Pink Velvet Cupcakes Vanilla Buttercream (Printable)

Airy pink cupcakes with silky vanilla buttercream—perfect for celebrations and sweet moments that matter.

# What you'll need:

→ For the Cupcakes

01 - 1¼ cups cake flour
02 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - ½ cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 large egg, room temperature
08 - ⅔ cup buttermilk, room temperature
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 - 1 teaspoon white vinegar
11 - ½ teaspoon pink gel food coloring

→ For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

12 - ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
13 - 2 to 2½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
15 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
16 - Pinch of salt
17 - Pink food coloring, optional

# Preparation steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
04 - Lightly beat egg in a small bowl. With mixer on low speed, slowly add egg, mixing until fully incorporated. Blend in vanilla extract.
05 - On low speed, add one-third of dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add half the buttermilk and mix. Repeat with another third of dry mix, remaining buttermilk, and finish with final third of dry ingredients. Scrape bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
06 - In a small cup, stir together white vinegar and pink gel food coloring. With mixer on low speed, pour mixture into batter and mix until evenly tinted.
07 - Divide batter evenly among 12 liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Tap pan gently to release air bubbles.
08 - Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
09 - Let cupcakes rest in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
10 - In a clean bowl or stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar on low speed, then increase to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, cream, and salt. Beat on medium-high for 1–2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add more sugar for stiffness or more cream for softness as needed. Mix in pink food coloring if desired.
11 - Transfer buttercream to a piping bag fitted with preferred tip or use a small offset spatula. Frost each cooled cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, edible pearls, or pink sanding sugar if desired.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The crumb is so soft it almost dissolves, with a slight tang from buttermilk that keeps them from being too sweet.
  • They look like something from a bakery window but come together in under an hour with tools you already own.
  • The frosting pipes beautifully and holds its shape without being stiff or greasy.
  • You can tint them as pale or as bold as you like, and they always feel like a celebration.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are critical, cold butter or eggs will cause the batter to curdle and the texture will suffer.
  • Don't overmix once you add the flour or the cupcakes will turn out dense and chewy instead of tender.
  • Let them cool completely before frosting, I once tried to pipe onto warm cupcakes and the buttercream slid right off.
03 -
  • Weigh your flour if you can, too much will make the cupcakes dense and too little will make them collapse.
  • Add a tiny pinch of salt to the buttercream, it brightens the vanilla and keeps the frosting from tasting flat.
  • If you want bakery-style swirls, use a large open star tip and start from the outside, piping in a tight spiral toward the center.
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