Pink Velvet Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting and Sprinkles

Hey there, flavor friend! Isla here from BiteTide, coming at you with a recipe that’s pure, unapologetic joy in cupcake form. Today, we’re making Pink Velvet Cupcakes that are so tender, so softly sweet, and so utterly pretty, they might just make you do a little happy dance right there in your kitchen.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Isla, isn’t this just red velvet’s quieter cousin?” And to that I say—yes, and she’s fabulous! We’re trading the deep crimson for a gentle, blushing pink and pairing it with a cloud-like whipped cream cheese frosting that’s lighter than air. These cupcakes are the edible equivalent of a hug. They’re perfect for baby showers, Galentine’s Day, birthdays, or just a Tuesday when you need a dose of pretty. The best part? They come together without any fussy steps. We’re keeping it real, fun, and full of flavor, just like always. So, tie on your favorite apron, and let’s bake up some happiness!

Pink Velvet Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting : Soft, Sweet, and Simply Beautiful

---

• Author: islamerrick
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

These Pink Velvet Cupcakes are as dreamy as they look—tender, blush-colored cake topped with light and fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting. Finished with pastel sprinkles, they’re the perfect mix of pretty and delicious. Great for birthdays, baby showers, or anytime you want a soft, elegant treat that melts in your mouth.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract (optional, for extra softness)

½ cup buttermilk

Pink gel food coloring

For the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

For Decorating:

Pastel sprinkles or sugar pearls

---

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla and food coloring.

Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk until just combined.

Divide batter among liners and bake for 18–20 minutes. Cool completely.

For frosting, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold into cream cheese mixture.

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Dessert

A Splash of Pink & a Dash of Nostalgia

My love for all things “velvet” in cake form started not in a fancy bakery, but in my Aunt Margo’s sun-drenched kitchen. She had this magical, slightly lopsided cake stand that only came out for special occasions, and it was almost always topped with a red velvet cake. To my kid eyes, it was the most glamorous, sophisticated dessert in the world. But one year for my birthday, I was going through a fierce “pink everything” phase. Aunt Margo, without missing a beat, simply swapped the red food coloring for pink. That first slice of pink cake felt like a personal celebration—a dessert made just for me. It taught me a beautiful lesson I’ve carried into BiteTide: recipes aren’t set in stone. They’re invitations to play, to personalize, and to create a moment that feels uniquely yours. Every time I see that soft pink crumb, I think of her, that wobbly cake stand, and the powerful magic of a simple, loving tweak.

What You’ll Need to Make the Magic

Gathering your ingredients is the first step to kitchen success! Here’s everything you need, plus my little chef insights to help you nail it.

For the Pink Velvet Cupcakes:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour – The trusty foundation. For a slightly lighter crumb, you can swap in cake flour, but all-purpose works beautifully here.
• 1 tsp baking powder & ½ tsp baking soda – Our dynamic leavening duo! They work together to give us that perfect, tender rise. Make sure they’re fresh for the best lift.
• ¼ tsp salt – The flavor enhancer. It balances the sweetness and makes all the other ingredients sing.
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened – Key word: softened. Leave it out for an hour, or give it 10-second bursts in the microwave until it yields gently to a finger press. This creates the airy base for our batter.
• 1 cup granulated sugar – For sweetness and structure. Creaming it with the butter is where we build our cupcake’s lovely texture.
• 2 large eggs – Bring them to room temperature! They incorporate much more smoothly into the batter, giving us an even crumb.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract & ½ tsp almond extract (optional) – Vanilla is non-negotiable for warmth. The almond extract is my secret weapon—it adds a subtle, bakery-style depth and incredible softness. Try it!
• ½ cup buttermilk – The tangy MVP! It reacts with the baking soda for lift and creates an incredibly moist cake. No buttermilk? No sweat! Stir 1 ½ tsp lemon juice or white vinegar into regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Pink gel food coloring – Gel is my go-to. It’s more concentrated than liquid, so you get vibrant color without watering down your batter. Start with a toothpick dab and build from there!

For the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened – Full-fat, block-style, please! The tub kind has stabilizers and is too soft. We need structure.
• ½ cup powdered sugar – Just enough sweetness to complement the tang. We sift it to avoid any lumps in our silky frosting.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract – The perfect flavor bridge between cake and frosting.
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold – Must be cold. I even pop my bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes beforehand. This is what gives us that dreamy, pipeable, cloud-like texture.

For Decorating:

• Pastel sprinkles or sugar pearls – The finishing touch! This is where you can let your personality shine. I love a mix of sprinkles for fun texture.

Let’s Bake: Step-by-Step to Pink Perfection

Ready? Let’s turn these ingredients into something spectacular. Follow these steps, and you’ll be a cupcake hero in no time.

1. Prep Like a Pro. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners. This is also the time to take your eggs, butter, and cream cheese out if you haven’t already! Good prep is 80% of baking success.
2. Combine the Dry Team. In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I mean really whisk it—for a good 30 seconds. This aerates the flour and ensures our leaveners are evenly distributed, which means no tunneling or uneven rise in our cupcakes.
3. Cream the Butter & Sugar. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. Chef’s Hack: Don’t skimp on this time! You want it to look pale, fluffy, and almost like a soft frosting. This incorporates air, which is our first layer of lift.
4. Add Eggs & Flavor. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then, mix in the vanilla and that magical almond extract. Now, add your pink gel coloring. Start small—you can always add more!
5. The Alternating Dance. With your mixer on low, add about one-third of the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Follow with half of the buttermilk. Repeat, ending with the final third of dry ingredients. Key Tip: Mix only until the last streak of flour disappears. Overmixing is the enemy of tender cupcakes!
6. Bake & Cool. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to divide the batter evenly among the 12 liners (about ⅔ full). Bake for 18-20 minutes. They’re done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frosting warm cupcakes is a one-way ticket to Melty Town—patience is key!
7. Make the Dreamy Frosting. First, beat the softened cream cheese and sifted powdered sugar together until completely smooth. Add the vanilla. In a separate, cold bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two additions. Be firm but gentle to keep all that air in. You’ll have a lush, pipeable cloud of frosting!
8. Decorate & Celebrate! Load your frosting into a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip (I love a large star or round tip) and swirl it onto the cooled cupcakes. Immediately shower with sprinkles so they stick! Then, step back and admire your beautiful work.

Serving Up the Sweetness

These cupcakes are stars all on their own! I love presenting them on a simple, tiered cake stand or a beautiful platter to really show off their pretty pink hue. They pair perfectly with a cup of afternoon tea, a glass of cold milk, or a bubbly mimosa if you’re feeling fancy. For an extra special touch, place a single edible flower or a tiny macaron on top of each one alongside the sprinkles. Remember, we eat with our eyes first, and these are a feast!

Ride Your Own Flavor Wave: Fun Variations

One recipe, endless possibilities! Here’s how to make these cupcakes your own:

• Lemon Pink Velvet: Add the zest of one lemon to the batter and swap the almond extract for ½ tsp lemon extract. Divine!
• Chocolate Chip Pink Velvet: Fold ¾ cup of mini white or semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter before scooping.
• Gluten-Free Swap: Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. I’ve had great success with several brands—just ensure your blend contains xanthan gum.
• Naturally Pink: For a natural color, try using 1-2 tablespoons of beet powder! Start with less and adjust. The flavor is very subtle.
• Frosting Flair: Fold ½ cup of crushed freeze-dried raspberries (powdered) into the frosting for a gorgeous pink hue and a fruity tang.

Isla’s Chef Notes & Kitchen Stories

This recipe has been my go-to “pretty cupcake” for years, and it’s evolved with every batch. I added the almond extract after a happy accident—I grabbed the wrong bottle while chatting with a friend, and the result was so good it stuck! The whipped cream cheese frosting was born out of a desire for something less sweet and heavy than traditional buttercream, especially for spring and summer events.

A funny story? The first time I made these for a friend’s baby shower, I got a little over-zealous with the pink gel and created “Neon Pink Velvet” cupcakes. They were vibrantly, glow-in-the-dark pink. We laughed so hard, but you know what? They were a huge hit and totally matched the party’s energetic vibe. So don’t fear a little color adventure! The point is to have fun and create something that makes you (and your people) smile. That’s the real BiteTide spirit.

Your Questions, Answered

Let’s tackle a few common hiccups so you feel confident as can be!

Q: My frosting is too soft/runny. What happened?

A: This usually means either the cream cheese was too warm, the heavy cream wasn’t cold enough, or we under-whipped the cream. To fix it, pop the whole bowl of frosting into the fridge for 20-30 minutes, then re-whip it for a minute. For next time, ensure everything is cold and whip that cream to truly stiff peaks—it should hold its shape firmly when you lift the beaters.

Q: Can I make these ahead of time?

A: Absolutely! You can bake the cupcakes 1 day ahead, let them cool completely, then store them unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature. Make the frosting the day of serving for the best texture. Frosted cupcakes keep beautifully in the fridge for up to 2 days; just let them sit at room temp for 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off.

Q: Why is my pink color not very vibrant?

A: Liquid food coloring can dilute the batter. Gel or paste colors are your best friend for achieving that perfect, bold blush without affecting consistency. Remember, you can always add more, but you can’t take it out, so build the color slowly.

Q: Can I turn this into a layer cake?

A: You sure can! Double the recipe to make three 6-inch cake layers or two 8-inch layers. Bake time will increase to 25-35 minutes. For the frosting, I’d recommend making 1.5 times the amount for a generous crumb coat and final layer.

Nutritional Info (Per Cupcake, Approximate)

Calories: ~300 | Protein: 4g | Carbohydrates: 28g | Fat: 18g

Note: Nutritional information is an estimate provided for informational purposes only. Accuracy may vary based on ingredient brands and specific substitutions used.

There you have it, friend! My heart’s recipe for the dreamiest, softest Pink Velvet Cupcakes. I hope you bake them, share them, and create your own sweet memories around them. Don’t forget to tag @BiteTide if you share a photo—I love seeing your kitchen creations! Until next time, keep riding that flavor wave.

With love and sprinkles,
Isla 💛