Description
These Valentine’s Day Mini Red Velvet Cakes are rich, moist, and adorned with a luscious cream cheese frosting. Perfect for sharing with your loved ones, these individual cakes are the ideal dessert for a Valentine’s Day celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cakes:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tbsp red food coloring (or as needed)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
For Decoration:
- Red sprinkles or heart-shaped decorations (optional)
Instructions
-
For the Cakes:
- Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour 6 small ramekins or mini cake pans (or use a standard muffin tin if you don’t have mini cake pans).
- Mix the Dry Ingredients:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients:
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, food coloring, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Make sure the food coloring is evenly incorporated into the wet mixture.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until the batter is smooth and well-combined.
- Bake the Cakes:
- Divide the batter evenly among the mini cake pans or ramekins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (If using a muffin tin, check at around 18 minutes.)
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Make the Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and pinch of salt, and beat for an additional minute until smooth and creamy.
Assembling the Cakes:
- Frost the Cakes:
- Once the mini cakes have completely cooled, spread a generous layer of cream cheese frosting on top of each mini cake. You can use a spatula to smooth the frosting or pipe it onto the cakes for a more decorative look.
- Decorate:
- Top each mini cake with red sprinkles or heart-shaped decorations for a festive touch.
- Serve:
- Serve the mini red velvet cakes immediately, or refrigerate them for up to 2 days. They taste great when chilled!
- Preheat the Oven:
Notes
- If you prefer, you can make this recipe as a single-layer cake by using an 8-inch round cake pan instead of mini pans.
- You can add a few tablespoons of milk to the frosting if you want a softer consistency.
- You can freeze any leftover cakes for up to 1 month. Just make sure to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and foil.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cake
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 55mg