Red Velvet Cupcakes with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting add a little Christmas flavor to the classic southern dessert. With the red color and peppermint flavor, this is a festive holiday dessert.
Peppermint is one of my favorite Holiday flavors and it paris so well with traditional Southern Red Velvet Cake.
The batter for these from-scratch cupcakes is a standard red velvet cake batter with cocoa powder, red food coloring, buttermilk, and a little vinegar. A combination of butter and vegetable oil helps keep these cupcakes wonderfully moist.
The cream cheese frosting is flavored with a little peppermint extract and it is to die for. So creamy and rich!
For more peppermint flavor and to make them look more festive, sprinkle crushed peppermint candies on top. To make the frosting look decorative, use a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
This recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting makes 24 cupcakes, making it perfect for a holiday party.
Substitute For Buttermilk
If you don’t have buttermilk, no worries. Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a glass measuring cup. Then add milk to the 1 cup line. Mix gently and then let sit 5 minutes.
Storage
Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. Or freeze for up to 2 months.
I’m a sucker for anything red velvet and these holiday flavored cupcakes do not disappoint.
More Red Velvet Desserts
- Red Velvet Scones
- Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- German Chocolate-Red Velvet Cake
- Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Drizzle
- Red Velvet Sheet Cake
- Red Velvet Marble Bundt Cake
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- crushed hard peppermint candies for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 12-count cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, oil, and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time.
- Beat in the food coloring and buttermilk.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Gradually add in the flour mixture, beating just until it is incorporated.
- Mix in vinegar.
- Mix in vanilla. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly between the 24 muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- To make frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in extract.
- Transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
- Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
The cupcakes look great Christin! Perfect to bring to a family Christmas lunch 🙂
How many days in advance can the cupcakes be made? I would frost them the day of the lunch.
Thanks!
They can be made a few days in adavance. Good luck!
Great, thanks Christin!