Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I'll confess - I've never tried making Red Velvet cake before. One batch of cupcakes later, though, and I'm pretty sure it's my new favourite thing to bake (and eat!)

Fairly simple to whip up, and still a lot more decadent than your average batch!

Now, I've tweaked this recipe a fair bit.  It's for approximately 24 cupcakes (that's 2 cupcake trays worth), but if you only have the one tray to hand, you can half all the measurements and still get the same delicious results in 12 cupcakes instead.

Ingredients

 

(For the cupcakes)

• 250 grams of self-raising flower
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder (sifted)
• 100 grams of butter (unsalted)
• 200 grams of caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon of red food colouring
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 175 ml of buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar  

  

(For the frosting)

• 500 grams of icing sugar
• 125 grams of cream cheese (I use Philadelphia)
• 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar

 

Method

 

• Pre-heat your oven to 170°C/325°F and line your cupcake tray(s) with paper cases.

• Combine the self-raising flour and cocoa powder in a bowl.

•  In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and caster sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth. Then, add the vanilla extract and all of the food colouring, still beating.

• Continue beating and add 1 spoonful of the dry ingredients (from the first bowl), then 1 egg, followed by another spoonful of the dry ingredients, then the remaining egg, and finally, the last of the dry ingredients. If you can, it's best to do this with an electronic mixer, unless you have a fast and strong hand!

As a quick side note, if at this stage, your mixture now looks like something from an Alfred Hitchcock film, don't panic, that just means that you're doing it right).

• Now beat in the buttermilk and white wine vinegar, and finally divide the batter evenly between each paper case.

• Pop your tray(s) in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Once done, take them out the oven and leave to cool before attempting to decorate them. Never try to decorate a warm cake!

• Moving on to the frosting, simply mix the icing sugar and cream cheese until smooth, and add a final teaspoon of white whine vinegar.

• Place your frosting into an icing bag with a star shaped tip and decorate your cupcakes in a spiral motion.

Ready for tasting!

Voila! Vibrant, sophisticated and yummy cupcakes ripe for the picking and ideal for an afternoon tea party. I could hardly wait for an occasion to use my new cupcake stand by Charlotte Clark, isn't it gorgeous?

Especially moist, and a juicy colour - what's not to love about Red Velvet? Happy baking, everyone!