Red Velvet cupcakes

When my cousin celebrated her sweet 16 last Saturday, it brought myself back to 2005 when I celebrated my sweet 16. A nostalgic feeling. A lot of fond memories. I wish I could turn back time to the days when I used to frequent the library to have 'group studying'. Begged mum to follow me to Jusco to meet someone. Insist I was taken to tuition to meet someone secretly at the nearby snooker centre.  7 1/2 years later, the memories are still fresh in my mind. So near, yet so far. Sometimes I wish I could stop time & never had to grow up.

Anyway, back to my cousin's birthday party. I was asked to bake my cousin's birthday cake for the party. I decided to throw extras in like cupcakes and cake pops. It was an excuse to bake!hehe. 

I will be posting the red velvet cupcakes recipe as I thought it was the best red velvet cupcakes I've ever tasted. I made a red velvet cake last year but this is far the best red velvet recipe. It is light and fluffy with a hint of cocoa and vanilla frosted with a sweet cream cheese frosting. The cupcakes itself wasn't too sweet so the sweet cream cheese frosting complimented the cupcakes.

Birthday cake was a red ombre cake using a white cake recipe frosted with a vanilla swiss meringue buttercream

Red velvet cupcakes and cake pops - cupcakes were frosted with a simple vanilla cream cheese frosting and the cake pops were make using the same red velvet cupcakes recipe with cream cheese and coated in white chocolate.

Will post better pictures of the red velvet cupcakes when I bake them again next time!

Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook

Cupcakes:

125g unsalted butter

250g caster sugar

2 eggs

20g cocoa powder

1 small bottle (40ml) red food colouring

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

300g plain flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon vinegar

1teaspoon baking soda

1. Make the cocoa paste, Add cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract and mix until it becomes a paste.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs,one at the time.
4. Add cocoa paste and mix until well combined.
5. Fold in the flour and salt into the batter alternating with buttermilk in two additions.
6. In a small bowl, work quickly with baking soda and vinegar mixed together and pour the mixture into the cake batter. Fold until batter is mixed properly.
7. Pipe batter into cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake for 10 - 15 minutes in a preheated oven of 170 C.
8. Remove from cupcake pan immediately after taking the cupcakes out of the oven.
9. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream cheese frosting:

250g cream cheese, softened

600g icing sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Beat cream cheese until fluffy,smooth and free from lumps.
2. Add icing sugar and continue to beat for another 5 minutes.
3. Add vanilla extract.
4. Pipe on cupcakes.

2005

8 years later - 2013