Martha Stewart Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

You can, but the color will lean more brown than red. Dutch-process cocoa is alkaline, which reacts with the acidic buttermilk and vinegar to keep the red pigment from the food color stable. Natural cocoa is more acidic, so it can dull the shade. If you only have natural cocoa, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to compensate for the acid difference.

Frosted cupcakes hold well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one day. After that, move them to the refrigerator where they stay fresh for up to 3 days. Let refrigerated cupcakes sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens.

Three sticks of melted butter give the crumb a richer, more tender texture than vegetable oil. Butter also adds flavor that oil cannot. The key is to let the melted butter cool slightly before mixing so it does not scramble the eggs when they go in.

You can mix the dry ingredients and set them aside up to a day ahead. However, once the baking soda and vinegar go into the batter, the leavening reaction starts right away, so bake immediately after combining. You can bake the cupcakes a day ahead unfrosted, wrap them tightly, and frost just before serving.

The most common cause is using liquid food color instead of gel-paste. Liquid color is much weaker, so you would need a large amount that thins the batter and still may not reach a deep red. Gel-paste is concentrated and does not add extra liquid. Also check your cocoa: too much cocoa or using natural cocoa instead of Dutch-process darkens the batter past the point where red shows through.