Pink Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream (Print Version)

Airy, blush-pink cupcakes with tender moist crumb and dreamy vanilla buttercream swirls.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Cupcakes

01 - 1¼ cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour sifted with 2 tablespoons cornstarch)
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, adjusted as desired

→ 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: drop of pink food coloring for tinted frosting

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 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 or stand mixer, 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 the egg in a small bowl. With mixer on low, slowly add egg, mixing 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 this mixture 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 toothpick inserted into center comes out clean or with few moist crumbs.
09 - Let cupcakes rest in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
10 - In clean bowl or stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy for about 1 minute. Gradually add 2 cups 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 drop of pink food coloring if desired.
11 - Transfer buttercream to piping bag fitted with preferred tip or use small offset spatula. Frost each cooled cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, edible pearls, or pink sanding sugar if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The hint of tanginess from buttermilk and vinegar cuts through the sweetness in a way that makes you want to close your eyes with each bite.
  • The texture hits that perfect sweet spot between airy and substantial, with a crumb structure that somehow feels both delicate and satisfying.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients arent just baker pretentiousness, I learned the hard way that cold ingredients create a curdled, lumpy batter that never quite recovers no matter how long you beat it.
  • The toothpick test can be deceiving, as I discovered after serving underbaked centers once at a dinner party, so look for a few moist crumbs rather than completely clean or still wet with batter.
03 -
  • Pipe a small ring of frosting around the edge of each cupcake first, then fill in the center for professional-looking results that prevent the dreaded frosting slide-off.
  • For bakery-worthy height, fill your cupcake liners with an ice cream scoop rather than spooning the batter, which ensures consistent size and that perfect rounded top.
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