A deliciously sinister treat for a spooky Halloween!
Get ready to indulge in a frightfully delicious twist on a classic favorite: Bloody Red Velvet cupcakes. These eye-catching treats are sure to be the highlight of your Halloween spread, captivating both the brave and the squeamish!
This recipe can easily be adjusted to be plain ‘ol Red Velvet cupcakes BUT where’s the fun in that? Red Velvet cake has a soft, velvety texture, achieved through a combination of ingredients like cocoa powder, buttermilk, and vinegar, which create a very subtle chocolate flavor with a hint of tanginess. Originally, it was the chemical reaction between the vinegar and cocoa powder that created the red hue seen in the crumb of the cake. Nowadays, most bakers will add red food coloring to the mix to create a brighter, more striking red interior.
pro tips
- mise en place: weigh and prepare your ingredients and supplies before starting. The purpose is to streamline the cooking process, ensuring efficiency, and reducing stress. Minimize the risk of errors and allow for better focus on technique and timing.
- equipment varies: ovens vary, purchase an oven thermometer to ensure the oven is at the correct temperature. Each oven will have different hot spots and some use convection to heat. If your oven has convection, I recommend lowering the temperature by 25°. Place your baking pans in the center of the oven on the middle rack for even baking.
- read the recipe: be sure to read the entire recipe before starting. This way you can see if any of your ingredients need to be room temperature or cold, or if any of the ingredients need to be processed before adding to the other ingredients.
equipment and supplies
- stand mixer with paddle attachment and whisk attachment
- kitchen scale
- bowls, various sizes
- rubber spatulas
- piping bags
- piping tip
- cupcake liners
- large cookie scoop
- 12 cup-cupcake tin
- medium pot
- whisk
- digital thermometer
- bench scraper
- spoon
red velvet cupcakes ingredient notes
- cake flour: cake flour has a lower protein which makes a flufflier cake
- cocoa powder: my favorite cocoa powder is Cacao Barry Extra Brute
- buttermilk: this is a necessary ingredient for red velvet cake. It creates the flavor and the needed chemical reaction for the texture of the cake
- vinegar: another necessary ingredient for texture and flavor
vanilla buttercream ingredient notes
- vanilla bean paste: you can use vanilla extract instead, I just love the little specks of vanilla beans
- butter: I use salted butter for the flavor, you can use unsalted
edible blood ingredient notes
- corn syrup: dark corn syrup helps create a more realistic blood color. You can use clear corn syrup and a 1/4 tsp of cocoa powder for a similar result
- cornstarch: helps create the oozey consistency
recipe instructions
red velvet cupcakes
Creaming Method
step one: Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of the stand mixer. Cream together for 5 minutes until light in color and fluffy in texture. Add the red food coloring and mix for 1 minute. The mixture will look purple-ish or light red but it will deepen once the eggs are added. Scrape the bowl.
step two: Add the eggs, one at a time. Make sure each egg has mixed in completely before adding the next. Once all the eggs are added, beat on speed 3 for 3 minutes to fully emulsify the butter and eggs. The mixture should now be a bright red. Scrape the bowl.
step three: Add 1/3 of the dry mixture, then half of the buttermilk. Add another third of the dry mixture and the rest of the buttermilk, followed by the remaining dry mixture. Mix for 1 minute on low speed. Scrape the bowl, add the vinegar, and finish mixing by hand.
step four: Using the large cookie scoop, or spoon, fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. This will give a nice dome that is not too tall.
step five: Bake the red velvet cupcake at 380°F for 18-22 minutes. Turn the pan halfway through the bake for even baking. The cupcakes are done when you can gently poke the top with your finger and it springs back. Set on a cooling rack to cool completely before icing.
vanilla bean buttercream
step one: In the bowl of the stand mixer, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Place the bowl over a simmering pot of water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue whisking while heating the mixture to 160°F.
step two: Attach the bowl to the stand mixer and add the whisk attachment. Whisk on speed 4 for 3 minutes then increase to speed 9 and continue to whisk for 10 minutes. You want stiff peaks and room-temperature meringue.
step three: With the mixer on speed 3, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, ensuring each addition has mixed in before adding the next. Once all the butter has been added, add the vanilla bean paste. Whisk the buttercream for an additional 5 minutes on speed 7.
step four: Replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment and mix the buttercream on first speed for 10 minutes. This will remove large air bubbles and create a smooth buttercream.
edible blood
In a small bowl, combine the corn syrup, cornstarch, and red food coloring.
assemble
Add the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the buttercream onto the tops of the cooled cupcakes in a rosette pattern.
Use a spoon to dribble the edible blood onto the iced cupcakes.
Add fondant knives and axes.
Adore and enjoy your bloody work of pastry art!
Bloody Red Velvet Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 150 g butter room temperature
- 300 g sugar
- 3 g salt
- 10 g red food coloring gel
- 100 g eggs *2 large eggs
- 300 g cake flour
- 18 g cocoa powder
- 6 g baking powder
- 6 g baking soda
- 300 g buttermilk
- 15 g vinegar
Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 180 g egg whites room temperature
- 350 g sugar
- 452 g butter room temperature
- 16 g vanilla bean paste
Edible Blood
- 85 g dark corn syrup
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- 10 g red food coloring
Instructions
Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Creaming Method
- Add the color after the butter and sugar have been creamed together.
- Add the vinegar at the end.
Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- In a double boiler, heat the egg whites and sugar to 160°F while whisking constantly.
- Add the egg white mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed for 3 minutes. Whisk on high speed for 10 minutes until stiff peaks and room temperature.
- On medium speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Make sure each has mixed in before adding the next. Once all butter has been added, whisk for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla bean paste and whisk for 5 minutes on medium speed.
Edible Blood
- Combine all ingredients.
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