How to make irresistible red velvet cupcakes with white chocolate ganache frosting for Valentine’s Day!
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Valentine’s Day is one of my top favorite holidays to make treats for, especially when it comes to cupcakes. I love working with divine holiday flavors to create decadent sweets that will make anybody swoon! To celebrate Valentine’s this year, I decided on the irresistible flavor duo of red velvet and white chocolate.
I’m not just talking about white chocolate here, I’m talking about a whipped white chocolate ganache frosting! Something about that scrumptious ganache just adds something extra special to a recipe so I knew it would be a perfect match for divine red velvet. And so I made a batch of tantalizing Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache Frosting!
These were literally the perfect treat to make for Valentine’s Day since the holiday is associated with gourmet sweets and decadent flavors already. But between you and me, these cupcakes are so good that I recommend making them any time of the year for a perfect pick-me-up or treat yourself!
Why stop there? These yummy cupcakes can be made for birthday parties, engagement, or wedding events, or just to spread some cheerful treats with your loved ones. Whatever you want to make these for, they’re sure to be a huge hit! Here’s how I make divine red velvet cupcakes with white chocolate ganache frosting.
Cupcake Equipment
First, let me go over the equipment list for these cute cupcakes. Since this entire cupcake process is made from scratch and involves lots of “layers”, there are quite a few kitchen tools needed to make sure everything runs smoothly. Here’s what I use to make stunning red velvet cupcakes:
- Measuring Cup
- Measuring spoons
- Kitchen mixer
- Glass mixing bowl
- Spatulas
- Blending whisk
- Dough scoop 3 tbsp
- 24 Foil cupcake liners
- 2 Cupcake pans
- Piping bags
- Piping bag ties
- Jumbo piping tips
- Paper Cupcake Boxes
- Homemade with Love Stickers
Velvety Cupcake Ingredients
Now let me break down the mouth-watering ingredients for these tempting treats! Even though both the cupcakes and the fabulous frosting are made from scratch, I don’t actually have to use a ton of ingredients. Here are my tantalizing ingredients for red velvet cupcakes:
White Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 24 oz White Chocolate Chips
Red Velvet Cupcakes:
- 2 ½ cup Cake Flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder– unsweetened
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 4 Eggs
- 1 ½ cup Yogurt
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Butter– room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 tsp Red Food Coloring
- Cooking spray oil
Cupcake Decorations:
Time Saving Tip:
For a quick shortcut, you can use a red velvet box cake mix instead. The recipe will still make 24 cupcakes.
How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Now it’s time to get busy in the kitchen! Even though this recipe does involve quite a few phases, overall the process is pretty simple and straightforward. I do recommend reading over the whole recipe before starting though so you can see any special instructions throughout the process. Here’s how to make red velvet cupcakes with white chocolate ganache frosting:
Making the White Chocolate Ganache:
- First, gather and measure out the ingredients with the measuring cup and spoons. Pour the white chocolate chips into a large heat-safe glass mixing bowl.
- Next, pour the heavy whipping cream into a saucepan over medium heat. Occasionally stir the cream with a silicone spatula as it heats up.
- Add in the vanilla extract and salt and stir to combine them all together while heating.
- Heat the cream mixture on med-low and bring to a simmer but do not let it boil.
- Then, remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate chips. Let it sit for a minute or 2 to make mixing easier.
- Next, use a blending whisk to mix the white chocolate ganache thoroughly until it reaches a smooth consistency.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic food wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Occasionally unwrap and mix the ganache frosting while it sets.
Making the Red Velvet Cupcakes:
- First, prepare and measure out the cupcake ingredients with the measuring cup and spoons. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Next, in a medium glass mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
- Mix the ingredients with a blending whisk.
- Then, combine the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla in a separate mixing bowl.
- Mix the ingredients with a clean blending whisk.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and brown sugar.
- Use a hand mixer to beat the butter and sugar together for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Then, pour the egg mixture into the large bowl of butter mixture.
- Beat again until all the ingredients are completely combined.
- Next, add half of the flour mixture into the big bowl of batter.
- Beat the mixture until the dry ingredients are mixed in.
- Add the remaining half of the dry ingredients into the batter bowl.
- Beat again until all of the ingredients are completely mixed together.
- Next, drop in the red food coloring.
- Mix the batter again until the food coloring is evenly distributed and mixed in throughout all of the cupcake batter.
- Then, grab the cupcake pans and the foil cupcake liners.
- Line the cupcake pans with the cupcake liners.
- Next, lightly spray each of the cupcake liners with cooking oil spray.
- Use a dough scoop to fill the cupcake liners ¾ full with cupcake batter. Bake the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- After baking, let the cupcakes cool completely, about 1 hour, before frosting.
Whipping the White Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
- The white chocolate ganache should be completely chilled before whipping. Prepare a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
- Use the mixer to whisk the ganache frosting for about 10 minutes at high speed.
- You know the whipped frosting is ready when it is fluffy in texture and forms stiff peaks on the whisk.
- Then, prepare 2 piping bags with 2 metal jumbo piping tips.
- Spoon the whipped frosting into the piping bags and then close off the bags with piping bag ties.
- The whipped frosting is now ready to pipe!
Important Frosting Tip:
When working with this particular frosting, make sure the room temperature is not cold. Otherwise, the frosting will come out of the piping bag rough, ripped, choppy, or just unpleasant.
Decorating the Red Velvet Cupcakes:
- First, grab the cupcakes, frosting, and Valentine sprinkles.
- Pipe the white chocolate ganache frosting onto each of the red velvet cupcakes, then immediately decorate them with the sprinkles.
- Finally, pack the decorated cupcakes into paper cupcake boxes, finish them off with some Homemade with Love Stickers, and send them off to your loved ones!
Storing Decorated Cupcakes
Storing red velvet cupcakes: these cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for 4-5 days at room temperature, or covered and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. Always label the date on the outside of the container to keep up with freshness.
More Cupcakes Recipes
Cue the Cupcakes
Love creating cute and custom cupcakes for different holidays and events? Then you will definitely want to check out some of my other scrumptious cupcake recipes that are perfect for any time of the year:
- Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes
- S’mores Cupcakes
- Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
- Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Peppermint Cupcakes
- Unicorn Rainbow Cupcakes
- Mardi Gras Cupcakes
Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Equipment
- Dough scoop 3 tbsp
Ingredients
White Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 24 oz White Chocolate Chips
Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 2 ½ Cup Cake Flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ Cup Cocoa Powder Unsweetened
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 4 Eggs
- 1 ½ Cup Yogurt
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Butter room temperature
- 2 Cups brown sugar
- 2 tsp Red Food Coloring
- Cooking spray oil
Cupcake Decorations
Instructions
Making the White Chocolate Ganache
- First, gather and measure out the ingredients with the measuring cup and spoons. Pour the white chocolate chips into a large heat-safe glass mixing bowl.
- Next, pour the heavy whipping cream into a saucepan over medium heat. Occasionally stir the cream with a silicone spatula as it heats up.
- Add in the vanilla extract and salt and stir to combine them all together while heating.
- Heat the cream mixture on med-low and bring to a simmer but do not let it boil.
- Then, remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate chips. Let it sit for a minute or 2 to make mixing easier.
- Next, use a blending whisk to mix the white chocolate ganache thoroughly until it reaches a smooth consistency.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic food wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Occasionally unwrap and mix the ganache frosting while it sets.
Making the Red Velvet Cupcakes
- First, prepare and measure out the cupcake ingredients with the measuring cup and spoons. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Next, in a medium glass mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
- Mix the ingredients with a blending whisk.
- Then, combine the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla in a separate mixing bowl.
- Mix the ingredients with a clean blending whisk.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and brown sugar.
- Use a hand mixer to beat the butter and sugar together for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Then, pour the egg mixture into the large bowl of butter mixture.
- Beat again until all the ingredients are completely combined.
- Next, add half of the flour mixture into the big bowl of batter.
- Beat the mixture until the dry ingredients are mixed in.
- Add the remaining half of the dry ingredients into the batter bowl.
- Beat again until all of the ingredients are completely mixed together.
- Next, drop in the red food coloring.
- Mix the batter again until the food coloring is evenly distributed and mixed in throughout all of the cupcake batter.
- Then, grab the cupcake pans and the foil cupcake liners.
- Line the cupcake pans with the cupcake liners.
- Next, lightly spray each of the cupcake liners with cooking oil spray.
- Use a dough scoop to fill the cupcake liners ¾ full with cupcake batter. Bake the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- After baking, let the cupcakes cool completely, about 1 hour, before frosting.
Whipping the White Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- The white chocolate ganache should be completely chilled before whipping. Prepare a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
- Use the mixer to whisk the ganache frosting for about 10 minutes at high speed.
- You know the whipped frosting is ready when it is fluffy in texture and forms stiff peaks on the whisk.
- Then, prepare 2 piping bags with 2 metal jumbo piping tips.
- Spoon the whipped frosting into the piping bags and then close off the bags with piping bag ties.
- The whipped frosting is now ready to pipe!
Decorating the Red Velvet Cupcakes
- First, grab the cupcakes, frosting, and Valentine sprinkles.
- Pipe the white chocolate ganache frosting onto each of the red velvet cupcakes, then immediately decorate them with the sprinkles.
- Finally, pack the decorated cupcakes into paper cupcake boxes, finish them off with some Homemade with Love Stickers, and send them off to your loved ones!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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