Preheat your oven to 180ºC/150ºC fan and get 12 cupcake cases ready!
Beat together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until smooth and fluffy like you would a normal cake!
Add in the eggs and beat again!
In a small bowl, mix together the red food colouring, and vanilla extract to a paste – Add this mixture to the butter mixture and beat until combined and coloured well!
Turn the speed down so it’s slow and mix in the cocoa powder.
Pour in half of the buttermilk and beat on a slow speed. Add in half of the flour and beat again, and then the other half of the buttermilk & beat, and then the other half of the flour & beat (I realise this is faffy, but it works!)
Finally – beat in the bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and vinegar. Beat again briefly until everything is smooth and incorporated well.
Spoon into the cases so it’s even – I use a cookie scoop and fill the cases about 2/3 full so that it’s even across them all.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean when poked with a skewer! Once the cakes are baked, leave to cool on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Make sure your butter is at room temperature, and make sure to use actual butter and not a spread.
Beat your butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy – like you would a normal buttercream. I beat them together for about 5 minutes.
Add in your full-fat cream cheese (That has been drained if needed), and beat for about a minute.
Scrape the bowl well, and add in the vanilla. Beat again for another minute.
Scrape the bowl again finally, and beat again if needed. It should be a thick and smooth frosting once finished!
To Decorate
If you want to use some cake crumbs to decorate, level off any peaked cupcakes, or core a couple out slightly and crumble up. This isn’t essential, but red velvet cake crumbs make the best sprinkles!
Using your piping bag and piping tip, pipe your cream cheese frosting onto the cupcakes.
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