
    6:07 pm
My friend made these for her wedding – went over very well.

- - mom112217 said
  - 22 Aug 2017
    8:27 pm
Beautiful cup cakes l would be proud to make,thanks!

- - tessie said
  - 22 Aug 2017
    9:15 am
Wow. I love this recipe. Will have to give it a go

- - robyn_smithwick said
  - 21 Aug 2017
    5:50 pm
These look lovely.

- - rovermum said
  - 21 Aug 2017
    5:46 pm
I’ve enjoyed a few of these, but never made them myself. I’m really surprised by the ingredients including beetroot and nutella. Probably not my fave cupcake, but if someone’s making them!!

- - mom90758 said
  - 21 Aug 2017
    5:38 pm
Beautiful colour. And with Nutella! My favorite!!

- - mom152736 said
  - 09 Oct 2015
    1:39 pm
omg…look at the red lovelies….. fabulous..love them

- - mom93821 said
  - 18 Oct 2014
    10:37 am
Thanks for sharing this recipe with interesting ingredients.
- mom93821 replied
  
  30 Jun 2018 , 11:18 pm
  Divine red velvet cupcakes – the most gorgeous colour.
- - mom57522 said
  - 31 Aug 2014
    3:02 pm
I have heard of red velvet cake using beetroot. Thanks for the recipe.

- - ginoula5 said
  - 30 Aug 2014
    10:14 am
Such a great idea to use the beetroot in these.

- - cherz said
  - 19 Jul 2014
    8:08 pm
How strange, we had homemade hamburgers for dinner tonight and son likes beetroot on his, there was some left over, so I decided that tomorrow I would make a chocolate beetroot cake. Might change my mind and give this one a whirl.
Thanks for sharing.

- - skbou said
  - 18 Jul 2014
    10:01 pm
Beetroot in a cupcake! Who knew?! Sound delicious.