These cupcakes are my all time favorite! Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting and a huge bonus that they are Gluten Free!

If you don’t care for them to be Gluten-Free, I also have a regular Red Velvet and a Vegan Red Velvet recipe you can try out. The only recommendation I have is do not decorate the Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes because the frosting is much looser and I don’t think the decorations would stick well.

These cupcakes are great for Valentine’s Day school parties or gifts for teachers, coworkers, friends, and family. You can do about just any cupcake flavor but I would stick to a white frosting so the red decorations pop out.

This was such a fun and easy dessert to do! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

How To Make Valentine’s Day GLUTEN-FREE Sprinkles Red Velvet Cupcakes

First, gather all your ingredients.

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

1 & 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup buttermilk, shaken (homemade recipe below)
1/4 cup room-temperature water
1 & 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon red gel food coloring
10 tablespoons (1 & 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (MAKES 2 CUPS):

1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, slightly softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 & 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
OPTIONAL: Red Hots Candy, sprinkles

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk, water, vinegar, vanilla, and food coloring.

In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium-low, add the eggs one at a time, beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Slowly add half the flour mixture, then the buttermilk mixture, then the remaining flour mixture, beating until just blended after each addition.

Divided the batter evenly among the liners and bake until the tops are just dry to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 17 to 19 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting and decorating.

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.

Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the confectioners sugar, add beat until incorporated.

Increase the speed to medium, add the vanilla, and beat until fully blended, 1 to 2 minutes, making sure not to incorporate too much air into the frosting.

How To Make Homemade Buttermilk

All you need is whole or 2-percent milk and fresh lemon juice or white distilled vinegar.

Pour the milk into a liquid measuring cup.
For every 1 cup of milk, stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.
The acid will curdle the milk slightly.
Use the thickened milk — curds and all — just as you would buttermilk in your recipe.

Tips & Tricks

You can substitute the buttermilk with any kind of milk. Even non-dairy milk like almond or rice milk works. Simply mix it with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to make 1 cup.
I prefer using gel-based food coloring instead of liquid food coloring. I feel as if the gel-based food coloring gives a more vibrant color. You also do not have to use as much as you would if you were using a liquid food coloring. I remember using almost the whole bottle of liquid red food for one batch of cupcakes, so now I just stick to the gel-based food coloring for my cake mixes and frostings.
My favorite go-to baking book is The Sprinkles Baking Book: 100 Secret Recipes from Candace’s Kitchen.
I love using Wilton baking pans. I feel like they are the best quality pans out there for the price. They don’t rust, are durable, and easy to clean. For muffins or cupcakes, I love using the 24 count muffin tin. It is so awesome! I love how you only need to use the oven once instead of twice with a 12 count muffin tin. My time is precious to me, as it probably is for you too, so saving time in the kitchen is key. I found all my Wilton baking essentials at my favorite store, TARGET!
For all-purpose flour I love using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour. I first fell in love with this brand when I started eating healthy back in 2012, shortly after our twins were born. I first tried their Steel Cut Oats. Then when I had more time to bake I started using a lot of their other products such as, Almond Flour, Coconut Flour, Gluten Free Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Pastry Flour, Bread Flour, and Xanthan Gum. They have so much more too! Baking mixes, Oats, Bars, Cereal, Granola, Grains, Beans, Seeds, Baking Aids, and more Flours! Seriously go check them out. Best quality baking products out there and no I am not getting paid to say this, I just love their products that much!
Since I bake quite often I like to buy stuff in bulk. I love buying my flour, sugars, pure vanilla extract, butter, oil, eggs, and spices at Costco.
Costco, Target, & Amazon are my favorite stores to shop at!

Make sure you post your photos on Instagram and tag me in them so I can see your creations from my blog #eazypeazylemonsqueezee

GLUTEN FREE Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cupcakes

Adapted from The Sprinkles Baking Book: Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes

By: Tammie

March 2, 2019
12 cupcakes
1 hr
Print this

Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES:
1 & 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/4 cup room-temperature water
1 & 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon red gel food coloring
10 tablespoons (1 & 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (MAKES 2 CUPS):
1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, slightly softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 & 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
OPTIONAL:
Red Hots Candy, sprinkles

Directions

Step 1: FOR THE CUPCAKES: Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3: In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk, water, vinegar, vanilla, and food coloring.
Step 4: In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 5: Reduce the speed to medium-low, add the eggs one at a time, beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 6: Slowly add half the flour mixture, then the buttermilk mixture, then the remaining flour mixture, beating until just blended after each addition.
Step 7: Divided the batter evenly among the liners and bake until the tops are just dry to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 17 to 19 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting and decorating.
Step 8: FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.
Step 9: Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the confectioners sugar, add beat until incorporated.
Step 10: Increase the speed to medium, add the vanilla, and beat until fully blended, 1 to 2 minutes, making sure not to incorporate too much air into the frosting.