Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red velvet cupcakes feature a dramatic, eye-catching appearance, a velvety smooth texture, and are topped with cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
unsalted butter (softened)
60 g
caster sugar / granulated sugar
150 g
egg
1
cocoa powder
10 g
red food coloring
30 ml
vanilla extract
1/2 tsp
buttermilk
120 ml
all-purpose flour / plain flour
150 g
baking soda
1/2 tsp
white vinegar (white vinegar or rice vinegar)
1.5 tsp
icing sugar / powdered sugar (for the frosting)
300 g
unsalted butter (softened, for the frosting)
50 g
cream cheese (chilled, for the frosting)
125 g
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F, gas mark 3).
2
Cream the butter
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This takes about 30 seconds on medium speed with an electric mixer.
3
Add the egg
Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated.
4
Mix in the coloring
Take a measuring cup and add the cocoa powder, food coloring, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Scrape this into the butter-sugar mixture, scraping out every bit of coloring. Combine the two until you have a beautiful red cake batter. Don't worry if it looks a bit pink — it will darken as it bakes.
5
Add the wet and dry ingredients
Use the measuring cup again to measure the buttermilk. Pour half into the cake mixture and stir until combined. Add half the flour and stir again, then repeat with the remaining buttermilk and flour. Keep mixing until everything is smooth, glossy, and velvety.
6
Final mix
Add the baking soda and vinegar, then beat for another 30 seconds. The mixture should be very smooth at this point.
7
Bake
Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool in the tin for a while, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8
Make the frosting
Put the icing sugar and butter in a bowl and mix until smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. This takes about 3 minutes.
9
Decorate
Once done, spread the frosting over the cooled cupcakes, or use a piping bag for a professional finish. If you like, crumble one cupcake and sprinkle the crumbs over the frosting.
