Red Velvet Cupcakes
I actually didn't intend to post this recipe so soon. I have to confess, the reason that I did end up making these cupcakes was because a few days ago I attempted to make homemade dairy free Nutella. I was a disaster from start to finish...so much so that it's almost funny looking back at it...okay maybe it's too soon to think that it was funny. I'll write a post about it soon. I felt defeated and needed to redeem myself...these cupcakes did it.
I hope that you all had a good Valentine's Day. It was a low key affair at our house just the way we like it. A few days prior to Valentine's Day, Cole asked me why I haven't made 'normal cookies' lately (aka plain chocolate chip)... as opposed to filling our cookie jar with lovely iced heart shaped cookies?!...I know right?? I told him that they are in preparation for Valentine's Day. He immediately looked at the calendar on his cell phone...Ok I'm glad this came up now haha. He asked if I could make him some chocolate chip cookies. I said that I can do that but then he also suggested that if I didn't feel like making them that I could just buy some from the store....BUY some from the store?!?! We don't buy baking from the store in this house. To my social work friends - this almost resulted in a verbal DV.
On Valentine's Day, I woke up to a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my three favorite guys...2 furry and one not. Phillip loves smelling them. Diesel was more than patient while I gave him snout smooches and asked for him not to be naughty today...don't be fooled by his good looks.
I made Cole and I a homemade brunch of french toast and strawberries dusted with icing sugar. It was so yummy. Cole had a few things to do that afternoon before we went out for dinner so I took the opportunity to test out some red velvet cupcake recipes.
In the past I have used a mix for red velvet cupcakes. I'm not someone who is against mixes as long as it is Duncan H. as opposed to Betty C. and with homemade icing. However, any red velvet mix that I have used are more of a brown then a sharp red. They were also really light and fluffy. Traditionally red velvet cake isn't light and fluffy. It is dense with soft crumb and a slight tang from buttermilk or vinegar.
Before my attempt, I googled to see how others go about making red velvet cake. I love sites like food.com or allrecipes.com because people usually take the time to comment on what worked and what did not work in a recipe. I started with this recipe for Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake and looked at all 183 reviews...seriously. I made three 1/4 batches (5 cupcakes each) and found out the following:
-Cake flour makes a difference but you can also use cornstarch and all-purpose flour as a substitute.
-Oil seemed to work better for me then the butter and the idea of using shortening grossed me out.
-I did NOT use a mixer for this as I am notorious for over mixing batter and it is really important not to for these cupcakes. I over mixed the first batch.
-I used a buttermilk substitute as I did not have any on hand and do not usually have it.
I will use this modified recipe from now on as it ended up coming out really well.
The cream cheese frosting is the recipe that I have always used. My friend Britt had some amazing cupcakes at work made by her staff, K. She raved about the fluffy cream cheese frosting...it was almost like a cream cheese mousse she said. K said that the secret is really whipping the butter and cream cheese before adding the icing sugar. I did that as well. It certainly was not a mousse but it was A LOT fluffier so I would recommend doing this. Next time I might try whipping it longer. I know that adding some whipping cream to the icing would also help make it fluffier but again that is not something that I would normally have on hand so I did not use it.
If you are not up to the homemade cupcakes I would grab some Duncan H. red velvet cake mix and add an extra egg as well as the no taste red food coloring #nojudegment. Your people will love the icing so much that I bet they will not even ask about the cake ;). Baby steps right?
Side note - I got kind of distracted while looking at various recipes and came across many versions of the history of red velvet cake. A few articles mentioned that cake historians think this or that etc...CAKE HISTORIAN...what a job! sign me up!
CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:
2 cups All-purpose flour
1/4 cup Cornstarch
2 TBSP Cocoa
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Oil
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cup Sugar (white)
1 TBSP Wilton No Taste red gel food coloring
1 TBSP Vinegar + 1 cup milk (see note)
1 tsp Vinegar
CUPCAKE DIRECTIONS:
Put 1TBSP of vinegar into a measuring cup then add milk and fill it until up to the 1 cup mark. This is your buttermilk substitute. If you have buttermilk you can use that instead. Set this aside as it needs to sit for 5 minutes.
In a bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Make sure that your baking soda does not have any clumps as we won't be mixing the batter a lot. Mix these dry ingredients well.
In another larger bowl combine the oil, eggs, and sugar. Beat this mixture well with a wooden spoon to ensure that the egg is beaten and well distributed. Then add the food coloring. Yes I know that 1 TBSP seems like a lot. In my test batches I cut this amount down but anything less comes out brown and not red. Also, I encourage you to use the gel food coloring in NO TASTE RED. You can get this at Bulk Barn for under $3 and it lasts a long time. If you use liquid food coloring you would need 1-2 oz which is an awful lot! This is the same food coloring that I use in my sugar cookie glaze so i always have it on hand for Christmas and Valentine's Day.
Alternate adding the buttermilk and the flour mixture into the oil/egg/sugar bowl and mix until combined. I did have to cream a few clumps into the side of the bowl to make the mixture smooth. Then add 1 tsp of vinegar. Don't worry you will not be able to taste it. This is going to bring out the red in the cocoa and also activate the baking soda.
Immediately place the batter into lined muffin cups. Fill 3/4 full - no more as they will overflow as opposed to forming a nice dome. You should get 20 cupcakes. If you get more or less distribute it so that you end up with 20. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Pull them out of the oven as soon as you can lightly press on the tops and they spring back. Do not over bake. I would start checking them at 18 minutes. If you open the door too early then that then the cupcakes might fall in the center.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
**Notes - This recipe makes quite a bit of icing but a half batch is not quite enough to pipe the swirls. If you are not going to pipe swirls on top of the cupcakes or do not want a lot of icing I would definitely half the recipe.
You can buy disposable plastic piping bags at Bulk Barn for around $0.30 it is def. worth it. The piping bag in the photo below is one of the bulk barn ones. Also, the tip that I use is 2D by Wilton. You can buy the tip individually at Bulk Barn for a couple of dollars. It is the only tip I ever use for icing and if you even plan on making cupcakes a few times it is worth it. It is not hard to pipe on the swirl you really just need the right tip and bag. My friend Ashlee who had never used buttercream icing asked me to make bridal shower cupcakes with her. I showed her how to use the piping bag once and she was able to make really nice looking swirls.
If you do not want to buy anything you could put the frosting in a freezer ziplock bag and cut the end off of one of the corners to pipe it that way.
If you are piping, I would only put 1/3 of the frosting in at once as the more you handle the piping bag your frosting will soften. If this does happen just put the piping bag in the fridge for 10ish minutes OR just be really aware of how much you are handling the bag.**
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
8oz pkg Cream cheese (plain)
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
4.5 (and up to 5) cups Icing sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
Dash of salt (optional)
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING DIRECTIONS:
Using a mixer (stand or hand mixer) beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. I seriously put both in the mixer and put it on med-high for 3-4 minutes and walked away. Sift in icing sugar. Depending on how warm/cool your butter is you will need more or less icing sugar. Mix until combined. Sometimes I add a small dash of salt to my frosting to cut the sweetness (optional). The frosting should be fairly stiff.
Make sure that your cupcakes are completely cooled and then frost away!! I love the contrast between the red cake and white frosting.
Enjoy!