Traditional red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and a shocking addition of raspberry coulis. It’s going to be your favorite Halloween treat!
Remember when red velvet was super popular?
Red velvet was the cool kid before cronuts, cuffins, rainbow bagels, and those giant over the top milkshakes ever existed.
It’s not quite chocolate. It isn’t really vanilla. It’s something in between and it’s a flavor I’ll always love (when done right).
It’s a tad sweet, a little tangy, as immature as it sounds- I like how the artificial coloring makes my lips and tongue red.
Bloody Red Velvet Cupcakes
Since I had so much fun with my surprise bloody cake, I’m using the same raspberry coulis (blood) for another treat.
These bloody red velvet cupcakes are my new favorite!
Cream cheese frosting and red velvet cake are an undeniably delicious pairing.
While making these bloody cupcakes, I learned that when you add raspberry coulis to the mix, it turns this traditional pairing into a surprisingly fantastic trio.
The bright notes of the raspberry coulis really brings the red velvet cake to life… perfect for Halloween!
How to assembly Bloody Halloween cupcakes:
- Use a small round cookie cutter (or apple corer, melon baller, or the fat end of a piping tip) to punch of a shallow cavity on the top of each cupcake.
- Fill the cavity with cream cheese frosting and then drizzle raspberry coulis on top.
- Cover up the cavity by piping a large rosette on top of the cupcake.
- Top with raspberry coulis.
And if you’re in the festival Halloween spirit, decorate the the bloody red velvet cupcakes with these royal icing meat cleavers.
Food Coloring Choices
There are several ways to color red velvet.
Traditionally, the “red coloring” was result of the chemical reaction between natural cocoa and acid (baking soda and buttermilk).
During WWII, bakers often used beet juice in place of sugar (due to sugar rations).
Nowadays, you have the option to use liquid food color, gel food color, or powdered food color. I prefer to use standard store-bought red liquid food coloring.
Serving Suggestions
Decorated, frosted cupcakes may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before eating.
Blood Red Velvet Cupcakes
Yield: 1 dozen standard size cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (163 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, (5 g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, (150 g)
- ¾ cup vegetable oil, (180 ml)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ Tablespoon red food coloring (liquid)*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, , or paste
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz brick- style cream cheese, room temperature, softened (226 g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar, (340 g)
- pinch kosher salt
Raspberry Coulis:
- 12 oz package frozen raspberries
- 5 Tablespoons granulated sugar, (63 g)
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard 12-cavity muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugar and vegetable oil. Add egg. Mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, red coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Add half of liquid mixture to mixing bowl. Mix on low speed. Add half of sifted dry mixture into mixing bowl. Mix until almost combined. Then add remaining wet ingredients followed by remaining dry mixture. Mix until just combined. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
- Divide batter among prepared cupcake pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Gently remove cupcakes from pan and allow to cool to room temperature on wire racks.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla. Add powdered sugar in 1 cup increments. Add pinch of salt. Mix until smooth and fluffy.
Raspberry Coulis:
- In a medium sauce pot, add frozen raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved, raspberries have thawed, and mixture has slightly thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent raspberry sauce from burning along the sides of the pot. Remove from heat. Strain out raspberry seeds. Keep raspberry coulis (sauce) in the fridge until ready to use.
Assembly:
- Once cupcakes are cool, use an small round cookie cutter (or apple corer, melon baller, fat end of piping tip) to punch out a shallow cavity on top of each cupcake.
- Prepare a piping bag with a medium star top. Place frosting in prepared bag and fill the cupcake cavity about 3/4 full. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of cooled raspberry coulis over the frosting. Pipe a large rosette to cover the hole.
- Drizzle additional raspberry coulis over frosted cupcakes. If desired, decorate finished cupcakes with royal icing knives.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Alice in Wonderland! Painting the roses red!
I’m looking forward to making these for Halloween. I was wondering if fresh raspberries be used instead of frozen?
Yes, you may use fresh raspberries. I recommend using frozen raspberries because they create a brighter, richer red color when cooked.