First Post--Red Velvet Cupcakes

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Red Velvet Cupcakes

So I've been meaning to start a baking blog for so long, but have just never gotten around to it.  I've taken photos of majority of the things I've either baked or cooked in hope that I would one day eventually be motivated enough (or have the time to) start this blog.

My first Baking Post, being after Christmas and all, should rightfully be the baking goods I made for our families Christmas Eve Dinner.  I made Red Velvet Cupcakes, a cake I had never attempted but somehow managed to actually do right!

These cupcakes were to die for, adapted from Lick the Bowl Good's baking blog.  I omitted the pecans and layering of frosting and cake so that I could turn them into cupcakes for my Christmas Tree Cupcake Tower.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp red food colouring
• 1 cup (227g) butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1½ tsp bicard soda*
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
  

Method:


Preheat oven to 180⁰C.  Arrange cupcake cases in a 6 hole patty-cake/muffin pan, then spray lightly with non-stick spray.  I always do this to make sure you don't lose half your cupcake when you try to take the cases off.


This recipe requires three separate bowls, one small, one medium, and one large.  Combine the flour and salt together in the medium bowl.  Then in the small bowl  mix the cocoa and red food colouring together to make a dark red, almost brown, paste.

Then in the large bowl beat the butter on a low speed until it is creamy and soft.  Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, this should only take a few minutes.  Gradually add the eggs, mixing well after each addition.  Once the mixture has a smooth and glossy look and is quite fluffy, you can add the red-cocoa paste.  Beat this in until the colour is evenly dispersed in the egg mixture.

Combine the vanilla and mix in a pouring jug.  Then add about a third of the flour mixture to the egg-cocoa past batter, followed by half the milk.  Beat with an electric mixer on a low speed, only enough to combine the ingredients.  Then add another third of the flour and the remaining milk.  Once you've mixed these in, add the remaining flour in the same way.

In a separate bowl combine the baking soda and the vinegar.  Then, using a wooden spoon quickly stir this mixture through the cake batter. Make sure you stir this through gently, this cake should never be over mixed so to ensure it remains light and fluffy.  

Once you have done this you can scrape the batter into the individual cupcake cases.  Fill each cupcake case just above half way.  Any less and they won't rise to the top of the cases.

Bake in the prepared oven for about 25 minutes, or until they spring back when touched.  The cupcakes should look glossy or sticky on top, this means they will be nice and fluffy on the inside.

Place them on a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting them.

*Bicard soda and baking soda are terms used interchangeably, however they are different from baking powder.  Baking powder already has cream of tartar added to it, but in recipes such as this where vinegar is used, the necessary reaction to make the flour rise can be obtained using bicarb soda.

Cream Cheese Frosting, adapted from Lick the Bowl Good

• 1 Cup butter, at room temperature
• 250g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups icing sugar (I used soft)
• Lime food colouring

Gorgeous Red Inside

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined. Then add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar and beat at low speed, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy.

As I was using my cupcakes for Christmas I wanted green frosting so I added around 9 drops of yellow food colouring and 3 drops of green food colouring to get a subtle green tinge to the frosting.

Icing the Cupcakes

To be honest, I rarely use frosting, I am more of a glace icing girl.  But this sort of recipe needed cream cheese frosting to make it so I thought I'd better try my hand at piping the frosting on.  I used a nozzle that had about 5 little tooth marks and just swirled the frosting on in zig zags.  Once I'd done that I sprinkled each cupcake with silver cachous (BEFORE the frosting set).  I had leftover frosting, and stored it in the fridge (it was then eaten at will!).

I then assembled the onto a Christmas Cupcake Tree (literally a Christmas Tree!).  The family loved it! =D  

The recipe may look a little bit nit-picky, but have a go, it was definately worth it! droooool....

Love in Baking, Passionate Baker! 2:D