Tuesday 14 February 2012

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Valentines for me is always the perfect excuse to bake something special for my hubby and this year I decided to bake these delectable Red Velvet Cupcakes. These rich and sweet cupcakes are topped with dreamy, creamy cream cheese frosting and will not fail to enchant. Happy Valentines Day everyone, hope you are all being showered with lots of love!


Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes 24

Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
250g plain flour
2 x 15ml tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g soft unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
1 x heaped 15ml tbsp red paste food colouring
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
175ml buttermilk
1 tsp cider vinegar or other vinegar

Buttery Cream-cheese frosting
500g icing sugar, no need to sift if using a processor)
125g cream cheese
125g soft unsalted butter
1 tsp cider vinegar or lemon juice (I used vanilla extract)
red velvet cake crumbs or chocolate sprinkles or red sugar for decoration

Preheat the oven to 170oC/fan oven 150oC/gas mark 3 and line the muffin tins with paper cases.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarb in a bowl.

In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar, beating well, and when you have a soft pale mixture beat in the food colouring - yes, all of it - and the vanilla.

Into this vividly coloured mixture, still beating, add 1 spoonful of the dried ingredients, then 1 egg, followed by some more dried ingredients, then the other egg, followed by the rest of the dried ingredients.

Finally, beat in the buttermilk and vinegar and divide this extraordinary batter between the 24 cases. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes by which time the redcurrant-sorbet-coloured batter will have morphed into a more sombre, but still juicily tinted, sponge - more maroon acrylic than red velvet, to be honest.

Leave them to cool on a wire rack and do not ice with the frosting till absolutely cold.

Put the icing sugar into a processor and whizz to remove lumps.

Add the cream cheese and butter and process to mix. Pour in the cider vinegar (or lemon juice or vanilla extract) and process again to make a smooth icing.

Ice each cupcake, using a teaspoon or small spatula.

Decorate with red velvet cake crumbs or chocolate sprinkles or red sugar.

9 comments:

Hello said...

Looks lovely, the cupcakes have turned out perfectly Hopefully you have enjoyed your three course Valentines meal. I'm having date steak for one but could eat a cupcake or 3 (should of thought about making a sweet to go with it!. x

Nic's Notebook said...

These are my fav cupcakes in the world!!!

The Caked Crusader said...

I love the crumb decoration - it's so pretty!

Kelly-Jane said...

Just perfect for Valentines :)

Kate@whatkatebaked said...

Such a lovely, lovely romantic bake for Valentine's- and I really like the crumb decoration on the top, it really sets off the icing!

Choclette said...

These look fantastic Maria especially with the cake crumbs scattered on top. Lovely cupcake cases too.

Kim said...

These look gorgeous and perfect for Valentine's, I've never made red velvet cupcakes yet, I really need to give them a go.

Anna's kitchen table said...

Maria they look perfect!!

Chronicles of Dolliedaydream said...

These look delicious Maria - hope you had a sweet day.

I tried some red velvet cookies for a change - they looked cute but I prefer my cakes!

-x-