Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. This dry mixture is your base for those perfect red velvet cupcakes cozy.

In another bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla bean paste, and red food coloring. Whisk everything together until the color looks consistent and beautiful. The batter should be a gorgeous deep red—if it looks too pink, add a few more drops of coloring.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Don't overmix or you'll end up with dense, tough cupcakes. Mine always look a little lumpy at this stage, and that's exactly what you want.

Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The kitchen smells absolutely incredible around minute 15—that's when you know they're almost ready.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Don't skip this cooling step or your frosting will melt right off. While they cool, get started on the frosting.

Beat softened butter and cream cheese together until fluffy and light, around 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice (if using). Beat for another minute until you get that smooth, spreadable consistency that makes frosting a joy.

Once cupcakes are completely cool (I usually wait 30 minutes), frost each one generously. You can pipe it fancy or just spread it on—honestly, they taste the same either way. That homemade cream cheese frosting is the real star here.