lovely treats

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream cheese icing <3

Moist, slightly bitter with that essential, hint of vinegar making a beautiful lovely sweet treat!

Thanks to The Joy of Baking blog

I have created their red velvet cupcakes.

I searched the internet for a recipe that was simple and didn't require too much effort. 

Where else than a place where they find baking, joyful?

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (125 grams) sifted cakeflour (from any Coles)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoons (10 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cups (150 grams) granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
• 1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream cheese frosting

• 227 grams cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) icing sugar, sifted (I added probably 1 cup)
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) cold heavy whipping cream(double cream) (35-40% butterfat) (Low fat just won't cut it!!!)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175*C and line 12 muffins tins with cupcake liners
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder
3. In a separate bowl (for electric mixer or mix master) beat the butter until soft (~2mins)
4. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes)
5. Add the egg and beat until incorporated
6. Add vanilla extract
7. In a measuring jug - fill buttermilk to 1/2 a cup. Add red food colouring and mix through.
8. In 3 additions, add the flour mixture (from the large bowl) and buttermilk mixture alternately. Start and finish with the flour mixture.
9. In a small cup, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter

To get really perfectly even cupcakes, you can use a ice-cream scoop and quickly scoop batter into the muffin tins.

Bake for approximately 18-23 minutes, or until when you poke a toothpick in and pull it out, its clean!!!

Let the cakes cool.

For the icing

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. 

Add vanilla extract and icing sugar and beat till smooth.

Using a whist, gradually add the double creak and whip until frosting is thick enough to pipe (will hold its shape).

Add more sugar to get consistency and flavour! Place icing into piping bag, using the crown-like attachment nozzle thing (clearly i know my stuff.. pfft) and pipe away! Its the prettiest icing and makes an easy recipe look fancy!!!

Enjoy! <3