Red Velvet Cupcakes
These red velvet cupcakes are soft, light, moist, and topped with an easy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for any occasion!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 Medium Eggs
- 125 ml Buttermilk
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 75 g Unsalted Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- 15 g Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp White Wine Vinegar
- 1 tsp 175 g Plain Flour
- 150 g Caster Sugar
- 1 tsp Red Food Colouring (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 150 g Icing Sugar
- 150 g Unsalted Butter
- 300 g Full-Fat Cream Cheese (I use philadelphia)
Instructions
Cupcakes
First, preheat your oven to 180C / 150CFan and prepare 12 cupcake cases!
Then, beat together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until smooth and fluffy like you would a regular cake!
Add the eggs and beat again!
In a small bowl, combine the red food coloring and vanilla extract into a paste - Add this mixture to the butter mixture and beat until well combined and colored!
Reduce the speed so that it is slow and add the cocoa powder.
Pour in half the buttermilk and beat on low speed. Add half the flour and beat again, then the other half of the buttermilk and beat, then the other half of the flour and beat (I realize it's faffy, but it works!)
Finally - add the baking soda, baking powder and vinegar. Beat again briefly until everything is smooth and well incorporated.
Spoon in crates to make it even - I use a cookie spoon and fill the crates about 2/3 full so they are all uniform.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the center of the cupcakes comes out clean when pricked with a skewer! Once the cakes are cooked, leave to cool on a wire rack.
Cheese Icing Cream
First, make sure your butter is at room temperature and be sure to use real butter, not a spread.
Then, beat your butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy - just like you would regular buttercream.
I beat them together for about 5 minutes.
Add your whole cream cheese (which has been drained if necessary) and beat for about a minute.
Scrape the bowl well and add the vanilla. Beat again for a minute.
Scrape the bowl again and beat again if necessary. It should be a thick, smooth frosting when done!
Decorate
If you want to use cake crumbs for decorating, level the cupcakes to a point or slightly hollow out a few and crumble them. It's not essential, but the red velvet cake crumbs make the best nuggets!
Using your pastry bag and piping tip, apply your cream cheese frosting to the cupcakes.
Once channeled, sprinkle with breadcrumbs!
Happy Cooking Time.
