Here is today's treat for the co-workers, in fact, it completes the special requests list I got in July - Red Velvet Cupcakes. They are looking rather nice, just out of the oven, cooling on the rack. I didn't have any cake flour or buttermilk so I used substitutes - vinegar in milk to make buttermilk and cornflour in the AP flour to make cake flour. I'm usually very precise about using the exact ingredients, but what with the long weekend, getting ready to go to see "Julie and Julia," followed by a steakhouse dinner, I didn't get all that much time to shop around. Needless to say, the local supermarket does not know anything about cake flour and has run out of buttermilk.
I have a feeling these are going to taste just as good. I got the recipe from "Simply Recipes" and halved it to make a dozen cupcakes.
Here's the Recipe:
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/3 cups of cake flour
2 tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of buttermilk*
1 1/2 tablespoons of red food coloring
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar
Frosting ingredients
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
*You can make your own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to milk and letting it stand for about 10 minutes.
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.
2 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
3 In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.
4 Add a fourth of the dry ingredients and mix, then add a third of the wet. Continue adding in a dry, wet, dry pattern, ending with the dry ingredients.
5 Scoop into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking to ensure even baking.
6 Allow to cool for one minute in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes.
The Frosting
1 Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
2 Add the vanilla extract and mix.
3 Add the powdered sugar, continually taste to get to desired sweetness. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Tuesday morning - all in their carrier, ready to deal with the "A" train.
Just a quick review - they loved them at work! Loved the color, the taste, and the cream cheese frosting! MAKE AGAIN.
