Red Velvet Cupcakes

If you've noticed, my previous blogs have been all about travels and places. I have never stopped baking but I keep making the same cakes over and over again. Lately, I've been hooked up with cupcakes. I've made this transition from cakes to cupcakes (for now). I have not posted pictures of previous cupcake attempts as I'm still on the process of mastering the perfect basic cupcake recipe. I wasn't that satisfied with my first tries as I think they a bit dry and 'cakey' which is a definitely no-no for my standards (that's just personally). I guess we're kind of influenced by the Americans in making moist cakes and cupcakes. I've noticed here that they're not that keen on moist cakes but since my hubby and I are eating them anyway and I bake for my Filipino friends, I might as well make them moist and stick to it.

After watching another episode of Barefoot Contessa, I came across with this recipe. Buttermilk really helps in making the cake moist (same as with the chocolate cake recipe). This was my first try and although I'm not that satisfied with the results (aesthetically), I'm still proud of it. I have altered the recipe as mine did not really turn red mainly due to the cocoa and red food coloring ratio (or I did not use a very strong food coloring which was more pink than red). Ina's recipe calls for 1/4 cup cocoa and 1 tablespoon red food coloring. I tried to add more food coloring but the results were still not red enough, I think they actually looked more brown than red so in the recipe below, it will call for only 2  tablespoons cocoa and the same amount of red food coloring.

Lastly, one of the toughest challenges in cupcake making for me is the frosting. I'm still trying to master how to  frost especially doing the swirly butter frostings. I've got an icing bag and some plastic nozzles but I never really invested in good ones as I never thought that I'd come to this point of baking seriously. So I guess the next step would be to get good ones as I have no luck in making perfect swirls yet or even very fancy decorative icings on my cake. Once I pass this stage, the next step would be fondant icing (God only knows if I could even go to this stage, 'might probably take years!).

Ingredients:

Cupcake
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup double cream
3 tbsp liquid red food coloring (I recommend Wilton to achieve the red in the red velvet cupcake)
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs

Frosting:
8 ounces soft cheese, at room temperature (about 1 regular tub of Philadelphia in the UK)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 170C. Line muffin pan with paper liners/cups.

Sift together dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt). Combine wet ingredients in a large measuring cup (buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla). In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until light (either manually or using an electric mixer). Then add the dry ingredients to be followed by wet ingredients in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix well until combined.

I personally prefer to manually mix them as you may need to use a rubber spatula after you use an electric mixer to make sure the ingredients mix well. Besides, I don't mind the exercise. 


Scoop the batter into muffin cups using an ice cream scoop or large spoon. Bake until the toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost the cupcakes.

For the frosting, just mix all ingredients ,except the sugar, using an electric mixer (preferred for this part rather than manually whipping the ingredients). Add the sugar and mix until you have the perfect consistency for the frosting (able to stand on it's own).

*NB. The recipe has been updated and this is the latest one I made (I baked last night). I have finally achieved the red color (or shall we say I found the perfect food coloring; no need to put that much but the cupcakes are red enough for me). The frosting I used though was not cream cheese but only cream frosting which were left-overs from the Black Forest Cake, I made earlier this week. I will post a new photo once I make the same cupcake topped with cream cheese frosting...soon. My challenge for next time would be to decorate the cupcakes ala DC Cupcakes. I still have to order the heart-shaped toppers/decorations.