Red Velvet Cupcakes!

Hello Everyone! 

It's been a while since i pulled out my cupcake trays, and so, today's treat features non other than the classic, Red Velvet recipe. Today's sweet was inspired by one of our fans Solaf Aboayyash, and so, we have created it on her behalf :)

Theres nothing better than having a semi-sweet cake base with the infamous cream cheese frosting to kick in the sour yet candied flavour. This recipe serves for 6 cupcakes, for 12, double everything!

The ingredients all set

Plain/All purpose flour

I prefer using coarse crystal sea salt than regular table salt for some desserts, in this case red velvet, Waitrose produces amazing sea salt, translucent grains, great texture and that lovely sea-taste!

Super-fine caster sugar

measure around 70g 

into your cake mixer or bowl with a separate electric mixer (which i recommend as its a small amount and will mix better with a smaller whisks)

handy-dandy measuring spoons!

30g butter (unsalted)

1 small egg, or 1/2 a large egg

in you go

Cadbury Cocoa has definitely stood the test of time. A classic in our families cooking stash - and an essential item in your baking cabinet, i definitely prefer it over Hershey's cocoa. (used for the colouring paste which is made separately)

get out your Foster Clark's food colouring (get's everywhere, so be careful!)  

add to the bowl 5g of Cocoa in a separate bowl

 add in 10ml red rouge food colouring 

1/4 Vanilla extract

fold in together - texture will get very thick, will turn into a thick paste

 

add into your cake mix from before & blend

60ml of Buttermilk (which is basically just laban/fresh yoghurt)

stir until smooth - no lumps

add in to cake mix

stir in slowly the 75g of all purpose/plain flour

I always get so much flour stuck around the edges, remember always to stop mixing, and scrape down the inside of the bowl with a spoon to get it all incorporated in your mix!

I'm sure you can all tell i LOVE Foster Clark's 

1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

in with the rest

Heinz is great for things other than ketchup too :)

1 big spoon of Distilled white Vinegar

time to choose my cupcake tray! decisions decisions! 

plain cupcake trays are better, since the cream-cheese frosting is going to go on-top - simple is better :)

Never forget to spray with non-stick grease! makes life much easier when its time to remove baked cupcakes without breakage

pour in until two-thirds full

bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes at 170°C 

Fresh out the oven!

:) stick a tooth-pick in to check if cooked, if you remove it with cake batter stuck to it, its not ready yet, if clean - its done!

Red Velvet Pyramid - get them straight onto your cooling rack after the oven so they stop cooking in the baking tray and to cool 

should be nice and red!

Philadelphia spreadable cream cheese for the frosting (amazing for all recipes that need cream-cheese)

All you need for the cream-cheese frosting: 25g of unsalted butter (at room temperature), clean bowl, small electric mixer, 62g cream cheese + 150g icing sugar, sifted.

My Prestige sift never fails me, been at hand for years and as good as new! try them out :)

sift away!

leave in fridge to set for around an hour or two - by that time the cupcakes will have cooled and your frosting stiff enough to spread

Red Velvet cupcakes ready to serve!

Enjoy everyone :)