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Meaning heavy on the chocolateโฆand the roses!
You know how yesterday I was talking about the tomboy in me? Well today, I am kind of kicking that part of me to the side and going all girly on you guys. Well, not that girly, but I did make cupcakes flavored with roses and while these picture have sort of a dark and moody feel, I canโt help but feel happy just looking at them.
Itโs the roses.
Flowers are the one girly thing that suck me in every time. I am not big on make-up (mascara and chapstick is about it for me), I really do not like the color pink, Iโd rather drive a stick shift car than an automatic and Iโd rather spend the day in the snow, maybe even hanging out with my brothers, than in the mall (BUT I do like the mallโฆon a rainy dayโฆmy grandma did pass that gene onto me). Also, just thought I should mention that my younger sister Asher (sheโs six) and I could not be more different. She is the ultimate girly girlย and pink is her all time favorite color.
And now that we got that all sorted out, letโs talk about all things Deep Dark and Rosy, like these Red Velvet Cupcakes.
This was my first experience with baking red velvet cupcakes. Normally, I am not that into red velvet because food coloring freaks me out a bit and well, there is really just not enough chocolate in them for my liking. So while I still used the food coloring, I did end up adding kind of, sort of, a lot more chocolate. Hence the โDeep Darkโ part to this recipe.
Oh, and rose water!! Some of you may think itโs weird to be flavoring cupcakes with roses, but I promise you, itโs not and itโs so perfect.
If you donโt have rose water on handโฆ nor does your neighbor, your mom or your sister, and you simply must make these today, you can leave the rose water out.
But really, the flavors all compliment each other really well, so try to find the rose water first!
The standouts from greatest to least are chocolate, rose and vanilla. When mixed in with a little sugar and a little butter, magic happens. No really it does.
I know that a lot of people only associate red velvet with Christmas, but for me, red velvet is definitely a February thing. And for some reason this year, I really went full force with the V-Day eats. No idea why, but it was fun (so umm, check back next week because there is a lot of good food coming your way).
These cupcakes were just the start, I loved them. I havenโt said that yet, but I really did love them. The chocolate flavor is awesome and subtle light flavors of the roses balance the chocolate out. AND that cream cheese frosting. Whoa.
Thatโs maybe the best thing ever. Seriously, so good.
The good thing, no awesome thing, about these cupcakes is that you can make them anytime of the year. For a particular occasionโฆor for no reason at all, which really is the best.
Oh, and sorry about all these pictures. I canโt help but take loads photos when things are prettyโฆ
And, expect more of these roses. I paid forty bucks for them, so you know I used them till their death. Actually, they are not dead yet, maybe I can color them green for March โ just kidding.
Deep Dark and Rosy, Red Velvet Cupcakes.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cups flour*
- 1/2 cup cornstarch*
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups canola oil
- 2 eggs, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons rose water*
- 2-4 teaspoons red food coloring
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened (or unsalted with 1/2 tsp salt), 8 tablespoons
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds removed
- 2 teaspoons rose water*
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard muffin tins with paper liners.
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt.
- With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together the sugar and oil until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food coloring, vanilla and rose water.
- Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk, and mixing well after each addition. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam) and add the mixture to the batter, mix on medium speed until combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate.
- Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans, filling each three-quarters full. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, do not over bake. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting, using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla bean seeds and rose water until smooth. Add cream to reach your desired consistency.
- Once the cupcakes are cool, frost with the cream cheese frosting. Decorate with roses if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Have a very Deep Dark and Rosy, Red Velvet Cupcakes Friday!
Ooooh Tiegan these turned out Devine!!! I used Americolor soft gel paste- Electric Red from Amazon and the color looks just like your pictures; honestly I wouldnโt change a thing on the recipe but Iโll experiment with 1/8 amount of salt next time coz the first time I tried them I thought they were a tad bit salty but soooo delicious and super filling after 3 bites; but as with any new recipe thereโs an adjustment period; we canโt stop eating them!! You are the best!
Hi Nancy,
Amazing!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear that they turned out well for you! Xx
Do you have baking suggestions to make a cake instead of cupcakes?
Hi Kerri! You could definitely make this into a cake, I would just increase the bake time another 10 ish mins until a toothpick comes out clean! xT
I made this as a gravity cake for my dream-son and it was a HIT! everybody loved it and tasted amazing! For the red color, like others said, if you use the “natural” ones made of beet juice, it’s going to look more red-purple than red. I wish i could post a pic here, but will share on IG and Pinterest. Thank you Tieghan!
Thanks for trying out the recipe! So glad you loved it! xT
Is there anything you can substitute for rose water or use in place of?
Hi Danielle,
You can just use plain water:) Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xTieghan
My red velvet batter looks like a chocolate cakeโฆwhy isnโt it a red color?
Hey Donna,
So sorry to hear this, did you use the red food coloring? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Mine didnโt turn out red at all either. I even used 12 drops of red food coloring. Oh well! It was still delicious.
what beautiful cupcakes! i was wondering, how stiff is the frosting? iโm thinking about piping icing roses. if the icing is too loose, could you give me some advice on how to make the icing stiffer? thanks so much for this recipe!
Hey Cathy,
I think that would be totally fine to do with this icing! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, Tieghan! Somehow I can not reply to your comment so posting a new comment. Iโve asked you about canola oil substitution. Iโve used grapeseed oil instead after all. And made it a cake for my sonโs birthday. It turned out great! Even the rosewater flavor which I was afraid of (usually I donโt like it in desserts at all). Everybody loved it! Thank you very much! All your recipes Iโve tried so far were amazing, literally all of them! Thank you!
Hey Anastasia,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xTieghan
Hello! Can you tell me pls what I could use instead of canola oil? Iโm planning to try to make it a cake. Thank you!
Hey Anastasia,
You can use vegetable oil in place of the canola oil. I hope you love the recipe. xTieghan
Hello! Iโm planning to try this recipe as a cake. Can you tell me pls what I could use instead of canola oil? Thank you!
Hey Anastasia,
You could use vegetable oil in place of the canola oil. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made these for my husbands birthday. They turned out dry. What did I do wrong?
Hey Julia,
So sorry these turned out dry for you. Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? This would help me to better answer your question. Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Hi there! Making this delicious recipe for Christmas Eve Dessert (and your crock pot short rib over potatoes recipe for dinner!)… do you happen to know the bake time if instead of cupcakes I did two 8″ round cake pans? Thanks so much!
Hey Laura,
I would start checking for doneness at 30 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Update*** they are delicious ?
I am glad these turned out well for you still, Jamie! Thank you for trying this one! xTieghan