Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients for the cupcakes:
- 55g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 150g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp or 10 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp gel paste food coloring (add more if necessary)
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar mixed together and set aside for a bit)
- 150 g all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tbsp vinegar
- 225g cream cheese at room temperature
- 55g cup unsalted butter, soft at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 115g confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- Preheat the oven to 350 F or 180 C and line a cupcake tray with cupcake cases
- In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat well until pale light and fluffy.
- Add in the cocoa and salt, and mix well. The batter may resemble chocolate cake batter especially if you are using dark cocoa, but fear not because the food coloring will transform the batter into a deep shade of red.
- Stir in the food coloring, adding in more if you need to, until you get your desired shade of red.
- Now, pour in the buttermilk, alternating with the flour in three intervals, starting with the buttermilk and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined, as over mixing after the flour is added will result in a tough, dry cupcake
- Finally In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, about 2/3- 3/4 of the way full. You should end up with exactly 12 cupcakes
- Bake for 20-25 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and cool completely before frosting
- Blend the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth
- Add the confectioner’s sugar gradually until you get soft peaks- at that stage stop.
- Finally, squeeze in the lemon juice
- Pour the mixture into a piping/ziplock bag, snip off the end and pipe dollops of the frosting atop the cooled cupcakes. You can also just smear the frosting using a butter knife.
- Serve topped with colored sugar or crumbled up cupcake.