Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe

Happy Valentine's to all my readers.

Today's recipe is for a classic Valentine's day cupcake — a red velvet cupcake, where the basic cake batter is coloured red. All topped off with a cream cheese frosting and candy hearts.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Serves: 24

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:

300g (2 1/2 cups plain flour)
300g (1 1/2 cups) sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cocoa powder
360ml (1 1/2 cups) vegetable oil
240ml (1 cup) buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tbsp red food colouring
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

45g (1 lb) cream cheese, softened
200g (1 cup) butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
700g (4 cups) icing sugar, sifted
candy hearts, to decorate
Method:
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder into a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, red food colouring, white vinegar and vanilla extract.

Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined.

Divide the resultant batter between paper-lined muffin tins, filling the wells no more than 2/3 full. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170ºC (350ºF) and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are golden brown and springy to the touch (a skewer inserted into the centre should emerge cleanly).

Allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, cream together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually add the vsugar, mixing with an electric whisk on high until smooth and fluffy.

Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large star-shaped nozzle and pipe rosette swirls on the top of each cupcake. Decorate with a candy heart and serve.