Pink Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream (Printable Version)

Airy blush-pink cupcakes with tangy sweetness and dreamy vanilla buttercream swirls

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Cupcakes

01 - 1¼ cups cake flour
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

→ 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 - 1 drop pink food coloring, optional

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl with a stand mixer, beat the 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 the mixer on low, slowly add the egg, mixing until fully incorporated. Blend in the vanilla extract.
05 - On low speed, add one-third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add half the buttermilk and mix. Repeat with another third of the dry mix, the remaining buttermilk, and finish with the final third of dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
06 - In a small cup, stir together the white vinegar and pink gel food coloring. With the mixer on low, pour this mixture into the batter and mix until evenly tinted.
07 - Divide the batter evenly among the 12 liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Tap the pan gently to release air bubbles.
08 - Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
09 - Let cupcakes rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
10 - In a clean bowl with a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy for about 1 minute. Gradually add 2 cups of 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 as needed. Mix in a drop of pink food coloring if desired.
11 - Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your preferred tip or use a small offset spatula. Frost each cooled cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, edible pearls, or pink sanding sugar, if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The crumb is so tender it practically melts on your tongue, thanks to the buttermilk and vinegar working their magic together.
  • That blush pink shade feels fancy without any fuss, and you control exactly how soft or bold you want it.
  • The vanilla buttercream is silky enough to pipe into tall swirls but stable enough to hold up at room temperature.
  • They taste nostalgic and new at the same time, like a memory you didn't know you had.
02 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients are the difference between fluffy cupcakes and hockey pucks, let your butter, egg, and buttermilk sit out for at least 30 minutes before you start.
  • Overmixing once the flour goes in will give you tough, dense cupcakes, so mix just until you can't see dry streaks and then stop immediately.
  • If your frosting feels too stiff to pipe, add cream one teaspoon at a time, if it's too loose, add powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until it holds a peak.
03 -
  • Sifting the powdered sugar before making the frosting eliminates every last lump and gives you that professional bakery-smooth finish.
  • Let your piping bag rest in a tall glass while you fill it, it keeps your hands clean and the frosting from squeezing out the top.
  • If you want sky-high frosting swirls, use a large open star tip and start from the outside edge, piping in a spiral toward the center and finishing with a little peak.
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