Red Velvet Cupcakes

La Pièce de résistance of cupcakes! The very name is luxury. I don’t do huge volumes of baking as I am firmly focused of healthy eating. However, you gotta live a little and they were for a cake sale in my little mans primary school!

Equipment

2 x 12 hole Muffin Tin
Piping Bag and Nozzle

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

250g Plain Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
100g Soft Unsalted Butter
200g Caster Sugar
1 Heaped tbsp really Red Paste Food Colouring
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
175ml Butter Milk
1 tsp Cider Vinegar

For the Buttery Cream Cheese Frosting

500g Icing Sugar
125g Cream Cheese
125g Soft Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Cider Vinegar
Chocolate sprinkles and Red Sugar for Decoration

Preheat oven to 170C. Line the muffin tins with paper cases

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and sift into a baking bowl.

In another bowl cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.

Best in the lush red food colouring and the vanilla. Beat this thoroughly.
Now add a bit of the dried ingredients and beat again.

Add an egg, beat.

Add another few spoonfuls of the dried ingredients. Combine thoroughly.

Add another egg, followed by the remainder of the dried ingredients mixing well.

Lastly best in the butter milk and the vinegar and divide between the cases.

Bake for 20 mins and then leave to cool on a wire rack.

Ensure they are totally cooled before icing.

For the Frosting

Sift the icing sugar to remove lumps, then add to a food processor. Add the cream cheese and butter and whizz to mix. Pour in the cider vinegar and whizz again.

Ensure it is smooth.

Use a piping bag to pipe the icing nicely onto the cupcakes. You could spread it on with a small spatula or spoon.

Decorate with some nice red sprinkles.

Cupcakes can be make 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container (un-iced)

Frosting can be made a day ahead and refrigerated – remove 2 hours before you are going to use it and beat again briefly.

They are best iced and eaten on the same day but can be refrigerated for a day (serve at room temperature)❤️