Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe

Woo the start of My Big Fat Halal RECIPES!! 😀 

Of course I had to dedicate my first recipe to my one true love – red velvet cupcakes! Deep, red, fluffy vanilla flavoured cake with a hint of chocolate, topped with a swirl of cream cheese frosting! Mmmm… 

The first time I made these they were a success and my recipe has tweaked just slightly! It’s pretty simple and easy to follow; I hope you love them just as much as I do! 

Happy baking!  – A

Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients

For the red velvet cupcakes:

• 60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 4tsp red food colouring (be aware that different food colourings may vary in strength)
• 3/4tsp vanilla extract
• 120ml buttermilk
• 150g plain flour
• ½tsp salt
• ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1tsp vinegar

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 125g cream cheese, cold
• 1/2tsp vanilla extract

 You’ll also need:

• 12-hole cupcake tray, lined with large cupcake cases

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.
• Beat the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk or freestanding mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the ingredients are well incorporated. 
• Increase to high speed and slowly add the egg in to the mixture.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste. Then add this to the butter mixture until everything is combined and the colour is well distributed. It may look slightly more pink that you’d expect. That’s fine! Once they bake it should become a deep red. 
• Slowly pour in the buttermilk and plain flour. Start with a low speed and increase to a high speed and beat thoroughly until you have a smooth mixture. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything is mixed!
• Add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed for a couple more minutes.
• Add the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 mins. (Every oven is different so keep an eye out on your cakes from 20mins onwards. Insert a knife in to the centre of a cupcake after 20mins. If it comes out clean, your cakes are ready to come out).
• Leave them on a cooling rack before icing.
• For the cream cheese frosting: Beat the icing sugar, vanilla extract and butter together at a low speed. Add the cream cheese and turn up to a high speed. Be careful not to over-beat the mixture as it may become runny. The mixture should be fluffy and light in colour.
• When the cupcakes have cooled down you can ice your cupcakes! I like to pipe the icing using a 1M Wilton star nozzle (http://www.wilton.com/technique/1M-Swirl).
• Add some cake crumbs for a nice final touch.