Ahhhh, Amore. :)
With Valentine’s Day this month, I wanted a recipe for cupcakes (my personal addiction) that combined my favorite color (red) with my favorite thing (chocolate). This recipe is all of those things. Wooo hoooo!
When I lived in New York I was addicted to the Magnolia Bakery. Now I’m in London, Hummingbird Bakery is where I get my regular cupcake fix. I’m going to post the Hummingbird Bakery version, and give you a link to the Simply Recipes Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe as a way to do some comparing. There are variations in the ingredients like the type of flour and the type of cocoa (I think it’s down to whatever ingredients you can easily find) , as well as the metric vs imperial and Celsius vs Fahrenheit differences, but both recipes get good reviews overall. I’m just so happy that this is essentially Red Devil’s Food Cake. How fab is that?
So now you have something sweet to offer your sweety on the 14th, you can freeze them for prolonging the sin, or you can offer them to your kid’s school class with a candy heart on top and be the Cool Mom.
Happy Valentines Day, All!!! May these little red cups of chocolate love make you smiley, hopped up on sugar, and all kinds of in Lurve!!!!
Red Velvet Cupcakes by Hummingbird Bakery, Notting Hill, London
• 60g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 10g cocoa powder
• 20ml red food colouring ( preferably Dr. Oetker Food Colouring)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanila extract
• 120ml buttermilk
• 150g plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 quantity of Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 12 cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 170C (Gas mark 3)
Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed.
Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste.
Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until every combined and coloured ( scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)
Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half of the buttermilk. Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour, and beat until everything is well incorporated.
Repeat this process until all the butter milk and the flour have been added. scrape down the side of the bowl again.
Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar.
Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-third full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched.
A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the Cream Cheese Frosting on top.
Cream Cheese Frosting
• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 125g cream cheese, cold
Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes
Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment ( or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed .
Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. DO NOT OVERBEAT, as it can quickly become runny.
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