Red Velvet Cupcakes

The first time I tried a piece of red velvet cake was when I lived in New York. It was from a lovely little coffee shop around the corner from my apartment on East 4^th street. And I loved it. It was pretty and delicious at the same time. Uhh they also had the best Iced Chai Latte in the world! That’s definitely on my list of things to enjoy whenever I get back to New York. Oh how I miss it!

Anyway,- the red velvet cup cakes. I found this recipe in my favorite cake recipe book form Hummingbird Bakery.

We were invited to a 4^th of July party in the park by some of Sillas’ good friends he’s known since high school. And I thought that this was a great opportunity to bake a batch of red velvet cupcakes, with frosting in both blue and white – keeping with the US theme. So much fun to play around with colors!

Ingredients:

60g unsalted butter – room temperature

150g caster sugar

1 egg

20g cocoa powder

Red food coloring
- I used Wilton’s ‘Red Red’

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ¼ dl buttermilk

150g plain flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1½ tsp white vinegar

Ingredients for the frosting:


300g icing sugar sifted

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature

125g cream cheese, cold

Food coloring – I used Wiltons ‘Royal Blue’

Process:

Preheat the oven to 170°C

Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food coloring and vanilla extract to make a very thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and colored.Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the buttermilk.

Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

And as for the frosting:

Make the frosting by beating the icing sugar and the butter together on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat it until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least five minutes.

I chose to frost my cupcakes with two colors; blue and white. I did this my dividing the frosting into two bowls. Add the plain frosting into a piping bag and leave in the fridge while you work on the blue version. To make the blue frosting simply add a few drops of food coloring until you have the color you like. Add to a piping bag. Leave in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Now take a third piping bag, add the nozzle of your choice.

Take the two piping bags with frosting and cut a small bit off of each end.

Carefully place both bags of frosting into the third, making sure that they evenly divided.

And now you are ready to pipe your cupcakes.

Enjoy!